Anaheim, CA — Frieda’s Branded Produce is ready to celebrate the Year of the Dragon with you and your customers for the Lunar New Year, starting February 10. Along with an array of fresh items, they are excited to feature Honey Dragons® for their sweet flavor & golden color and Snow Dragons® for their texture and large size. Frieda’s looks forward to 2024 and a full year of dragon fruit success with a well-crafted and powerful program.

As shoppers around the world plan to celebrate this symbolic and food-filled holiday, Frieda’s is here to ensure retailers are well-prepared to meet shoppers’ demands while boosting promotional sales dollars.

To leverage the spirited Year of the Dragon, Frieda’s is fully committed to assisting retailers in showcasing their impressive dragon fruit collection, strategy, and marketing campaign. When you partner with Frieda’s, you’ll have access to a well-rounded menu of marketing support – think, consumer-friendly POS displays, approachable packaging, and a complete set of downloadable digital assets that will elevate your customer’s knowledge of this trending and growing category.

“Our dragon fruit collection is more than just colorful and delicious,” said Alex Jackson, Vice President of Sales and Procurement at Frieda’s Branded Produce. “It also has a proven track record of increasing sales in the tropical category while increasing margins.” From the refreshing Snow Dragons® to the sweet Honey Dragons®, Frieda’s takes pride in presenting retailers with a year-round multi-variety program from several countries that will keep customers satisfied and your stores stocked with dragon fruit throughout 2024, carrying on the dragon theme all year long.

Traditionally, dragons symbolize power, nobility, luck, and success, gifted with innate courage, tenacity, and intelligence – with these traits, Frieda’s is inspired to carry along these powerful meanings for 2024 alongside their partners and retailers for a prosperous new year.

“Dragon fruit won’t be the only star of our Lunar New Year offerings,” mentioned Alex. “Golden citrus takes its place in the spotlight during this auspicious season. Its round shapes and gold hues are believed to bring luck, fullness, and wealth. Stock up on other Lunar New Year favorites, such as our delightful Popjoys® kumquats, Buddha’s Hand, Mandarinquats, and an array of other lucky citrus.

Make this Lunar New Year one to remember! Reach out to the sales team at Frieda’s Branded Produce and ensure that you’re fully prepared to dazzle your shoppers with their extraordinary dragon fruit collection and a host of other delightful produce options.

Los Alamitos, CA (November 2022) – This holiday season Frieda’s has teamed up with the innovative recipe nut brand, Diamond of California to create a cross-promotion that brings inspiration to tables around the country. Diamond’s nut products provide a fresh, great-tasting compliment for every meal occasion. When paired with Frieda’s shallots and organic Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, Diamond of California’s Nut Coatings and ready-to-use Nut Pie Crusts deliver delicious cross-promotion opportunities.

In order to expand awareness of the collaboration, Frieda’s and Diamond Foods have teamed up with plant-based blogger, ShortGirlTallOrder, a self-made baker who inspires over 86k followers on social media with her vegan comfort food recipes. The colorful, healthy, and delicious campaign will deliver a series of tasty recipes throughout social channels.

“I believe eating plant-based food can be enjoyable for everyone. Eating plants doesn’t have to be hard and it certainly shouldn’t be boring”, shares Megan Horowitch, creator behind SGTO. “I want to inspire others to eat the foods they feel good about and give them the confidence to create these recipes at home.”

The content creation partnership is a natural fit, as the Frieda’s motto is “normal is boring.” Megan has created mouthwatering recipes that deliver the perfect balance of sweet and savory, like her Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Streusel Pie and Crispy Delicata Squash with Caramelized Shallot Dip.

Crispy Delicata Squash with Caramelized Shallot Dip

Cross-merchandising is key. Recipe ingredients like Diamond’s ready-to-use chopped nuts and pie crusts are the perfect complements to Frieda’s Stokes Purple® sweet potato holiday display, encouraging an extra ring at the register and a full-stop dessert solution for shoppers.

Contact your Frieda’s account manager today for help planning your holiday ads and pre-booking supply.

About Frieda’s Inc.
Frieda’s Branded Produce has been inspiring new food experiences for friends, families and food lovers everywhere since 1962. From kiwifruit and dragon fruit to Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and habanero peppers, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 unique fruits and vegetables to the U.S. marketplace. Founded by produce industry trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Los Alamitos, CA (September 2022) – As award season kicks off this fall, Frieda’s Branded Produce has picked up four honors in the 2022 Kitchn Essentials, grocery edition. Each year, Kitchn names essential grocery items that have gained fan-fare and become staples in consumers’ grocery carts.

“Being recognized with four awards is the proof point that our new branding is breaking through and speaking to consumers,” says Cindy Sherman, Senior Director of Marketing, Insights & Innovation at Frieda’s. In fact, in a recent study 56% of those surveyed said they were more likely to buy Frieda’s vs the leading specialty competitor.

