Go North for Fresh Produce

The Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s (CPMA) 92nd Annual Convention and Trade Show takes place May 9-11 in Toronto at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Event organizers say the show will feature a record breaking 576 exhibit spaces from more than 300 companies from around the world. This year’s show will include a breakfast keynote presentation with Matthew Corrin, founder of the Toronto-based restaurant chain Freshii, 30-minute Learning Lounges, New Product Showcases, and more. 

Of course, the highlight is the show floor. Here are some of the exhibitors and the items they will feature: 

The Little Potato Co.

The Little Potato Co., which has U.S. headquarters in DeForest, Wis., will showcase two varietals. Chilean Splash was bred in the rugged and fertile steppes of the Chilean Andes and is one of the company’s boldest creamers yet, with a silky cream skin and unique purple “splash.” Something Blue, another creamer varietal, has a striking color contrast, a slightly exotic flavor, and a contrast of yellow flesh with purple streaks, bright blue and purple skin, and excellent color retention for roasting and barbecuing.

“Consumers are looking for unique potatoes that are interesting and special,” says Shelley Henschel, marketing manager. “Our creamer potatoes provide surprising nutrition with a beautiful plate appeal.” 

Well•Pict Berries

Well•Pict Berries will present Well•Pict Berry Academy, a four-part video series on the science and history behind the premium berry brand. Each video is less than three minutes in length, and the topics include the uniqueness of Well•Pict berries, the commitment to sustainable growing practices and the importance of maintaining the cold chain from farm to store. There are also expert tips on grading and handling to help get more Well•Pict Berries onto store shelves faster. The course is all done online.

Well•Pict, based in Watsonville, Calif., will also be supplying helpful grading tools and aids to qualifying retailers. The Well•Pict Strawberry Inspection Chart is the exclusive education tool of the Well•Pict Academy and features a visual grading system on the back. The defined examples of how to specifically grade a Well•Pict Berry are designed to make it easier for those receiving product at distribution centers and docks. Together, the video series and Inspection Chart Clipboard will help stores minimize waste and increase profits across the board.

Del Monte Fresh Produce

Del Monte Fresh Produce will feature its Del Monte Vegetable Noodle line. The noodles are now available in seven healthy blends: Zucchini, Butternut Squash; Sweet Potato; Beet; Yellow Squash and blends of Zucchini/Yellow Squash/Carrot and Butternut Squash/Red Onion/Green Pepper. “Del Monte created its range of vegetable noodles to align with recent consumer trends focusing on healthy alternatives to carb-heavy products,” says Dionysios Christou, vice president of marketing. “This line is also all about convenience and is the perfect solution for consumers that want to eat healthy meals but don’t have the time to prep their own vegetable noodles at home.” 

The Coral Gables, Fla.-based company will also highlight new Del Monte Smoothie Kits, available in four healthy mixtures: Antioxidant, Super Fruit, Energizer and “C” Your Vitamins. The smoothies are 100 percent preservative free with a mix of fruits and vegetables. “They are perfect for the refrigerated section of the produce department and convenience channels that wish to reach on-the-go consumers,” says Christou.  

National Watermelon Promotion Board

The National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB) will present its retail kit, designed to help retailers promote the value, health and versatility of watermelon year-round. The communications outreach this year will center on “How to Use the Whole Watermelon,” a theme that addresses value and versatility of the healthful watermelon while helping to educate about minimizing food waste. The retail kit will include new inserts speaking to this theme. Later this year, NWPB will hold its annual watermelon display contest, open to retailers and commissaries. 

NWPB, based in Winter Springs, Fla., also has its Watermelon Queen in-store promotions. “These young women are smart, educated and bring something unique to the produce department,” says Juliemar Rosado, director of retail operations and international marketing. “They can also educate that hesitant customer on how to choose the best watermelon.” CPMA attendees can stop by the NWPB booth and meet the 2017 National Watermelon Queen, Madison Laney.

Ocean Mist Farms

Ocean Mist Farms will showcase its Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organics lines with its bilingual packaging in English and French. “We’re looking forward to being able to share these in Canada,” says Diana McClean, director of marketing. She adds that assuming organic trends and demand for convenience products continues to grow, the Castroville, Calif.-based Ocean Mist Farms will continue to respond and produce value-added fresh vegetable items. “We take pride in supplying nutritious, quality fresh produce,” she adds.

