United Fresh 2011 Attendees Honor Best New Products

NEW ORLEANS, La. Attendees to the United Fresh Produce Association's annual convention and expo in New Orleans cast their votes Wednesday and recognized this year's New Product Awards in six categories. A record 34 fresh fruit and vegetable innovations competed in the categories of Best New Packaging Product, Best New Food Safety Solution, Best New Processing Equipment, Best New Fruit Product, Best New Packing and Packaging Equipment, and Best Vegetable Product.

The 2011 New Product Award winners are:

Best New Packaging: MIXIM Classic 5x5 6oz. Bushberry Packaging System, Sambrailo Packaging

Best New Food Safety Solution: SmartWash, New Leaf Food Safety Solutions

Best New Processing Equipment: Primus Gemini New and Improved Fresh Berry Sorter, Best Sorting

Best New Fruit Product: Sun Drops Grape Tomatoes, Mucci Farms AND Naturipe® Berry Quick Blueberry Snacks, Naturipe Farms, LLC

Best New Packing/Packaging Equipment: Volmpack Ultrek 320 Vertical-Form-Fill-Seal Bagger, Volm Companies, Inc.

Best New Vegetable Product: Pure Flavor Grill Ready Vegetable Mix, Pure Hot House Foods Inc.

"These seven innovations represent thousands of man-hours of hard work, foresight, dedication, risk and reward," said United Fresh Vice President of Convention and Industry Relations John Toner. "The unveiling of new products is a vital part of the United show, and we're proud to honor these winners and congratulate all 34 finalists in this year's competition."

In the Best New Fruit Product category, two winners were selected. Sun Drops Grape Tomatoes from Mucci Farms and Naturipe Farms' Berry Quick Blueberry Snacks were both honored as best products.

"Because there was some confusion among voters about tomatoes being judged in the fruit category, both of these outstanding products are recognized as category winners due to the widespread voting support they received in the balloting," Toner said.

The finalists in each category were on display for the two days of the United Fresh 2011 trade show, and the winners were selected by votes cast from show attendees.