Kitchn is a multi-media consumer engagement platform that strives to connect with its large audience in a personal voice to help guide the planning, shopping, cooking, and organizing of busy, fulfilling lives. They provide inspiration for the food their readers want to eat. Kitchn receives over 439M monthly impressions across their website, email campaigns and social media channels. Other winners of the 2022 Grocery Essentials list include Dave’s Killer Bread, Goodles Macaroni & Cheese and Magic Spoon Cereal.

The Frieda’s items that were selected within the produce category include Stokes Purple^® sweet potatoes, Popjoys^® kumquats and Rambas^® Rambutan. “If you can get your hands on a fresh rambutan, I’d highly recommend it,” says Kitchn Contributor Amanda Marikar. Rambas^® new branding pops on the shelf and creates an opportunity to shake things up in the tropicals category, as 73% of shoppers are searching for produce variety.

Slightly left of produce, the final honor was recognized in the plant-based category where Frieda’s Soyrizo™ took home the award. The plant-based category is gaining substantial growth, and of the 16 Kitchen honorees, Soyrizo™ was the only sausage alternative on the list.

“The Kitchn inspires better, healthier and more delicious eating for the consumers who follow them, so to be recognized for our products that do the same fills our hearts in every way”, says Sherman. Be prepared as your shoppers demand these award-winning products.

Contact your Frieda’s account manager today, and head into award season stocked with these traffic-driving products in your produce department. Source: C + R Research omnibus survey in partnership with Frieda’s, 2019.

Survey of 1,000 people. Survey population representative of U.S. demographics.

About Frieda’s Inc. Frieda’s Branded Produce has been inspiring new food experiences for friends, families and food lovers everywhere since 1962. From kiwifruit and dragon fruit to Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and habanero peppers, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 unique fruits and vegetables to the U.S. marketplace. Founded by produce industry trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Los Alamitos, CA – It’s back-to-busy season! American’s fall schedules are powering back up after the summer slowdown and Frieda’s Branded Produce is ready to fuel the day with nutritious, fun and flavorful solutions.

“We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but we also know consumer’s morning routines can become monotonous” says Cindy Sherman, Senior Director of Marketing Insights & Innovation at Frieda’s. “In a recent study, we learned that 52 percent of shoppers believe that produce packaging with recipes and instructions encourages them to try something new. Inspire shoppers this fall with vibrant new breakfast displays; inviting colorful, healthy and delicious produce to take over the mundane morning routine.”

Frieda’s produce items introduce both sweet and savory flavors to breakfast menus and produce department, leveling up consumer’s morning options. Frieda’s Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes provide a game changing twist of color and flavor to the infamous avocado toast, where connoisseurs are trading up from bread to vitamin packed purple sweet potatoes as the base. Create an avocado toast destination in your produce department by cross-merchandising Stokes Purple® near avocados, Watermelon Radish, sprouts and other power packed toppings.

Smoothies, puddings, and yogurt bowls have taken the breakfast game up a notch, starring in mouthwatering Instagram feeds. Frieda’s Honey Dragons® blended with the rambunctious sweetness of Rambas™ Rambutans, deliver a taste of the tropics to your morning power bowl or pudding. Skip the weekday mess and prep these recipes in larger batches over the weekend, saving time and energy.

“Breakfast sets the tone for the day, but weekday mornings can be hectic,” shared Sherman, also a mother of two.

“On the weekends we enjoy making big batch breakfast meals that we grab-n-go throughout the week,” says Cindy.

Looking for more ideas to make your produce department the ultimate breakfast destination? Call your Frieda’s account manager today for more product ideas and in-store marketing support that will keep your shoppers inspired all busy-season long.

Source: C+R 1,000 person study, 2022

Los Alamitos, CA (July 2022) – The famous, flavorful, limited-edition Hatch Chiles are back in season and the quality is some of the best we’ve seen in recent years. Frieda’s Branded Produce is kicking off the season with strong supplies and outstanding flavor.

Frieda’s works in partnership with certified, authentic growers located in Hatch, New Mexico—yes, there is a certification! This popular pepper supply is anticipated to pick up after the middle of July, with the season expected to continue through the end of September.

“Dedicated fans of the peppers drive across town—and state lines—to get their Hatch Chiles by the case,” said Alex Jackson, Director of Sales at Frieda’s. “We’re pleased to be part of the annual trek to enjoy these fresh, zesty authentically Hatch Valley-grown peppers.”

Frieda’s friendly and inviting pouch bag is designed to bring ‘Hatchlings’ (shoppers new to Hatch Chiles) into the fold, growing the community of Chile Heads year-over-year. According to a recent study 33% of shoppers avoid buying new fruits or vegetables because they don’t know how to use them. However, 48% of shoppers say that friendly, approachable packaging gets them over that hump to try something new. The Frieda’s packaging offers consumers descriptive flavor details and recipe inspiration that draws everyone into this irresistible pepper!

