Market Report
- Thursday, 24 May 2018
Americans have a serious love affair with snacking. Those of a certain age might still define a snack as a quick midday grab for a Snickers bar or bag of potato chips.
Traditional daily eating patterns are built around three “square and structured” meals. Snacks were supplemental to those three squares.
This behavior is yielding to more modern eating styles characterized by frequent snacking. These snacking events occur in a more unsystematic way and varies from person to person.
Snacking used to be about diversion, fun and indulging in food cravings. There is a shift toward health, wellness, fresh and premium snack foods.
Pleasure is still a component to snacking, but so are nourishment, optimization and convenience.
Traditional daily eating patterns are built around three “square and structured” meals. Snacks were supplemental to those three squares.
This behavior is yielding to more modern eating styles characterized by frequent snacking. These snacking events occur in a more unsystematic way and varies from person to person.
Snacking used to be about diversion, fun and indulging in food cravings. There is a shift toward health, wellness, fresh and premium snack foods.
Pleasure is still a component to snacking, but so are nourishment, optimization and convenience.
- Thursday, 17 May 2018
The Blossom Hill orchards are located in Patterson, California. Some suggest this location to be the world’s best apricot-growing region.
Lucich — Santos Farms have been family-owned for more than 90 years. For over 35 years, they’ve developed expertise in growing, packing and shipping California apricots and apriums under the Blossom Hill Orchard name.
Four generations oversee the daily operations. Their overarching goal is to provide customers with the best eating, sweetest, juicy apricots.
Jim Lucich, sales representative for Blossom Hill, said the 2018 crop in Patterson is lighter than usual. Weather played a part with the crop set. Chill hours were lower than needed, and some cold and rain that came after the bloom had an effect on the crop.
The company grows its apricots in a sustainable-minded environment. Lucich and Santos Farms and Blossom Hill Packing’s objective is to produce premium delicious fruit with food safety in mind.
Lucich — Santos Farms have been family-owned for more than 90 years. For over 35 years, they’ve developed expertise in growing, packing and shipping California apricots and apriums under the Blossom Hill Orchard name.
Four generations oversee the daily operations. Their overarching goal is to provide customers with the best eating, sweetest, juicy apricots.
Jim Lucich, sales representative for Blossom Hill, said the 2018 crop in Patterson is lighter than usual. Weather played a part with the crop set. Chill hours were lower than needed, and some cold and rain that came after the bloom had an effect on the crop.
The company grows its apricots in a sustainable-minded environment. Lucich and Santos Farms and Blossom Hill Packing’s objective is to produce premium delicious fruit with food safety in mind.
- Thursday, 10 May 2018
There are ten celebrated national holidays in the United States, so named by congress. After those stayed holidays, petitions get introduced to local, state and national officials for commemorating other worthy days.
Fewer than 150 are granted in an average year, across all categories, by the president of the United States. Still others get invoked at a more local level proclamation.
Even so, that still gives us everything from National Pomegranate Month and National Cherry or Pecan Pie Day to draw attention to the produce industry and ingredients worthy of a food holiday.
However manufactured, some of the food related holidays make perfect sense. National Barbecue Day and National Hamburger Day coincide with the upcoming Memorial Day Holiday weekend.
For most of the country, Memorial Day weekend launches the summer outdoor cooking season. We build memories around sharing food and creating food events in more casual environment.
Fewer than 150 are granted in an average year, across all categories, by the president of the United States. Still others get invoked at a more local level proclamation.
Even so, that still gives us everything from National Pomegranate Month and National Cherry or Pecan Pie Day to draw attention to the produce industry and ingredients worthy of a food holiday.
However manufactured, some of the food related holidays make perfect sense. National Barbecue Day and National Hamburger Day coincide with the upcoming Memorial Day Holiday weekend.
For most of the country, Memorial Day weekend launches the summer outdoor cooking season. We build memories around sharing food and creating food events in more casual environment.
- Thursday, 03 May 2018
Food safety risks may be reduced on the farm by following good agricultural practices (GAPs).
GAPs help growers understand the practices and risks associated with their farm. They help identify practical ways to reduce the risk of contaminating produce being grown, harvested and packed.
There is no such thing as zero-risk, but practices and steps need to be in place on farms to minimize any potential risk of contamination. Although the common principles of GAPs don’t change from farm to farm, each GAP is unique, as every grower does things differently.
GAPs focus on assessing the risk in five key areas:
Water
Manure/Compost and Soil Amendments
Land Use (Previous/Adjacent) and Animal Access (Domestic/Wildlife)
Equipment, Tools & Buildings
Employee Health & Hygiene
GAPs help growers understand the practices and risks associated with their farm. They help identify practical ways to reduce the risk of contaminating produce being grown, harvested and packed.
There is no such thing as zero-risk, but practices and steps need to be in place on farms to minimize any potential risk of contamination. Although the common principles of GAPs don’t change from farm to farm, each GAP is unique, as every grower does things differently.
GAPs focus on assessing the risk in five key areas:
Water
Manure/Compost and Soil Amendments
Land Use (Previous/Adjacent) and Animal Access (Domestic/Wildlife)
Equipment, Tools & Buildings
Employee Health & Hygiene