PALM DESERT, Calif. — Sunny skies and warm temperatures greeted attendees during the three-day Sustainable Produce Summit and West Coast Produce Expo at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa.
Exhibitors at the expo were keen to highlight new packaging options, new partnerships and new sustainability certifications. Check out some of the video highlights from The Packer's virtual booth visits.
Todd Simmons, business development representative for Oppy, said the company showcased its recent partnership with Sun Grape.
“[It’s] big, delicious fruit coming out of the Central Valley [in California],” he said. “That is a great partnership for our import fruit. We're actually going year-round now.”
Giovanni Cavaletto, CEO of GLC Cerritos, discussed the company’s recent fair-trade certification with visitors as well as the start of the next avocado season.
“We're looking to roll out the new crop avocados in the next two to three weeks and start the ’24, ’25 season,” he said.
Monica Jacobs, senior sales executive at Jacobs Farm del Cabo, said the company was excited to showcase its new peel-reseal pack for its cherry tomatoes, Honey Bunch and heirloom medley.
“Don't be deceived by the appearance; it is actually a peel-reseal pack,” she said. “You can open it and close it right back up. It’s a very sturdy, great pack.”
At Index Fresh’s booth, Laura Lutjen and Susie Rea, both in sales and business development, shared about the company’s new cellulose plastic-free bags and about the buzz Gem avocado season creates.
“This product comes every year for about 12 weeks, and so we've got about two more weeks to go,” Rea said. “We've got a lot of people engaged, and we're looking forward to bringing them to market again next season.”
Related: Seen and heard at West Coast Produce Expo 2024 — Part 1