“Grown in the fertile rich soil of Hatch Valley, New Mexico, the warm dry summer days combined with cool crisp nights, helps create the perfect elements for the unique flavor of Hatch green chile peppers,” said Allen DeMo, Director of Procurement and Sourcing at Frieda’s. “This cannot be replicated in other regions of New Mexico. It’s unique to Hatch Valley product.”

Frieda’s offers Hatch Chiles in a branded 25-pound case, which can be used for side-stack displays, and in 1- and 2-pound retail pouches with convenient stickers guiding the consumer to choose between mild, medium, and hot heat levels.

Our dedicated team offers merchandising suggestions that drive higher traffic to your produce department, while increasing dollar ring and overall sales. Call your account manager today to receive samples and learn how to make a Hatch splash in your store this year!

Source: C+R 1,000 person study, 2022

About Frieda’s Inc.
Frieda’s Specialty Produce has been inspiring new food experiences for friends, families and food lovers everywhere since 1962. From kiwifruit and dragon fruit to Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and habanero peppers, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 unique fruits and vegetables to the U.S. marketplace. Founded by produce industry trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Los Alamitos, CA (July 2022) – As a family business, Frieda’s Branded Produce doesn’t play favorites. However, it’s hard to hide the excitement for passion fruit, named flavor of the year for 2022 by Food and Beverage flavor house, Monin.

Passion fruit is considered to be the largest berry of all berry-producing plants. An excellent communicator of ripeness, the passion fruit’s thick purple skin wrinkles when ripe. Under its expressive exterior are small, black, crunchy, edible seeds surrounded by a brightly colored pulp with a sweet and tart tropical flavor.

“We love to share our passion for our products, but it’s even more exciting when we see that the mainstream food industry has fallen in love too,” shared Cindy Sherman, director of marketing for Frieda’s Branded Produce. “Starbucks^® addition of their Pineapple Passionfruit to their summer Refreshers^®menu will introduce consumers to the vibrant flavor of this powerful berry.”

Traditionally used to make juices, passion fruit is this summer’s most versatile tropical flavor, elevating drinks, dressing up proteins and adding a burst of flavor to salads, grain bowls and smoothies. Like most tropical fruits, passion fruit shies away from cold climates, making it a powerful end-cap product for attention grabbing sales. Cross-promotionally, this fruit loves to be featured outside of the produce department with cocktail mixers and spirits, but also presents well within the produce department for consumers who simply want to enjoy the pulp with a spoon.

Passion fruit comes in many varieties. Frieda’s has tried them all and is most excited about the Florida grown Thailong variety, known to keep fresh longer, delivering a tasteful balance of tart and tropical flavors.

Call your Frieda’s account representative today for merchandising suggestions that drive higher traffic to your produce department and increase dollar ring and overall sales.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce has been inspiring new food experiences for friends, families and food lovers everywhere since 1962. From kiwifruit and dragon fruit to Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and habanero peppers, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 unique fruits and vegetables to the U.S. marketplace. Founded by produce industry trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Earlier this week, I was meeting with one of my work colleagues and we got into a conversation about errors that are made at work. It’s not unusual for someone to say, “Well, I do it correctly 99% of the time.” For some people, that might seem like a pretty good ratio.

But when this came up in our conversation, I was reminded of the work I did more than 30 years ago studying and implementing TQM (Total Quality Management). The following list is discussed often when it comes to 99.99% quality:

Possible Outcomes of 99.99% Quality

What is the potential outcome if 99.99% is the quality metric standard?

119,760 income tax returns will be processed incorrectly this year.
144 incorrect medical procedures occur daily.
110,600 mismatched pairs of shoes will be shipped this year.
18 babies will be given to the wrong parents each day.
23,666 defective computers will be shipped this year.
22,792 pieces of mail will be mishandled in the next hour.
2,434,300 books will be sent in the next 12 months with the wrong cover.
20,000 incorrect drug prescriptions will be written in the next 12 months.
56,700 checks will be deducted from false bank accounts in the next hour.
567 pacemaker operations will be performed incorrectly this year.
315 entries in the most recent Webster’s New International Dictionary of the English Language (unabridged) will be misspelled.
69 malfunctioning ATMs will be installed in the next 12 months.
810 commercial airline flights would crash every month.
880,000 credit cards in circulation will turn out to have incorrect cardholder information on their magnetic strips.
2 million documents will be lost by the IRS this year.
2 plane landings daily at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago will be unsafe.

When we consider the implications in medical procedures or commercial airline flights, it puts things in perspective.

