Index:
Commodities Update:
Add/Delete Sheet:
Pg. 3-5
Pg. 6
10295 Toebben Drive Independence, KY 41051
PRODUCE TALK
Volume 28
Issue 7
February 16, 2017
Item of the Week: BANANAS
Easiest way to start into organics is run a row of a top seller organic
banana with a plastic divider next to conventional bananas.
You'll never look at a banana the same way again after discovering
the many health benefits and reasons to add them to your diet.
Bananas combat depression, make you smarter, cure hangovers,
relieve morning sickness, protect against kidney cancer, diabetes,
osteoporosis, and blindness. They can cure the itch of a mosquito
bite and put a great shine on your shoes. Here are 25 reasons to eat
bananas you might have never considered before.
These 25 ways to use and eat bananas will blow your mind!
1. Bananas help overcome depression due to high levels of tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin -the happy-mood brain neurotransmitter.
2. Eat two bananas before a strenuous workout to pack an energy punch and sustain your blood sugar.
3. Protect against muscle cramps during workouts and night time leg cramps by eating a banana.
4. Counteract calcium loss during urination and build strong bones by supplementing with a banana.
5. Improve your mood and reduce PMS symptoms by eating a banana, which regulates blood sugar
and produces stress-relieving relaxation.
6. Bananas reduce swelling, protect against type II diabetes, aid weight loss, strengthen the nervous system,
and help with the production of white blood cells, all due to high levels of vitamin B-6.
7. Strengthen your blood and relieve anemia with the added iron from bananas.
8. High in potassium and low in salt, bananas are officially recognized by the FDA as being able to lower blood
pressure and protect against heart attack and stroke.
Eating Bananas Aids Digestion
1. Rich in pectin, bananas aid digestion and gently chelate toxins and heavy metals from the body.
2. Bananas act as a prebiotic, stimulating the growth of friendly bacteria in the bowel. They also produce
digestive enzymes to assist in absorbing nutrients.
3. Constipated? High fiber in bananas can help normalize bowel motility.
4. Got the runs? Bananas are soothing to the digestive tract and help restore lost electrolytes after diarrhea.
5. Bananas are a natural antacid, providing relief from acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD.
6. Bananas are the only raw fruit that can be consumed without distress to relieve stomach ulcers by coating
the lining of the stomach against corrosive acids.
Natural Cures from a Simple Banana
1. Eating bananas will help prevent kidney cancer, protects the eyes against macular degeneration and builds
strong bones by increasing calcium absorption.
2. Bananas make you smarter and help with learning by making you more alert. Eat a banana before an exam
to benefit from the high levels of potassium.
3. Bananas are high in antioxidants, providing protection from free radicals and chronic disease.
4. Eating a banana between meals helps stabilize blood sugar and reduce nausea from morning sickness.
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5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Rub a bug bite or hives with the inside of the banana peel to relieve itching and irritation.
Control blood sugar and avoid binging between meals by eating a banana.
Eating a banana can lower the body temperature and cool you during a fever or on a hot day.
The natural mood-enhancer tryptophan helps to relieve Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Quitting smoking? Bananas contain high levels of B-vitamins as well as potassium and magnesium to speed
recovery from the effects of withdrawal.
10. Remove a wart by placing the inside of a piece of banana peel against the wart and taping it in place.
11. Rub the inside of a banana peel on your leather shoes or handbag and polish with a dry cloth for a quick
shine.
Variety Bananas
Baby: The Mini brand is trademarked by Chiquita; you'll find similar fruit sold by Dole under the Baby name.
Because they're half the size of a standard Cavendish, they're generally sold as a snack product for kids. More than
one cultivar makes up the Baby/Mini category. Chiquita's product is the Pisang Mas variety, originally from Malaysia;
Dole's Minis include two types: Ladyfinger and Orito. The Ladyfingers are the sweetest and best tasting of them all,
but since there's no reliable way to determine which kind you're getting, you'll have to undertake some delicious
trial and error. These fruits must be very ripe to reach full sweetness; their skin should look deep brown, with dark
streaks. Brown bananas have proven a tough sell to grocery shoppers, who tend not to let miniature bananas ripen
enough and wind up disappointed. It's worth the wait.
Manzano: This variety, native to Central and South America, belongs to a subcategory known as apple bananas,
and the name fits. The texture of a Manzano is firmer than that of the Cavendish, and the scent is complex, marked
by a strong tart-apple aroma. The taste, too, is tart—at least when you first bite into the fruit, whose flavor quickly
gives way to sweetness. Though you can sometimes find Manzanos at supermarkets, Asian specialty stores are your
best bet.
