Reader Service # 7 APRIL 2010 • VOL. 26 • NO. 4 42 FEATURES PROCESSED GUACAMOLE EMERGES AS A COVER STORY GROWTH OPPORTUNITY FOR RETAILERS........................................32 THE INS & OUTS OF FOODSERVICE Thanks to high-pressure packaging, prepared guacamole tastes better and lasts longer. BUYING CONTRACTS .............22 Contracting the right items the right THE DEAL FROM DOWN UNDER ....................................................38 way will keep growers, shippers and The big guys in the Down Under fruit deal plan for a profitable season. buyers out of trouble and in the green. PLENTIFUL SUPPLIES FORESEEN FOR SOUTHERN FRUITS ....................42 The popularity of sweet Southern fruit continues to soar, while much of the crop rebounds from the freeze. COMMENTARY EIGHT TIPS FOR SPRING GRAPE SALES ...........................................46 THE FRUITS OF THOUGHT Staying in communication with your suppliers and smart merchandising Daring To Challenge Food Safety Dogma ..8 techniques will guarantee a sweet grape deal. RETAIL PERSPECTIVE MAKE WAY FOR MUSHROOMS .....................................................51 Three Cs Of Business...................94 With creative usages and cost-saving techniques, mushrooms are turning up more frequently on menus all across the board. EUROPEAN MARKET Online Grocery Purchasing Works Across The Pond. Is It Feasible Stateside? .......96 DEPARTMENTS MERCHANDISING REVIEWS: Eight Ways To Sweeten Sweet Onion Sales ..................................................52 Stocking truly sweet onions, offering them in more than one SKU and IN EVERY ISSUE promoting their many usages are just a few ways to make sales bloom. THE QUIZ ............................4 Top Tips For Merchandising Tomatoes......................................................62 WASHINGTON GRAPEVINE ........6 Retailers can help sway customers in tomato purchases. RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES ........12 Merchandising Melons For Maximum Sales.................................................72 When melons are plentiful, they move fast. But don’t count out year-round sales. COMMENTS AND ANALYSIS ......13 DRIED FRUIT AND NUTS: PRODUCE WATCH .................14 Effective Walnut Marketing ................................................................88 Retailers shouldn’t wait for the holidays to promote walnuts FLORAL WATCH ...................91 as a tasty, healthful snack and ingredient. BLAST FROM THE PAST ...........98 FLORAL & FOLIAGE MARKETING: Selling Licensed Floral Products ............................................................92 INFORMATION SHOWCASE .......98 Cartoon celebrities have sold carrots, Clementines and cherries in produce departments and bakery profits from all those character-laden cakes. What does it take for floral departments to benefit from selling licensed products? SPECIAL FEATURES FROM THE PAGES OF THE PERISHABLE PUNDIT As South African Grapefruit Enters The U.S. Market, Who Will Step In To Build Year-Round Demand?. ...........................................10 REGIONAL PROFILE: LOS ANGELES Los Angeles Looks Toward The Future ......................................................78 Focusing on emerging demographics and serving customers in new and improved ways ensure the LA Market remains at the top of its game. Spaghettini Grill And Jazz Club ............................................................84 Produce takes center stage at this long-time neighborhood gem. 62 Henry’s Market ............................................................................86 Produce plays an important role at this Southern California staple. Change Service requested: POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PRODUCE BUSINESS, P.O. Box 810425, Boca Raton, FL 33481-0425. PRODUCE BUSINESS (ISSN 0886-5663) is published monthly for $58.40 per year by Phoenix Media Network, Inc., P.O. Box 810425, Boca Raton, FL 33481-0425. APRIL 2010 • PRODUCE BUSINESS 3 PRODUCE QUIZ APRIL 2010 • VOL. 26 • NO.4 THIS MONTH’S WINNER: President & Editor-in-Chief •JAMES E. PREVOR [email protected] Publisher/Editorial Director •KEN WHITACRE Joe Sferrazza Joe Sferrazza has been in the produce [email protected] Regional Sales Manager industry since 1991, and with Supreme Cuts Special Projects Editor •MIRA SLOTT Supreme Cuts LLC for a little more than three years. “It seems [email protected] Mahwah, NJ like I’ve been in the business forever,” he Assistant Editor •AMY SHANNON admits. “The passion people have working [email protected] with produce — it’s amazing. There’s always great energy.” Assistant Editor •JENNIFER LESLIE KRAMER According to Sferrazza, Supreme Cuts is [email protected] How To Win the leading supplier of snipped green beans