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PMA Fresh Summit 2014 Roger Pepperl of Stemilt talks with Dick McKellog of Lowes about Stemilt’s new Fresh Blenders packaging for juicing and smoothies.
Stemilt Growers Fresh Blenders was introduced at the PMA Fresh Summit in Anaheim, CA. The blender-shaped package contains fruit and vegetables ready to blend or juice. Stemilt Growers offers 5 varieties in both sweet and tart options.
They were featured in the New Products Showcase and offered free juice sampling at a food truck outside the convention center.
“According to NPD Group data from May 2013, blenders, juicers and food processors are the top-growing small kitchen appliance category, with blenders and juice extractors contributing to more than $1 billion in sales in 2013. The popularity in juicing and smoothies spills over onto the Web with terms like “smoothie recipes” earning an average of 110,000 Google searches a month.
“Juicing and blending smoothies at home has taken off in recent years, and continues to grow in popularity among consumers across all age demographics,” Roger Pepperl, Stemilt marketing director, said in a press release. “Apples are the perfect base ingredient to any juice or smoothie creation. They offer sweet and tart flavors, nutrition in the form of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, and when blended, a nice foamy consistency. Fresh Blenders is the perfect platform to directly market to this crowd and deliver them a great grab-and-go value pack.”” You can read more about this trend in the Produce News.
#EatBrighter is an important initiative partnering the fresh produce industry and the Partnership for a Healthier America granting royalty-free access to Sesame Street character images.
The PMA Fresh Summit this year in Anaheim CA had record breaking numbers.
Exhibitors: 1,090
Attendance: 22,400+
Retailers: 1,150+ (largest attendance since 2001)
Exhibitors earn “Best of Show” titles
Four exhibitors were chosen by an anonymous panel of industry experts for “best of show,” a contest designed to generate attendee excitement and encourage exhibitors to enhance the effectiveness of their exhibition experience:
• Best of Show, in-line booth: Suja Juice, Booth 4639
• Best of Show, island booth: Panera Bread Salad Dressings, Booth 1414
• Best New Product Launch: Rhythm Superfoods, Booth 488
• Best First-Time Exhibitor: Delallo Salad Savors, Booth 676
The Fresh Summit is attended by industry leaders, trend watchers, food safety experts and retail buyers from over 60 countries.
Next year’s Fresh Summit Convention and Expo will be held Oct.23-25, 2015, in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, visit www.freshsummit.com.
