Special carrot helps absorb more calcium
Texas A&M’s AgriLife’s Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center has developed a carrot to help people absorb more calcium.
The research, done in collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine, found adding the special carrot to the diet can help prevent such diseases as osteoporosis.
“The primary goal was to increase the calcium in fruit and vegetables to benefit human health and nutrition — fruit and vegetables are good for you for many reasons but they have not been a good source of calcium in the past,” lead author Dr. Jay Morris, a post doctorate researcher at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
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Fresh Produce Vietnam - A New Networking Opportunity in Asia
Fresh Produce Vietnam is taking place from 2-4 April 2008 in Ho Chi Minh City, the commercial and financial capital of one of Asia’s most exciting new markets!
Fresh Produce Vietnam is organised by Asiafruit Magazine. The conference event will focus on the potential of Vietnam both as a supplying country and as a market for the future. It is aimed at Vietnam’s many growers and exporters as well as major international suppliers.
Fresh Produce Vietnam is the first opportunity for fresh produce professionals to find out more about this emerging market of more than 85m people. It’s a great way to make new and important business contacts in the market. More than 200 delegates from the fresh fruit and vegetable sector in Vietnam and from major supplying countries around the world will attend. Read more
Dole announces latest changes to fruit & vegetables marketing teams
Dole Fresh Fruit and Dole Fresh Vegetables, subsidiaries of Dole Food Company, Inc., announced further enhancements to their marketing operations. Ms. Yvonne Rentmeester has been promoted to the position of Marketing Services Manager for Dole Fresh Fruit.
In this position, Ms. Rentmeester will expand her role currently managing the Technical Services department to encompass banana ripening and product handling from warehouse all the way through the retail store. She will assume direct responsibility for Dole Fresh Fruit’s Marketing Representatives and the merchandising program.
“This move integrates the activities of the Technical Service and Merchandising departments,” says Mr. David Bright, Marketing Director for Dole Fresh Fruit. “Yvonne’s experience, Read more
Plan to reduce dependence on imported vegetables
The country will no longer need to depend on imported fruits and vegetables to meet the demand for such products in three years’ time.
Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the National Production Plan, which would be implemented soon, would help to gradually reduce dependencies on imported agricultural products.
“The plan was important as a strategy to curb the increase in prices of such goods that could help reduce the people’s financial burden,” he said Friday at a press conference held at the Kluang Modern Agriculture Project at the Kluang Animal Institute.
He elaborated that increasing the production of vegetables and fruits were the priority of the plan aside from fishery and husbandry as they could be harvested within a few months. Read more
Crispy Green Launches Crispy Pears
Crispy Pear fruit snacks are made of 100% high-quality, freeze-dried Asian pears. These all-natural snacks contain no added sugar, preservatives, colors, flavors, fat or cholesterol and have been certified kosher-parve by Shatz Kosher Services.
Each .36-ounce, single-serving size of Crispy Pears contains approximately a half-cup of Asian pears and is less than 39 calories. Unlike traditional dried fruit, Crispy Pears have a light and crunchy taste and the product’s portability and long shelf life make Crispy Pears the smart choice for consumers who are seeking a healthy snack alternative to traditional snack foods.
“A good snack maintains the delicate balance between taste and nutrition. Crispy Green’s Crispy Pears and its Crispy Fruit product line provides the best of both worlds for anyone who wants a great tasting snack while maintaining a healthy lifestyle,” says Angela Liu, President and Founder of Crispy Green. “Everyone loves the convenience and portability of our Crispy Fruit snacks and that it provides a fun and creative way to add more fruit to the daily diet. Our ‘Grab and Go’ 6-PACKs make it easy for consumers to have a healthy, delicious fresh fruit snack at their fingertips - at anytime.”
Quality is Crispy Green’s obsession and Crispy Pears are manufactured using only the highest quality fresh fruit sourced from certified growers at their peak of freshness. A sophisticated freeze-drying process leaves behind the true essence of the fruit in a light and crispy texture that is perfect for snacking.
Crispy Pears are available in both a single-serving size and the handy ‘Grab & Go’ 6-PACKs, which contain six single-serving bags in one convenient package. Crispy Fruit’s moisture-free, convenient packaging offers the healthfulness of fruit in small, snack-sized portions that are easy to consume while on the go. To learn about other creative ways to enjoy Crispy Fruit, visit www.crispygreen.com/Press/Ways_to_Enjoy.pdf.
Crispy Fruit is also available in four other delicious, snackable flavors: Crispy Apples, Crispy Apricots, Crispy Peaches and Crispy Pineapples. All of Crispy Green’s Crispy Fruit products can be found in the produce and grocery aisles of many leading supermarkets and natural and specialty food stores located throughout the United States. To find a Crispy Green retailer in your area, go to www.crispygreen.com/storelocator/main.html. Crispy Green can also be purchased online at http://www.amazon.com or at the Crispy Green Web site at www.crispygreen.com/onlinestore.html.