What is your expectation for yourself and for others when it comes to accomplishing tasks? Whether it is at home or work, or with family, friends or coworkers, we set the standard in terms of acceptable expectations with our own self-standards.

I know that I oftentimes drive my coworkers and family crazy with my goal of 100% accuracy—but after reviewing this list, perhaps they will understand why I ask so many questions and strive for 100%.

So, as you transition this week into another year, perhaps you will consider what percentage of accuracy and accomplishment are acceptable to you. What will you tolerate?

Wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year!

And I didn’t imagine ever saying this … I am actually looking forward to seeing the Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA, this Saturday morning, after it was cancelled last year. It will make me feel like things are getting back to normal!

Karen

About this time last year, I wrote about visiting the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, CA. Due to COVID, the library was only partially open to visitors, so that visit left me with the feeling that I should return to see more.

So during this past year, I not only visited the Nixon Presidential Library for a second time, but I also made the trek to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA (a two-hour drive from where I live).

What a contrast! The Nixon Library is tucked in a heavily residential area, and is a popular venue for weddings, proms and other events. The teeny-tiny home where Richard Nixon and his four brothers grew up in are part of the Presidential Library complex. You get the feeling of Nixon’s humble beginnings. And through the permanent exhibits, I got a real feeling about the challenges of Nixon’s Presidency and the world in which he had to function as the leader of the free world.

In contrast, the Reagan Presidential Library sits on more than 100 acres and the main building is an enormous Spanish-style hacienda surrounded by gardens, plus both Reagan and his beloved wife Nancy, are buried there. There is a replica of the Oval Office with a curious twist. According to our tour guide, when President Reagan came to visit the Presidential Library while it was being built, he commented that the ceiling wasn’t high enough and he wanted it to be an actual replica of the real Oval Office in The White House. So, the architect measured it, and indeed it was a few inches too short! So, the replica Oval Office was modified with a couple of steps down leading into the Oval Office, so that the ceiling was at the proper height (and when you exit, you walk up a short ramp, to put you back at the level of the rest of the museum).

But, the most magnificent part of the Reagan Library is the pavilion in which Air Force One is displayed. More than one-half of the room is glass, so that it appears (if you use your imagination) as if the plane is ready for takeoff. It is truly breathtaking to see the airplane, which carried several presidents and their entourages around the world. Frankly, it appears much less techy and fancy than the images you see on television.

As I walked through the many exhibits at the Reagan Library that were open that day, I was struck by exactly how numerous the challenges are that a sitting President faces on any given day. Literally, I turned to Jack while we were walking through one of the galleries at the Reagan Library and commented on how incredible the amount of pressure was and how many big decisions needed to be made by the sitting President—it was quite daunting.

Philosopher George Santayana is credited with saying, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

I find studying history is most interesting and memorable, and I believe there is a great opportunity to learn lessons from the past. And it seems so much more real to me when I do it through the lens of people. That must be why I like biographies and autobiographies so much.

Visiting the Presidential Libraries allows me to learn about our own American history through the eyes of Presidents, past and present. One of the surprises for me was that there is so much more on display in addition to memorabilia of the President. There are temporary exhibits including other presidents, world events, books, movies and more. Most of the Presidential Libraries are set up for students to visit and to be a learning lab. And just like when you visit Washington, D.C., and our nation’s capitol for the first time—including all the monuments and museums—you leave with a new appreciation of our nation’s roots and the complicated journey over the past 200-plus years.

And so it has been for me. I’ve been able to relive the era around Nixon’s Presidency (1969–1974) and Reagan’s Presidency (1981–1989) from the time I was still in elementary school through when I gave birth to my first child.

The added bonus? While at the Nixon Library, there was an exhibit highlighting books on all the Presidents. I snapped a photo of one, which I read last week titled, Team of Five: The Presidents Club in the Age of Trump by Kate Anderson Brower. Brower is a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author, and this book looks at the relationships between members of the Presidents Club and includes an Oval Office interview with President Trump. The “Presidents Club” is made up of the living Presidents and is an informal, yet important support group for the current acting President of the United States. The book was fascinating, as she spoke specifically about the personal and professional relationships between former Presidents Carter, Bush 41, Obama, Bush 43, and Clinton (jokingly called Bush 42 due to his close personal relationship with George H.W. Bush after they both left office) along with insights from her personal interview with Trump while in office.

So, as you are making travel plans for 2022, I encourage you make time to visit one of these amazing fifteen repositories of American History that represent these Presidents:

Herbert Hoover – West Branch, IA

Franklin D. Roosevelt – Hyde Park, NY

Harry S. Truman – Independence, MO

Dwight D. Eisenhower – Abilene, KS

John F. Kennedy – Boston, MA

Lyndon B. Johnson – Austin, TX

Richard Nixon – Yorba Linda, CA

Gerald Ford – Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, MI (two separate locations)

Jimmy Carter – Atlanta, GA

Ronald Reagan – Simi Valley, CA

George H. Bush – College Station, TX

William J. Clinton – Little Rock, AR

George W. Bush – Dallas, TX

Barack Obama – Hoffman Estates, IL

Can’t wait to learn more history this next year when I visit at least a couple more!