Chelan Fresh

Chelan Fresh is known for its apples, cherries and pears. The Chelan, Wash.-based company is also known for its variety of packaging, such as the recently launched miniature Rockit Apples that are conveniently packaged in a tube, say company officials. At the show, Chelan Fresh will present its pear pouches and cherry displays, to help merchandise its Red Sweet varieties, Rainier and Orondo Ruby. The company is also known for its SugarBee apple brand.

Grimmway Farms

Grimmway Farms will bring a wide variety of carrots, including Whole Cello Carrots in Conventional, Traditional and Organic Rainbow; Table Carrots in Organic Rainbow; Bunched Carrots in Organic Rainbow; Cut & Peeled Baby Carrots in Conventional, Traditional, Microwaveable, Organic Traditional and Rainbow; and Value-Added Carrots in Conventional Carrot Chips, Carrot Dippers, Shredded Carrots, Matchstick Shredded Carrots, Carrot Stixx, and Organic Rainbow Shredded Carrots. 

The company’s organic division, Cal-Organic Farms, is dedicated to earth-friendly farming. “We grow more than 65 organic crops and provide quality that retailers can rely on every day of the year,” says Kellen Stailey, senior director of marketing and merchandising. “It’s our goal to make fresh and affordable organic produce more widely available to consumers.” The company will bring several items including lacinato kale, rainbow chard, bunched rainbow beets, bunched daikon, broccoli, cauliflower, cilantro, fennel, green onions and leeks. 

Grimmway, based in Bakersfield, Calif., will also show its King Pak Conventional Potatoes and TRUE Organic Juice made from its own Cal-Organic vegetables, in Apple Cherry Harvest, Bananaberry Crush, Blissful Beets, Bunched Greens, Citrus Carrot, Kaleifornia, Tropical Mango and Wild Berry Blend. 

The Wonderful Co.

The Wonderful Co., based in Los Angeles, will have a booth with Wonderful Pistachios, POM Wonderful and Wonderful Citrus. 

 Wonderful Pistachios offer a variety of health benefits, and the new Wonderful Nut health campaign will highlight the health attributes such as the fiber and protein of the Fit Nut, low-fat and low-calorie of the Skinny Nut, and important antioxidants of the Colorful Nut. The campaign will include print, POS and in-store displays, as well as Times Square signage.

POM Wonderful continues to focus on sharing the nutritional benefits of the product and exploring other potential benefits of pomegranate juice in the areas of sports performance, memory and cognition, and more. This summer the company will have new POS materials to communicate to consumers the message of working the antioxidant superpower of POM into their workouts.  

Wonderful Citrus will focus on increasing consumer demand for Wonderful Halos Mandarins by promoting seedless, California mandarins through retailer display contests with Sobeys.

Mann Packing Co.

Mann Packing Co. will feature Mann’s Nourish Bowls, the new line of single-serve, warm meals with fresh veggies, grains and sauces. Mann’s Nourish Bowls feature on-trend vegetables such as kohlrabi, butternut squash, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, kale and sugar snap peas. They are available in Monterey Risotto, Sesame Sriracha and Cauli-Rice Curry, among others. The bowls are suited for a variety of meal occasions and can be eaten as a meal or side dish, say officials for the Salinas, Calif.-based company, adding that they are microwavable and ready in 3-4 minutes.

Also new is Kale Beet Blend, a colorful twist on two of the line’s top sellers, Power Blend and Broccoli Cole Slaw. The combination of kale, golden beets, kohlrabi and red cabbage stands out on the shelf and offers exceptional versatility, say officials. It can be served on its own or incorporated into salads, smoothies or other meals. The new blend is made from 100 percent fresh vegetables and it is gluten-free, non-GMO and all-natural.

The company will also feature its recently expanded line of organics. 

NatureSweet 

NatureSweet, whose motto is “Tomatoes Raised Right,” has more than 8,000 full-time associates who cultivate, then handpick the vine-ripened tomatoes in sustainable greenhouses to guarantee consistent, superior taste year-round, say officials for the San Antonio-based company. NatureSweet brands include NatureSweet Cherubs, SunBursts Glorys and Constellation.