Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/519717
An interview with Pete Quiring, NatureFresh™ Founder and CEO. PSD: What's going on in the greenhouse retail space right now? What are the trends? PQ: I think the trends are more on the consumer side, with fads polluting the industry side. Consumers are serious about locally grown produce and minimizing packaging. Our industry is working hard to get away from plastic and into natural fiber-based pack- aging. We're almost there and a few companies are using fiber now. I think that's awesome. What I see as the fad on our side is this contin- An interview with Michael Joergensen, Vice President of Marketing for NatureSweet. PSD: What do you want to talk about with visitors at the show? MJ: Our new NatureSweet ® Jubilees™. PSD: How is the new product special, new and benefi- cial for prospective customers? MJ: Sandwich tomatoes fall short with consumers for two reasons: they often have no flavor and they are too big to handle. NatureSweet has worked for years Do you need a custom thermo- formed clamshell or tray? Need a design and prototype in seven days or less? Worldwide Plastics has set the bar for fast 3D custom designs in an industry where most custom thermoformed projects take weeks or longer. Worldwide Plastics offers a dedicated team of designers and engineers that can create custom packag- ing designs in line with consumer behaviors and desires, global and domestic consumer trends, and current man- ufacturing processes in just a matter of days. For more than 28 years, Worldwide Plastics has sup- plied high-quality thermoformed plastic products to the agricultural and fresh cut produce markets. Worldwide Plastics' value-added custom packaging design services Continued on Page 29 Continued on Page 29 Continued on Page 29 NATUREFRESH FARMS: MEET THE GROW-TO PEOPLE WORLDWIDE PLASTICS OFFERS RAPID DESIGN AND PROTOTYPES FOR NEW PROJECTS NATURESWEET: FROM SEED TO SHELF Continued on Page 23 O s e r C o m m u n i c a t i o n s G r o u p C h i c a g o W e d n e s d a y, J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 1 5 AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION NOT AFFILIATED WITH UF GLOBALG.A.P., the world's largest and most trusted farm certification standards organization, invites convention attendees to stay in the Windy City one more day for an exciting Thursday, June 11 conference with leading agricul- tural industry and government representatives. The "TOUR 2015" event from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. features a keynote by FDA Deputy Commissioner Michael Taylor on the FDA's view of the role of audits in the coming era of the landmark FSMA legislation. The first session examines food safety harmonization and audit fatigue reduction. Moderated by United Fresh's Senior Vice President of Food Safety David Gombas, the session's panelists include Alpine Fresh's Peter Hill, Costco's Craig Wilson, Moreland Fruit Farm's Fred Finney, Walmart's Kerry Bridges, and Wegmans' Bill Pool. Up next, GLOBALG.A.P. explores the rising trend of going "Beyond Food Safety" with a look into sustainability and worker welfare concerns. Environmental consultant Robert Denny moderates this session with panelists Gavin Bailey of A critical issue for the produce industry is traceability. The impor- tance of traceability has been made devastatingly clear in recent years by well publicized incidents of illness and death due to con- taminated lettuce, spinach, cantaloupes and more. The longer it takes in such cases to trace contamination to its source, the greater the market consequences for all growers, wholesalers and retailers. The average cost of a recall to a food company is $10 million in direct costs, in addition to brand damage and lost sales, according to a joint industry study by the Food Marketing Institute and the Grocery Manufacturers Association. The AFS Warehouse Management Software (WMS) from AFS Technologies can help companies achieve product safety with a strict lot control and tracking process. "AFS WMS can help you remain compliant and offer quality products that meet strin- gent food safety regulations," said Mark Miller, General Manager of Supply Chain at AFS Technologies. "THE SENSE & NONSENSE OF FARM CERTIFICATION" JOIN GLOBALG.A.P. & UNITED FRESH FOR IMPORTANT THURSDAY CONFERENCE AVOID RECALL ISSUES WITH WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Continued on Page 23