Plantain: Actually an entire subset of the fruit, plantains are a kind of banana that is usually cooked. With a few
exceptions, these rarely reach the eat-raw sweetness of varieties like Cavendish (which are officially categorized
as "dessert" bananas). Plantains have been on our shores longer than the Cavendish and are a cheap and delicious
substitute for potatoes or rice in many Latin American cuisines. My favorite way to enjoy plantains is as Cubanstyle tostones: just slice the fruit at a deep bias and fry the slices in peanut oil, letting them drain on paper towels;
then flatten them and fry them again. You want to end up with crunchy chips that are still a bit soft on the inside.
Sprinkle the chips with salt and dip them in your favorite salsa, or in a garlicky mojo sauce.
Red: This is, in my opinion, the most delicious of the alternative banana varieties available in the U.S. Sometimes
confused with a Philippine staple variety called Lacatan, the red banana has a sweet taste and a creamy texture.
The ripeness of a red banana is tough to gauge; look for ones that have turned a dark magenta with streaks of
umber. Their flesh bruises easily, so handle with care.
Recipe
(Source: Allrecipes.com)
PEANUT BUTTER BANANA SMOOTHIE
Ingredients:
2 bananas, broken into chunks
2 cups milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons honey, or to taste
2 cups ice cubes
Directions:
Place bananas, milk, peanut butter, honey, and ice cubes in a blender; blend
until smooth, about 30 seconds.
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Western Vegetables
AVOCADOS: Volumes decreasing drastically out of Mexico with strong demand. Market gained some strength
and future ad costs are revised and increasing. Growers have fruit but revising harvest to spread product
through the remainder of season. California fruit just small harvesting happening and rain forecast will further
stall the crop. Overall market is going to be strong for the foreseeable future. The quality of product is good
with high oil content. Organic supply lighter in volume than conventional but good adequate supply available.
BROCCOLI & CAULIFLOWER: Quality has been very nice with ideal growing conditions recently. We have
seen rising cost due to weather conditions out west.
CELERY: Supplies are steady with great quality coming from the Santa Maria and Salina’s growing regions.
Sizing has been trending large.
GREEN ONIONS: Markets are active as limited supplies are present creating a shortage due to some field loss
due to quality issues.
LETTUCE: Markets are overall stable with steady supplies. Rib bruise is still present but is less than we’ve
been seeing. Leafy quality has been fairly good with occasional issues present. Markets and demand are
stable.
Value-Added
Organic salad processors continue to struggle filling orders due to lack of raw product in the fields. Almost
all organic and conventional leafy items have been affected by the wide spread downy mildew.
Southern Vegetables
BEANS: Prices is down.
CABBAGE: Cabbage is pretty inexpensive.
CUCUMBERS: Prices are lower.
GREENS: Decent supplies from the southeast on kale, mustard, collard, and turnip tops.
ONIONS: Dried onion markets are holding steady as we move from domestic onions to onions from Mexico.
Quality remains good.
PEPPERS: A combination of Florida and Mexico. Prices are lower.
POTATOES: Markets are mostly unchanged. Russet supplies remain good in Idaho and the Midwest.
Organics
BEETS: Beets still remain a challenge due to curly top virus that impacts the plant leaves and bulb. Supplies
will be limited for a few more weeks until growers move to lower elevation new fields that should be clean.
BROCCOLI: Steady supplies from California, however weather is causing costs to increase.
BUNCH CARROTS: Starting to see carrots with full tops on them again. There will be some slight burn still
to them and occasional stem that may need to be removed before reaching the sales floor. Look for things to
improve as we move into new fields.
CABBAGE: Supplies are starting to lighten as growers are between fields experience a small regional gap.
We’re looking at other locations for the best quality product to bring in.
CAULIFLOWER: Markets have been active with sporadic supplies coming on due to weather impacting the
organic crop. Quality has been fairly good with occasional curd discoloration.
CELERY: Steady supplies coming from the California growing regions. Sizing has been trending large with
overall good quality.
CUCUMBERS: Regional product has been impacted by the recent rain and cooler weather slowing production
down. We’re looking to other regions for supplies and there may be a slight skip due to this.
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GREEN PEPPERS: Steady supplies regionally with good quality. Some supplies are now present out west as
well.
KALES: Great supplies of kale currently; plenty of regional product from all over the Midwest available.
Markets are stable.
LETTUCES: Quality from California has improved but we are still seeing some slight russeting. Southeast
supply is very limited from colder temps last week.
RADISHES: Supplies are improving with better quality tops. Very little damage now to the tops and they look
much cleaner than they have been.
YELLOW SQUASH & ZUCCHINI: Regional supplies from GreenField in Ohio and Michigan have been steady.
We are also moving south to Georgia with Lady Moon product which is very nice.
Asparagus
Mexican asparagus supply improving as warmer temperatures helping growth cycle. Overall outlook is good
for the near future and excellent Mexican season on asparagus is forecasted with March being excellent
promotion period. Organic asparagus also started slowed with recent cool weather but is increasing mirroring
conventional supply, Transition into 28# continues and will be predominate pack.
