Keeping it fresh in Anaheim

State of the Produce Industry

PMA President Cathy Burns and CEO Bryan Silbermann presented the annual State of the Industry during one of the general sessions. Here are some of the key takeaways from the presentation:

• Food production needs to increase by 70 percent if the global population reaches the estimated 9.1 billion by 2050. Seventy percent of the global population will reside in cities by 2050. What will the implications be for the food supply? We as an industry need to rethink our approach to ensure a sustainable future for all.
• No country has lowered their population’s obesity levels in the last 33 years. Burns said that PMA can help make the difference by promoting fresh produce as a part of a healthy lifestyle.
• There are four factors fueling produce demand, according to the presentation: multiculturalism, transparency, convenience and health. Aspects to consider related to convenience include: less free time (consumers are looking for something easy to eat/drink), shrinking household sizes (smaller portions), more consumers eating/drinking alone and the rise of women in the workplace (they are looking for nutritious and delicious meals for their families).
• Kids see 5,500 ads for junk food per year, but only 100 ads for healthy food. They end up having more of an emotional connection to cereal than fruits and veggies.
   

Who: 22,400+ attendees & 1,090 exhibitors

What: Trade show, general sessions, new product and trend expo, educational workshops for the fresh produce and floral industry’s supply chain

Where: Anaheim, California

 

Congrats!

Dick Spezzano (left), president of Spezzano Consulting, received the Robert L. Carey Leadership Award for his exemplary leadership and commitment to PMA and the produce industry over the last 50 years. “When you walk into a PMA board meeting, you take your company hat off and put on your industry hat,” Spezzano said upon receiving the award of his role in PMA and efforts to strengthen the industry.
Courtesy of Produce Marketing Association

Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) was a hot topic

A panel discussion about the four recent proposals under the Food Safety and Modernization Act took place in a standing-room-only meeting of produce industry professionals wanting to know more about the potential impact on their businesses. According to PMA, the proposal topics included: produce safety, preventive controls for human food, foreign supplier verification programs and preventive controls for animal feed. Deputy Commissioner of U.S. Foods (Food and Drug Administration) Mike Taylor (at podium) and Dr. Samir Assar (far right, seated), director of produce safety (FDA) were among the panelists.

Reaching out to children

One of the prevalent themes throughout the PMA Fresh Summit exhibition hall and new product entries was making produce more appealing to children. There were single serving “dinosaur eggs,” which were actually tiny avocados, apples infused with grape flavoring, prepackaged colorful lunchbox veggies, grapes with Frozen movie theme packaging and much more. Much more emphasis is being placed on creating healthy habits early on, and everyone in the supply chain is taking notice. PMA’s 'eat brighter!' movement is one of those initiatives (see story).

Top-notch displays caught attendees’ attention

As usual, exhibitors created unique booth spaces that served both to inspire attendees and showcase the different ways their products could be displayed in a retail setting.