Circulation Manager •KELLY ROSKIN To win the PRODUCE BUSINESS Quiz, the first in the United States and also an importer of [email protected] thing you have to do is enter. The rules are specialty produce. “We sell primarily to Executive Assistant •FRAN GRUSKIN simple: Read through the articles and regional foodservice operations such as [email protected] advertisements in this issue to find the Wegmans, Acme Markets, Meijer, Wakefern, answers. Fill in the blanks corresponding Bozzuto’s and King Kullen. European Bureau Chief •ROBERT ZWARTKRUIS to the questions below, and either cut along When he’s not focused on fresh produce, [email protected] the dotted line or photocopy the page, and Joe often finds himself in the kitchen. “I like send your answers along with a business Production Director • DIANA LEVINE [email protected] card or company letterhead to the address to cook. It’s relaxing,” he says. “And when the weather cooperates, I like to spend time listed on the coupon. The winner will be Production Leader • JACKIE TUCKER chosen by drawing from the responses outdoors, even in the winter. For instance, received before the publication of our on Valentine’s Day, my girlfriend and I went Production Department FREDDY PULIDO June issue of PRODUCE BUSINESS. The winner walking underneath frozen waterfalls. It was must agree to submit a color photo to be cold out, for sure, but we had fun.” JOANNA ARMSTRONG published in that issue. Director of Online Communications JASON KAHAN WIN A DEEP FRYER Trade Show Coordinator •JACKIE LOMONTE Remember the days when Mom made homemade French fries or fried [email protected] chicken? Here is a way to get those tastes back in your home — plus you Contributing Editors can tempura veggies and other dishes. With this Stainless Steel 1,800-watt MEREDITH AUERBACH,CAROL BAREUTHER, deep fryer with a 2-lb.-plus capacity and a 1-gallon removable oil contain- CHUCK GREEN,KEN HODGE,JACKIE LIEBERMAN, er, you can quickly and easily prepare fun dishes for the whole family. PRISCILLA LLERAS,JODEAN ROBBINS DUARTE, BRYANT WINES,JON VAN ZILE QUESTIONS FOR THE APRIL ISSUE Advertising 1) The Zespri kiwifuit season begins in which month?____________________________________ ERIC NIEMAN,ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER [email protected] 2) How many people have said ‘Hello’ to Dole’s Salad Guide? _____________________________ SANDY LEE [email protected] BILL MARTIN [email protected] Colleen Morelli 3) Maurice A. Auerbach, Inc. markets what brand of produce? ___________________________ [email protected] ____________________________________________________________________________________ ELLEN ROSENTHAL [email protected] Floral Department Marketing 4) What is the 800-number for California Sun Dry Foods? _________________________________ E. SHAUNN ALDERMAN [email protected] Send insertion orders, payments, press 5) What company owns the trademark for Champagne mangos? __________________________ releases,photos, letters to the editor, etc., to: PRODUCE BUSINESS ____________________________________________________________________________________ P.O. Box 810425 Boca Raton, FL 33481-0425 Phone: 561-994-1118 Fax: 561-994-1610 6) Pura Vida Farms will be exhibiting at what United booth number? E-mail: [email protected] PRODUCE BUSINESS is published by Phoenix Media Network, Inc. This issue was: ❏ Personally addressed to me ❏ Addressed to someone else James E. Prevor, Chairman of the Board P.O. Box 810425 Boca Raton, FL 33481-0425 Name __________________________________ Position ____________________________ Phone: 561-994-1118 Fax: 561-994-1610 Company ____________________________________________________________________ Entire contents © Copyright 2010 Phoenix Media Network, Inc. Address ______________________________________________________________________ All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. City__________________________________________________________________________ Publication Agreement No. 40047928 State ____________________________________ Zip _________________________________ Phone __________________________________ Fax _________________________________ Photocopies of this form are acceptable. Please send answers to: APRIL QUIZ PRODUCE BUSINESS • P.O. Box 810425 • Boca Raton, FL 33481-0425 4 PRODUCE BUSINESS • APRIL 2010 Reader Service # 76 WASHINGTON GRAPEVINE A report on the inside happenings of government. SUBMITTED BY TOM STENZEL, PRESIDENT AND CEO • UNITED FRESH PRODUCE ASSOCIATION Get Involved, Stay Involved t’s April and that means one thing: We’ll explore the recent Healthy Foods increasing sales and benefiting regional and Time for the United Fresh show. We in Schools Act introduced last month by local produce businesses.