Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/738345
Produce Show Daily Friday, October 14, 2016 5 2 Fresh Summit? GK: IEO has always had a very visible presence at the PMA Fresh Summit, and our intent is to continue to do so. The PMA has done a wonderful job of bring- ing many viable customers and ship- pers/suppliers together, and I believe it is the best and most economical method of seeing many existing customers as well as meeting potential new ones. Fortunately, we have always been able to secure a pri- mary position in the show hall and this year we are located at booth #835. PSD: How is the quality for IEO onions this year? GK: The growing conditions this year have been outstanding, which has conse- quently produced some of the highest quality onions we have seen in recent years. The skins have a beautiful color and the onions are no doubt going to store well throughout our season. PSD: How has the Committee's decision to reduce assessments impacted promo- tion efforts? GK: The Onion Committee has contin- ued its assessment reduction rate to allow IEO shippers to utilize their resources in more aggressive individual direct promo- tion and marketing. However, the Committee has kept its strong advertising presence and tradeshow participation. This last year we've seen more individual shippers engage in their own promotion efforts. This is a very good thing. The funds saved in assessments allows ship- pers to promote their individual compa- nies should they choose to do so. Several shippers have capitalized on this and it is nice to see. PSD: Do you see anything new or differ- ent that retailers are doing to increase their onion sales? GK: Most major retailers continue to be concerned with food safety; IEO is a leader in food safety, with a majority of its growers and shippers participating in Certified Onions, Inc., a non-profit organization that uses third party testing Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion (Cont'd. from p. 1) for chemical residuals, and a large major- ity of our growers and shippers partici- pate in third party audits for Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) on the farms and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) at the packing facilities. Retailers can feel confident about purchasing food safe onions from IEO and should make a point to communicate all the food safety benefits to their customers. PSD: How do you think the Farm-to- Fork movement has impacted shippers from your region? Do you think that it is important for your members to encour- age retailers to tell your story? GK: Many retailers have expressed that they would like to purchase their produce as directly as possible. Retailers appreci- ate knowing where and how fruits and vegetables are grown. I believe this is an excellent opportunity for producers to share their 'American Family Farm' lega- cies and to assure the end users that the U.S. growers can provide excellent qual- ity and food safe produce. PSD: Have you seen any shift in retail sales of reds vs. yellows and whites? GK: The mix of yellow, red and white onions in the retail sector has been fairly steady for many years, although we con- tinue to see an increase in the red volume. PSD: How important is it that retailers develop POS to explain onion varieties and use? GK: Retailers and shippers should pro- vide POS materials whenever possible. Any time we can educate our end users about the best methods of onion prepara- tion and best use for our different vari- eties, we should do so. Education will help our customers enjoy and appreciate our onions and hopefully increase con- sumption. POS materials are also a great avenue to encourage consumers to 'Buy American' and specifically from Idaho and Eastern Oregon. Also, providing recipes and engaging in cross-merchan- dising can be a very useful tool for retail- ers. For more information, visit booth #835 or go to www.usaonions.com. ZUMEX PRESENTS REVOLUTIONARY NEW MACHINE ZUMEX ® Group, a world leader in the development of systems to squeeze fruits and vegetables, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with its new MASTERY ® , a cold press machine designed and patent- ed by the company which is bound to revolutionize the sector. This ambitious reinterpretation of the cold pressing sys- tem has become the best option in its cat- egory due to its innovative operation, the perfection of its design and its production capacity. It is a semi-industrial option which brings a reinvention of the cold press cat- egory of machines. In fact, MASTERY has been perfected in every detail by the team from the Food Engineering Division of ZUMEX Group to ensure a stylish, safe and functional design that guarantees high performance to extract and preserve the vitamins and nutrients of fruit juices, vegetables, vegetable milks and nut-based drinks. It is a machine that can be perfectly adapted to the context in which it is