Crispy Fruit is processed and freeze-dried at *HACCP-certified and U.S. FDA-registered facilities with vigorous quality control standards. For more information on Crispy Green’s manufacturing standards, please go to: http://www.crispygreen.com/standards.html
About Crispy Green
Crispy Green Inc. (www.crispygreen.com) is the maker of Crispy Fruit freeze-dried fruit snacks sold under the brand Crispy Green® and a leader in this category of products. The company was founded in August 2004 with a core mission to provide delicious, healthy and wholesome snacks using the best natural ingredients with no artificial flavor enhancement.
The Crispy Fruit line of snacks are made of real fruit, real taste, nothing else!® A sophisticated freeze-drying process removes the water from fresh, sweet fruit, leaving behind the fruit’s true essence in a light and crispy texture that’s perfect for snacking. Crispy Green Crispy Fruit are a delicious, convenient way to add more fruit to your daily diet.
In 2005, Crispy Green introduced Crispy Apples, Crispy Apricots and Crispy Peaches in the United States. In 2007, Crispy Green launched Crispy Pineapples and in 2008 it launched its newest addition to its all-natural, healthy Crispy Fruit product line - Crispy Pears. Crispy Green plans to add 1-2 new items to its product line each year for the next few years along with its rapidly growing distribution footprint.
*HACCP - Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, an international standard that identifies critical control points, sets safety procedures and preventive measures and maintains strict documentation for certification.
Source: emediawire.com
A pineapple-waste processing machine
After years of research, Vietnamese engineers have successfully designed an environmentally sustainable method for processing pineapple parts – but factory owners have yet to embrace it. Pineapples are the third most popular tropical fruit in the world according to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).
In Vietnam, the cultivation and output of this fruit are growing fast with 37,800 ha of land now devoted to pineapple farming and an average export of 292,000 tons per year. Export turn-over is steadily increasing as well from US$4.8 million in 1997 to $7.5 million in 2001.
Like other fruits, fresh pineapple is classified into several parts: the flesh which is processed for various products such as canned fruit, pineapple liquor and sweet preserved pineapple; and by-products, including the outer skin, two heads and a central core. Read more
Agriculture and food technology department of ‘Indian Institute’ promoting health foods
The agriculture and food technology department of Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-Kgp) has taken up the task of promoting health foods and drinks.
Besides developing innovative food processing technology itself, IIT-KGP formulated ways to maximise agricultural yield and ensure that no part of the produce is wasted.
According to H N Mishra, professor of food technology at IIT-KGP, “Hardly 2 per cent of the produce is processed and about 35 per cent is wasted due to unscientific post harvest handling and inadequate transportation, storage and processing facilities. The net amount of the produce for consumption is reduced due to insufficient storage and processing. There is a considerable scope for reducing the wastage of raw materials and improving yield through better conversion Read more
Farmers Demand Ware Housing Facilities
The National Farmers and Fishermen Award Winners Association has suggested to the Government to establish ware house facilities in all districts of the country for the storage and distribution of foodstuffs.
The facilities, which should be provided on cost recovery basis, would eliminate some of the bottlenecks that have encouraged post-harvest losses and undermined national food security.
Mr Philip Abayori, National President of the Association made the suggestion on behalf of the Association at the 23rd National Farmers Day celebration at Wa in the Upper West Region during which 62 farmers, fishers and Agricultural Extension staff were honoured for their hard work. Read more
Cargills strives to become a global corporate role model
Cargills (Ceylon) Ltd is to take every possible step towards achieving its vision of becoming a global corporate role model in community-friendly national development. Addressing a colourful ceremony organized to introduce the new vision of the company, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Cargills Ranjit Page said that his company aligned its business goals with issues of national importance with a focus on empowering farmers building youth skills and reducing regional disparity. He disclosed that his company currently partners over 10,000 farmers directly purchasing rice, milk, vegetables, fruits and livestock from rural farming communities spread over 19 districts empowering them with better profits and their families with better quality of life. He added that with the strength of Cargills behind them farmers have adopted new technology in agriculture to enhance their production and productivity. Read more
Fruit growers scramble on labor
Despite adequate supply past 2 years, more farmworker shortages predicted
WENATCHEE, Wash. - Washington state apple growers, who paid farmworkers more to pick their fruit this year and saw harvest last a little longer than usual, had better get ready for some more labor pains.
Those attending the 103rd Washington State Horticultural Association’s annual postharvest conference and trade show at the Wenatchee Convention Center learned that a 55-year-old federal labor program, increased mechanization and cooperative ventures with other growers in hiring and housing will be needed to survive what most believe is a coming shortage of farmworkers. Read more