(The Packer's Jordan Davis contributed to this report.)
The International Fresh Produce Association's annual Foodservice Conference offered attendees a look under the hood when it comes to creative and flavorful fruit- and vegetable-rich restaurant and retail foodservice meals.
Held July 25-26 in Monterey, Calif., the event brought together more than 2,220 produce suppliers, menu innovators and K-12 professionals, as well as nearly 1,000 buyers and menu influencers.
Among the exhibitors, Hitchcock Farms revealed the agriculture, science and food savvy behind fresh produce destined for foodservice.
The company featured its “Supreme Leaf, which is a leaf lettuce that's perfect for hot chicken sandwiches, burgers or anything that you want to give that additional texture to,” said Dan Holt. “It continues to have that color and flavor in a sandwich-size leaf that's very consistent.”
Holt added that the leaf withholds temperatures of up to 240 degrees.
“This is a growing sector … but we feel this [leaf lettuce] offers an optimal solution. Hence the name, Supreme Leaf,” Holt said.
Hitchcock Farms also featured its napa cabbage hearts, romaine hearts and baby iceberg lettuce. Holt said the company continues to innovate in lettuce varieties such as romaine hearts and baby iceberg lettuce, for which it is known.
While Holt says the company has traditionally focused on white tablecloth foodservice, its innovation with lettuce leaf trials has opened opportunities in other areas of the menu and in different foodservice and retail foodservice sectors.
Hitchcock Farms is approaching these opportunities with strategic foresight.
“It really takes two to three years to develop the seed varieties — the farming — before we actually go to market with any given item because we're so particular about fulfilling the demand that is out there [with consistent] supply,” Holt told The Packer.
Inflation impacts foodservice spend
At the Sage Fruit booth, Doug Hearron and Tim Collin discussed the impact of rising supply chain costs and food inflation on produce consumption at foodservice.“When you go out to eat now, that bill is getting higher and higher. And on the growing side costs have gone up. Fuel costs — at least in our state of Washington and the Northwest — fuel costs have gone up. Our labor costs have gone up, minimum wage has gone up and transportation costs have gone up,” Collin told The Packer. “Who has to pay for it? It has to come from somewhere.”
While Hearron and Collin see inflation impacting sales, they remain optimistic that costs will stabilize.
“The hope is that inflation will come down, which will attract more people in, because we need more consumption,” said Hearron. “Crops aren't getting smaller, so we need more consumption. We need to keep that product moving.
“People who used to go out to eat once a week, maybe now can only go out once every two weeks,” Hearron continued. “So, let's try to get back to where people are feeling good about [the economy].”
What's new
At the Trinity Fruit Company booth, Kristyn Lawson talked new, hydrating juices and foodservice applications for cocktails and mocktails made with no-added-sugar lemonades.“We recently released three new healthy lemonades that are delighting consumers that are looking for a hydrating juice without concentrates, added sugar or sweeteners,” Lawson said. “At Trinity Fruit Co., we carefully select the sweetest fruit with optimum brix levels to enjoy sip after sip.”
The company highlighted its Squeezed Juice Classic Yellow Lemonade; Squeezed Juice Pink Lemonade, which features a big dash of pomegranate juice; and its Squeezed Juice Green Lemonade — a blend of lemons, spinach and cucumber.
“With the popularity of cocktails and mocktails, Squeezed Juice Lemonades are a perfect drink choice for cafes, schools, restaurants, quick-serve stations, bars, office buildings [and] cafeterias,” said Lawson. “We [also] hope to see them in wellness locations across the country.
Trinity Fruit Company's Squeezed Juice is now available in three bottle sizes and a variety of bulk formats to support foodservice operators.
New products were also on display at Kailroy Fresh, which featured its new grape tomatoes in a shaker, peel-back clamshell.
“This is our big new item,” Tom Lyons told The Packer. “We've had a lot of interest.”
The company also featured its orange grape, mixed medley and cherry tomatoes.
Greenhouse-grown flavor
GreenFruit Avocados emphasized its Colombian avocados and greenhouse-grown bell peppers.“Right now, we're bringing in Colombian avocados. It's been an amazing time to bring them in, because the quality has been great,” said Kraig Loomis, who added that the flavor and taste profile of Colombian avocados is the same as that of Mexican and California avocados.
“We're bringing some stability to the market, because it's been so crazy,” said Loomis, pointing to the recent suspension of Mexican avocados and other hiccups that have paved the way for avocados from Colombia to enter the market.
“All the outside noise has really opened up the doors for Colombian avocados,” he said.
The ‘largest restaurant' in town
At the IFPA Foodservice Conference, the K-12 Foodservice Forum attracted more than 100 school menu planners and chefs as well newly appointed USDA Deputy Undersecretary for Food and Nutrition Service Cindy Long, who spoke to the importance of foodservice professionals.They serve tens of thousands of meals to children every day, making them the “largest restaurant in any town,” she said.
More from IFPA Foodservice Conference 2024
Education sessions focused on leveraging data, maximizing menus and celebrating chefs and women in the industry.The expo floor featured new flavors, innovations and menu ideas as well as the IFPA's largest Fresh Ideas Showcase with 32 entries.
“The expo, year after year, is the showcase for innovation and inspired fresh produce products that meet the ever-changing culinary needs of restaurants and evolving consumer demands,” IFPA CEO Cathy Burns said in a release. “A heartfelt thank you to our guests, exhibitors, sponsors, our volunteer leaders on the Foodservice Council, the K-12 and chef communities, and IFPA staff for continuing to raise the bar on this conference every time we meet in Monterey.”
IFPA recognized innovation on the expo floor with its annual Expo Awards that included Best of Show winner J. Marchini Farms for its Joe's Premium; Best of Show runner-up Avocados From Mexico; Best Product Promo winner Wild About Sprouts for its Alfalfa Broccoli and Kale Sprout line; and Chef's Choice winner Mission Produce for its Mango Panna Cotta.