used, such as large retailers, supermarkets or hypermarkets, restaurants, juice bars and even small companies specialized in juice production. With a ground-breaking design, MASTERY is safer and more powerful than other cold press machines, thanks to its many innovations, such as the feeder, shorter and fold-away, designed to reduce the action space and improve access. At the same time, safety is guaranteed by its built-in pusher with an automatic stop, which prevents accessing the shredder discs, providing the whole unit with greater hygiene and speedier use. ZUMEX Food Engineering is spe- cialized in the design and development of ad hoc engineering projects, both for the production of juice on an industrial level and the processing of any type of fruit, vegetable or food. ZUMEX Group, a world leader in the design and manufacture of innovative solutions for fruit and veg- etable squeezing for the past three decades, is pres- ent in more than 100 coun- tries through a network of distributors and its four subsidiaries (U.S., Mexico, U.K. and France), which give support to its head- quarters, located in Spain (Moncada- Valencia). With a turnover exceeding 14 mil- lion Euro, the company stands out for the development of patented technologies and premium systems, and has three major lines of business: foodservice and retail, vending and food engineering. Visit Zumex at booth #1009. For more information, call 305.591.0061 or visit www.zumex.com. GLORYBEE: 'BEE-ING THE CHANGE WE SEEK' The B Corporation ® movement is quick- ly gaining momentum and being a sus- tainable company is becoming more important when it comes to building rela- tionships with businesses and customers. The element of transparency is some- thing that is highly sought after now more than ever, and GloryBee ® has taken this step to open the pages of its book to show the world how it does business. GloryBee was founded on the core values of faith, genuine relationships, healthy living and stewardship. It became a Certified B Corporation because it believes that business can be a force for good and inspire change for the better. Attaining this esteemed B Corp™ certifi- cation is the company's way of demon- strating its resounding commitment to its core values. Second generation Owner and Executive Vice President, RaeJean Wilson, says, "We believe that GloryBee is here for a greater purpose. While we have the privilege of selling natural, quality products to our customers, we believe that this B Corp certification has validated how we do business to ourselves and to our community." Being a Certified B Corporation indicates that the company meets the rigorous stan- dards of social and environmental per- formance. To GloryBee, this is much more than just a stamp of approval. Maintaining its B Corp certification will challenge it to improve on its sustainable practices as it grows and reminds the company to constantly consider how it is affecting the environment, the community, its employees and its clients. The B Corp status will give the business a road map for sustainable growth. GloryBee will "Bee the Change" and work toward the one unifying goal that all B Corporations share – to redefine success in business. To learn more about GloryBee, visit www.glorybee.com. To find out how you can partner with the Save the Bee Program, visit www.glorybee.com/savethebee or call 800.456.7923. AGAINST THE GRAIN: PLANT-BASED WITHOUT COMPROMISE For 10 years, Against The Grain has been going against the trend towards food industrialization. It combines the highest quality, whole ingredients in unique ways to produce naturally gluten-free, mini- mally-processed products. It doesn't compromise in taste and texture, either. Plant-based products are a new departure for Against The Grain. Its best- selling gluten-free bread and pizza prod- ucts have always relied on animal pro- tein, but when faced with the opportunity to develop a new line of products, it asked, why not create a plant-based prod- uct that was both gluten-free and grain- free? The new 100 percent plant-based Ginger Cookies and Chocolate Chip Cookies are just that. They are rich and buttery-tasting, soft and chewy, and made with real ingredients and no gums, binders, emulsifiers or preservatives. What it offers is a very satisfying, responsible indulgence that is easier on the planet. About Against The Grain Gourmet Against The Grain Gourmet is a celiac family-owned wholesale manufacturer of frozen gluten-free bread, pizza and cook- ie products located in Brattleboro, Vermont. It is also the only national gluten-free and grain-free bakery. The company's products are made with a minimal number of ingredients with no preservatives or additives in its dedicated gluten-free and nut-free facility. It prides itself on paying its production staff the highest wages and the best benefits pack- age in the industry. For more information, visit www.against thegraingourmet.com.