Karen

I admit to falling for many of those ads I see whenever I am on Instagram, Facebook, browsing the internet or reading an online article.

However, some of my best new gift ideas have come from referrals from friends.

And so, as you are doing last-minute shopping for holiday gifts, here are several of my favorites:

ONDO socks: Once I tried these thin, no slip socks, I was hooked! When I wear non-running sneakers or loafers, I like to wear a light sock, as it makes the shoes more comfortable and eliminates the sweaty, sticky feeling. And they really DO NOT slip! They come in a few colors, and I’ve even gifted them to a few friends and houseguests.

VASTITCH Comfortable Leggings: For many of the holidays (St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, etc.) it’s fun to dress up. I have found the easiest way to dress up is with my exercise outfits, and it’s so easy since I found this website. Instead of trying to find decorative sweaters or T-shirts, now when I go for a run on a weekend near a Hallmark holiday, I go into my drawer and choose a color-coordinated pair of leggings. They make a perfect gift and ARE super comfortable.

ETSY for wine bags: Have you ever been going to a friend’s home for a party and want to bring a bottle of wine? You want to wrap it, and look all over for a wine bag. What’s a neutral color scheme that doesn’t look like you are reusing a wine bag from Christmas when it’s for a housewarming gift? Well check out this designer.

Etsy (an American e-commerce company focused on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies) is where many independent artists sell their wares. I was looking for personalized wine bags last year and came across this woman in Florida who makes custom-printed canvas wine bags and delivers them quickly with an incredible personal touch. Heyar (the owner), whose Etsy handle is Socialholic, is so busy that she is taking a break from new orders until January 3—but check out her offerings after the new year.

VISTAPRINT for address labels: One of the most surprising and appreciated gifts I ever received was when my dear friend Miriam sent me 10-20 postage stamps with a red heart on them! Miriam knows that I am all about love, and that I write a lot of handwritten notes, so postage stamps with a heart on them was a perfect gift for me! And we all know you can never have enough stamps handy … so, what about gifting a friend some custom-designed return address labels? Professionally printed address labels plus a page of postage stamps is the perfect gift.

I would love to learn about your favorite go-to or signature gifts. We all have them! Perhaps they are a brand of candles or stationery.

Gifts this year don’t have to be expensive, but they should come from the heart!

Enjoy!

Karen

Anyone who has gone out to eat with me knows that as soon as we are seated and the server comes to our table, the first three words out of my mouth are always, “What’s your name?”

I think years ago my two daughters were embarrassed by my question. But as they have grown older and wiser, I think they agree that by asking the server’s name, you establish a closer connection.

I’ve found 100% of the time that once I know the server’s name, I find ways to use it. I thank them for taking my order, for bringing me my drink, for refilling my water, etc. And with this more authentic, personal connection—using their first name—I always get better service. My party seems to get more attention and when we leave, it feels like we had a superior experience.

Sometimes, the server will ask me my name in return! That always catches me off guard, but when they use my name when addressing me, my positive experience is significantly increased.

So, that made me think, how could other businesses or positions leverage using someone’s name?

For example, when I go to the doctor, it would make a positive difference for me if the receptionist or nurse would introduce themselves: “Hello, I’m Sandra and I am the doctor’s nurse. I will be taking you to your examination room, but first I need to get your vitals.” Surely that’s a lot better than barking out my name from the waiting room and then, after a walk down a long hallway, them indicating to me to sit down to get my blood pressure taken or get my weight.

Or, when I arrive at a restaurant, wouldn’t it enhance my experience to have the person at the host station say, “Hello Ms. Caplan, so happy to have you with us this evening. I am Thomas and I am checking to make sure your table is ready. It will be my pleasure to take you there now! Please follow me.”?

Some organizations depend on name tags to do the job. Did you know that the proper side to wear your name badge on is your RIGHT side? That’s because when shaking a person’s hand it is easiest to read a tag/label on the right. Most people put it on the left side and oftentimes it’s covered by a lapel or long hair, making it difficult to read. And don’t get me started on those companies who put no thought into the typeface size or ease of legibility on name tags. But, why depend on a name tag? I think it’s better to properly introduce yourself verbally.

I went to a small holiday party last week and there were no name tags. The gathering was in a person’s home and there were only a dozen people. But some people were new to the group and others hadn’t seen each other for a long time. Frankly, I didn’t remember everyone’s name and had to whisper to a friend and ask. I personally think that even in these kinds of personal settings, it is a gesture of kindness to your guests to prepare name tags, if only with the person’s first name, printed in large, easy-to-read lettering. Then have guests apply it on the right side.

