Lousy Fruit Undermines Consumption
We think we should nominate Elizabeth Pivonka, President of the Produce for Better Health Foundation, as the holder of the most thankless job in the industry. Here she is charged with boosting consumption through marketing and education and we so often don’t do the job with product and at retail that is required to build […]
FDA Fumbles Again On
Cantaloupe ‘Alert’
The situation regarding cantaloupe, salmonella and Honduras has been getting stranger by the moment. The FDA started out by issuing an “import alert” regarding cantaloupes produced by Agropecuaria Montelibano: FDA WARNS OF SALMONELLA RISK WITH CANTALOUPES FROM AGROPECUARIA MONTELIBANOThe agency detains products from the Honduran manufacturer The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an […]
Tanimura & Antle Changes:
A Sign Of The Times
Sometimes when events occur, we make the mistake of focusing on why the changes occurred as opposed to asking why things were as they were. On November 1, 2004, Ready Pac announced the completion of its acquisition of the Salad Time fresh-cut processing unit of Tanimura & Antle. As part of the deal, Ready Pac […]
Wal-Mart Announces
Product Removal Fee
Not too long ago, we received a letter from a QA executive at an important retailer: I’m a loyal reader and am in Quality Assurance for H-E-B, a retailer located in Texas and Mexico. I’ve been working on our recall system and on improving it. I’ve heard but been unable to confirm that some of […]
Fresh & Easy Now Accepts AMEX
Over three months ago, our piece, Tesco Observations From A Retail Pro, included an observation on Fresh & Easy from one of America’s premier experts on produce retailing: I would have included as big negatives the fact that Fresh & Easy is 100% self checkout, will not take checks, will not accept manufacturers’ coupons, and […]
Sustainability Goes Beyond Best Practices
We’ve focused heavily on issues surrounding sustainability, including running pieces such as these: Michael Pollan’s Sustainability Arguments Unsustainable In Context Of Economics A Call For An Industrywide Sustainability and Social Responsibility Initiative: Sustainability Being Steamrolled — Does A Sustainable Vision Encompass only Organics Pundit’s Mailbag — Organic Icon DiMatteo Weighs In On Sustainability Standard Pundit’s […]
Lowly Brussels Sprout
Fetches Big Money
Tesco may be experiencing trouble with its US Fresh & Easy division, but back in the UK its punctilious service is getting headlines: BRUSSELS SPROUT AUCTIONED FOR CHARITY A BRUSSELS sprout fetched 750 times its retail value when it was auctioned online for charity. The sprout acquired cult status in Stockport when Tesco sent it […]
As Another Analyst Confirms Low Sales, Fresh & Easy Brings In More Help
Our extensive coverage of Tesco’s Journey to America began to attract substantial press coverage in the United Kingdom when, in pieces such as Tesco Intelligence Report: Slow Start, we pointed out facts such as these: Here at the Pundit … we have our own unique intelligence network, and what happens is that virtually every day […]
Pundit’s Mailbag — SCS Takes Exception To Analysis Of Sustainability Standard
We’ve been deeply engaged with industry efforts to wrestle with the issue of sustainability. In addition to giving a presentation at the most recent PMA convention, we also taught a class this week on the subject as part of the United Fresh Executive Development Program at Cornell University. We also have run a series of […]
Friday The 13th, March 1989…
Important Date In Produce History
A longtime participant in the import deal reminds us of a never-to-be-forgotten day 19 years ago: It was a Friday the 13th in March 1989, that we learned that in the early morning hours the FDA alleged they had found 2 individual Flame seedless grapes had been injected with cyanide in one box out of […]