Fruit
APPLES & PEARS: Washington is into CA apples now and supply is good. Pricing is stable and quality is
excellent. Michigan apples are in good supply and quality is good. Washington pears are great quality and
pricing is stable. Imported organic Bartlett pears are a new item for next week.
BLACKBERRIES: Blackberries back in stable supply after few weeks of tight supply situation. Organic
blackberries remain stable but no large volume.
BLUEBERRIES: Blueberries starting seasonal drop-off in production out of Chile; markets have started a slight
shift upward on delivered costs. Despite this increase, blues will remain a key item in February. As we move
into latter part of February, shift from pints back into 6oz will occur and costs will jump. Organic blueberries
remain steady with overall good volume.
CANTALOUPES & HONEYDEWS: Imported melons are good quality and pricing is favorable for promotions.
Magnificent melons have been added to the guides; great color and flavor.
CITRUS: Another series of Pacific storms will plow into the west. This will impact harvesting, packing and
shipping of California citrus.
CLEMENTINES: California clementines/mandarins in good steady volume. Excellent quality fruit arriving but
with drop-off of imported clementines volume; markets have firmed up. Look for unstable market conditions
to continue over the next few weeks as new forecasted rain in California could cause issues. New section of
California organic mandarins are back available in 2# bags.
GRAPES: Imported grapes in good supply. Red seedless starting to rise as move from Flames into Crimsons
and other red varieties are causing small gap increasing costs. Green seedless varieties in large volume and
key item to promote during the month, but black seedless remain on the high end of market with still limited
volume; quality is very good on both varieties.
RASPBERRIES: Good supplies available of both conventional and organic raspberries.
STRAWBERRIES: Excellent supplies of conventional product. This will be the last opportunity to promote
Florida berries! The organic market is also starting to come down. Florida product will be available for another
month, but to avoid quality issues, we will transition to California fruit as it heats up down South.
Stone Fruit
Chilean stone fruit is currently in full supply and at peak period to promote. Added sweet specialty lemon
plums to guides. All colors of plums have great quality.
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Tropical Fruit
FLORIDA AVOCADOS: Steady volume; alternate to Mexican Hass avocados. Available in two layer 20ct pack.
Solid item to promote with increasing cost on Mexican Hass avocados.
LIMES: Supply is steady, however markets continue to rise as supply crossing over is being held up. Should
come off high costs over the next several weeks.
MANGOES: Supply is very steady from Peru and quality is excellent. Very promotable!!
PAPAYAS: Tropical item that is continuing to increase in popularity. Maradol and Caribbean red papayas in
full swing; very promotable item!! Gold papayas in steady supply.
UGLI FRUIT: Good supply out of Jamaica.
Merchandising Tips
What item in your produce department will impact sales the most this time of year? STRAWBERRIES!
Proper merchandising is critical to a successful and profitable berry program. It is important to remember:
1. Your berry customers are attracted to a clean, well-stocked display and noticeably disappointed by
a display that is picked through and shopped down.
2. Well stocked displays are the key to sales. Research proves that stores with well stocked displays
sell 60% more berries. Poorly stocked displays lost a whole day of sales over a weeks’ time.
3. Peak shopping hours are from 3 PM to 7 PM, yet research shows that most berry displays decline
during this time when clerks don't keep up with berry sales.
Merchandising Tips for Strawberries
1. Always rework your berry displays each morning, sorting out tired berries and cleaning up displays.
2. Rotate berries on your display every time the display is reworked or restocked.
3. Spot check your berry display frequently throughout the day, especially during peak shopping hours.
4. Keep berry displays fully stocked.
5. Cross merchandise berries with other items such as short cakes, whipped cream, cereal, and other
fruit items.
For best results, build your displays first in line as you enter your department on a refrigerated table.
If refrigerated tables are not available, be sure to track how long your berries are merchandised
unrefrigerated. To ensure that the berries you sell remain fresh for the customers, do not keep them out
of refrigeration any longer than one day.
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CROSSET NEW ITEM & DELETION SHEET
W/B: 2/19/17
NEW ITEMS
ITEM #
SIZE
1430
Magnificent Melon
9ct
38067
Import OG Bartlett Pear
44#
12 ct Cantaloupe
12ct
97710
OG Watercress
12ct
69425
Red Mystic Seedless Grapes
8/2#
16535
Asparagus -TFM
28/1#
232
DELETIONS
10586
Og Bunch Spinach
24ct
20870
Crinkle Cut Carrots
12/1#
20875
Carrot Stixx
12/12oz
31045
Grapple 4 ct
12/4ct
38240
Forelle Pear
22#
38630
Seckel Pear
22#
35315
Apple Chip Cinnamon
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12/2.5oz
Good Selling!!