So, the next time you go someplace, try it out. Ask the persons’ name—no matter where you are. It will make them feel more important, and you will probably have a better experience.

“A person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” —Dale Carnegie

Karen

Earlier this week I was invited to speak to a group of about 20 female attorneys from a leading global law firm. My topic: Resilience. (The other two speakers covered mentoring and negotiating.)

At first I was a bit perplexed as to why I was asked to speak on this topic, but after thinking about it, I realized that I actually am a bit of an expert of the subject. Here is why I say that: Just read my blog posts each week—I often talk about obstacles and challenges I have faced, and how I work my way through them. I think that is resilience.

When I started my remarks to the group, I started by saying, “You might think my success in life is due to me being lucky during my life.” I gave a little background on me and my company. You know the story—mom started our company 60 years ago. She introduced the kiwifruit to American consumers. I took over at age 30. I’m now living with the love of my life and am living happily ever after.

Then I spent the next 15 minutes recounting a few of the business happenings and personal challenges I have faced in my “lucky life.”

In 1993, while I was away on a business trip, we had an ammonia leak in our refrigerated warehouse and lost our entire inventory of produce (over $1 million). Fortunately, we were able to evacuate the building promptly so no one was injured, and our insurance policy covered our loss 100%. However, during the two days we were recovering and replacing our inventory, our competitor called one of our biggest clients and told them we went out of business! We lost that client’s business permanently. Lucky?

A few years later, one of our largest clients did a dramatic pivot in their purchasing patterns (without warning) and we lost about 35% of our business volume overnight. We lost millions of dollars over the next couple of years as I attempted to “right size” our business. Lucky?

And then in my personal life, I shared that I have been married and divorced three times. Lucky?

It was a difficult journey, but I finally concluded that it was better I not ever marry again and live the rest of my life as a single woman. Of course, about two-and-a-half years ago, I had our annual dinner with my longtime business friend (who was also single after his wife of 47 years passed away). Our annual “catch up” dinner ended with a (surprise) kiss and we have been together ever since, living our lives together, as if we are married (but we are not).

Those three stories are just a few of my experiences I chose to share. And I then divulged to the group how I got through it all:

“Focus on that which you have control over.”

Instead of having a pity-party for myself each and every time I had a monumentally difficult situation, I would review the following thoughts in my head:

Do I want to be liked or do I want to be respected?It took me a while to understand and accept that being respected was most important. I could not win a popularity contest and be a successful business owner.
How I do anything is how I do everything. My business coach pointed out some bad habits I had developed. Because I am willing to honestly be introspective, I realized that my bad habits in my business life were the same bad habits I had developed in my personal life. It took a lot of courage to admit this, but once I did, I found myself repeating this to both myself and to others as a reminder. How I do any ANYTHING is how I do EVERYTHING.
I ask myself in difficult situations: What is the worst that can happen? Literally, I go to the worst place in my head. For example, when my partner Jack was diagnosed with melanoma cancer 18 months ago, I went to the worst place. And the worst place was: Jack would die tomorrow. I would be alone. Where would I live? Of course, Jack is alive and well and thriving, but thinking about the “worst” place forced me to realize how ridiculous my fears were. And going to the extreme really can be a wake-up call that the reality will likely be significantly more positive.

So, as I finished up my presentation, I asked for questions or comments. One of the more senior leaders present said this, “We are so lucky to have Karen talk with us today. She is living proof that the smile you see on a successful business person’s face does not mean everything is perfect. It shows you that we all have challenges that we work through every day. And we get through them. Even if at the moment they seem daunting and impossible, we get through them.

Yes, Karen showed us how to focus on that which we have control over. She showed us the face of resilience.”

So, the next time you are facing a difficult situation, whether at work or at home, consider these thoughts:

Do I want to be liked or be respected?
How I do anything is how I do everything.
What is the worst that can happen?

Be resilient!

Karen

With all my running and walking activities of late (I completed my fourth half marathon on last Saturday), I am having a bit of discomfort with my feet and my knees. So, I thought it would be best to see a podiatrist.

It’s so amazing how the universe works—as within a day or two after I mentioned this out loud, a longtime friend of mine sent me an email and randomly mentioned she was having foot issues and found a great podiatrist near where I live!

So, I immediately called the doctor’s office to set up an appointment. When the receptionist answered, the first thing I said was, “Who’s this?” That always catches people by surprise, but I have found it is important to refer to someone by name. The office manager’s name is Jan, and I thanked her for all her help in setting up my appointment for the following week.

I have a practice of always setting up any number I call for service or a business in my contacts. That’s because I’ve learned over the years that I will usually have to call them back again, and this saves me from having Post-its all around my work area, or having to remember their name, or having to look them up via Google. I also add the “label” for what kind of service they are in their Outlook contact. For example, in this case I wrote the word “podiatrist” in the contact, so if I need to call the person back, I am not having to remember the doctor’s actual name—I can just do a search in contacts for “podiatrist.” It has saved me tons of time searching for my plumber, my electrician, and even the cable company.

After I had set up the appointment, within a few days my work schedule went crazy and I suddenly had a work conflict with the doctor’s appointment.

So when I called the office to change my appointment, I said, “Hi, is this Jan?” I could tell the office manager was quite startled that I knew her by name. That’s because in addition to saving the doctor’s information in my contacts, I added the name of the person who answered the phone. I do that all the time—I add people’s spouses names, kids’ gender and ages, secretary’s name, etc. I learned long ago that the most important word to any person is their own name and recalling something about them personally always creates an instant connection.

Jan easily gave me a new appointment time. I could tell she was especially nice on the phone, as I made her feel important by using her name.

Have you ever done something similar to this? Perhaps asked a server at a restaurant their name when you are seated and then thanked them by name during your meal? Did they seem a little bit more attentive to you?

So, I hope the next time you make a new connection, that you will immediately add their name, email, number, etc. to your phone/email contacts. Believe me, it may take a little bit of extra time up front, but you will thank me later when you need to reconnect with someone.

Best practice 101.

Karen

Do you have survey fatigue? You know what I mean—you make a large purchase (a car), buy something online (clothing) or call an airline or credit card company to dispute a charge, and within minutes you receive a survey via email. A few years ago those surveys were few and far between, they now seem to fill up our email in-boxes.

Many of my friends and family members tell me they don’t waste their time completing the surveys—partially because it takes time, and partially because they don’t think it makes a difference.

I’ve always been a firm believer that there is a human at the end of a survey and that if I have important or meaningful feedback to share, then I make the time to respond.

So that’s what happened to me a couple of weeks ago, after I attended a golf club fitting hosted by TaylorMade Golf at my local golf course. The club sent out the announcement, and I reserved the 30-minute time slot online. The timing was perfect for me, as there are two specific clubs that I was looking to purchase.

When I arrived at the golf club and walked up to the pop-up tent to test the clubs, I was greeted by two twentysomethings: a man and a woman. The woman was fairly personable, but all the guy did was look at his electronic tablet when I walked up and the first thing out of his mouth was, “I have another appointment at 11:00 a.m., so we need to hurry up.”

I looked at my watch and said, “Well, that means I still have 11 minutes to try out the clubs and make my choice!” The guy was annoyed (full disclosure—my partner Jack was there at 10:30 a.m. for his fitting and we shared the time slot, so I was within the time slot).

I tested a couple of styles of clubs, but obviously felt quite rushed and hastily made my decision to purchase. Afterward, I kept thinking that next time I would rather go to a golf store where I would not be so rushed, versus the convenience of a fitting at the golf course where I play.

Then came an email survey the next day. I was ready for it! I immediately completed it, explaining how it was not a great experience for me. What happened next was a huge surprise.

Within a few days, I received a personal email from another local TaylorMade representative who acknowledged my fitting experience and “wanted to make sure every fitting feels personal and you leave with a sense of satisfaction in your experience.” He offered to do a refitting at another local course.

Wow—I was impressed! I let him know that unfortunately my schedule would not allow me the time to have another fitting, but thanked him for reaching out. And then, the real kicker.

I received another email from him this morning. “Hey Karen—I am more than happy to drop off some golf balls and hats for the inconvenience. Please send me your address so I can deliver the swag. I also looked over your order, and it looks like the wedges you ordered are fairly backordered. I can switch them out for you for a similar shaft, and they will ship in September. Let me know if you would like me to make the change.”

Double wow! This customer experiential expert turned my awful incident and complaint into an experience that made me feel special and happy again! How did that happen so quickly?

First, he acknowledged my feedback in a timely fashion. He then let me know my personal satisfaction was important to him and the company and suggested some options to me.

He didn’t take “no” for an answer (as I really did give him a brush off with my first response). He gently responded with another option or two with kindness and authenticity and was not defensive, plus the offer of swag.

So, next time you have feedback to give, remember that there may be a human at the other end of the survey.

Or, if you are the company representative where a customer has had a less-than-stellar experience, responding quickly and authentically and offering some kind of replacement may make a difference. It’s important NOT to make excuses or defend your organization. Acknowledge the error flat out. That authentic humility goes a long way in this day and age.

So now, when you get a survey via email, perhaps you will take the time to give your feedback.

And of course, I cannot wait to get my new golf clubs. Crossing my fingers that I will be 100% satisfied. Or else, I’ll be contacting my new best friend Mike at TaylorMade.

Karen

Los Alamitos, CA (June 2021) – Did you know that 38% of shoppers say they are more likely to shop at YOUR store if you carry red dragon fruit, and 62% of shoppers say these bright-fleshed fruits are worth paying more for, compared to traditional white-fleshed dragon fruit¹? Straight from volcanic hills of Nicaragua, Frieda’s non-irradiated Fire Dragons™ red dragon fruit is in season and perfect to fire up Fourth of July displays.

To help showcase the inside of the fruit, Frieda’s has created a special ElastiTag® to help buyers and shoppers identify Fire Dragons™, Frieda’s red-fleshed dragon fruit. The tag suggests how easy it is to slice, scoop & enjoy and it helps shoppers understand what the inside tastes like compared to Snow Dragons™ and Honey Dragons®. These tags are sure to capture shoppers’ attention. In fact, a recent survey revealed that 62% of consumers agreed that Frieda’s new dragon fruit branding would catch their eye in the store, and 63% agreed that is visually appealing².

The striking appearance of the fruit make this a must for attention-grabbing displays. “We recommend merchandising Fire Dragons™ alongside young coconuts (on ice) and blueberries to create a seasonally relevant color break for the July 4^th holiday,” says Alex Berkley, director of sales at Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “I plan to use Fire Dragons™, Rambas™ Rambutan and blueberries to make these deliciously fun red, white & blue kabobs for my holiday weekend BBQ.”

Available in 6, 9, 12 and 18 counts, the fruit is expected to be available all summer and through October. Contact your Frieda’s account representative today for merchandising suggestions that drive higher traffic to your produce department and increase dollar ring and overall sales.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Sources:
1 April 2019. C+R Research Omnibus Survey. Sample size of 1,000 people. Representative of total U.S. demographics.
2 April 2021. C+R Research Omnibus Survey. Sample size of 1,000 people. Representative of total U.S. demographics.

Los Alamitos, CA (February 2021) — The lull between the Super Bowl and Easter often leaves grocery stores and shoppers looking for a bit of retail excitement—making it the perfect time to leverage that treasure hunt mentality and introduce new tropical favorites like dragon fruit.

Dragon fruit is no longer just for summer, in fact, 42% of shoppers said they would like to buy dragon fruit year-round¹. With this in mind, Frieda’s has created attention-getting, limited-edition ElastiTags® that showcase the different varieties of dragon fruit, including Honey Dragon™ and Snow Dragon™. These tags make it easier for shoppers to know what the fruit will look and taste like on the inside and they give consumers a reason to try both varieties.

“Promoting multiple varieties through inviting, bountiful displays is key right now, as shoppers are visiting stores less but stocking up when they do shop,” says Cindy Sherman, director of marketing innovation & insights at Frieda’s. In fact, a recent survey from Deloitte Consulting found that 54% of shoppers said they are visiting stores less frequently than before, with most only going to the store once every two weeks².

Merchandise the two varieties together, alongside citrus favorites like sumo mandarins and pixie tangerines, to increase dollar ring. Or, add some excitement to your tropicals table with an eye-catching display of dragon fruit, jackfruit and pineapples for a vibrant and fun display.

Frieda’s has strong supply of these two dragon fruit varieties from Ecuador and they will be available until the end of April.

Contact your Frieda’s account representative today for merchandising suggestions, including our colorful 3-tier shipper, that maximize your sales per square foot.

Source:
¹C&R 1,000 person study, February 2020
²Deloitte Fresh Food Consumer Survey, 2020

Los Alamitos, CA (January 2021) – Winter is here, and given the social restrictions necessitated by the global pandemic, some would say it is the winter of all winters. In fact, 63% of shoppers say they are unlikely to travel anytime soon¹. So how can retailers help? Give shoppers the winter escape they crave by carrying a variety of specialty tropicals this season.

“For many shoppers, the trip to the grocery store is their only escape right now,” says Cindy Sherman, director of insights, marketing & innovation at Frieda’s. “It makes sense that shoppers would splurge on a latte at the coffee kiosk, spend a little extra time lingering over the cheese case and look for something new and different to try in the produce department, especially something that feels warm, exotic and adventurous.”

Exotic items like dragon fruit, passion fruit, young coconut, turmeric, and jackfruit are the perfect way to give shoppers the excitement they crave in a natural and healthy way. In fact, 41% of shoppers say enjoying exotic tropicals would help to make their lives more fun and interesting². Frieda’s recommends using creative merchandising and a little flair to turn your tropicals table into a tiki-themed escape. Adorn displays with grass skirts, add tropical umbrellas to young coconuts, and merchandise red-skinned dragon fruit alongside for an inviting color break.

Make your produce department the escape that shoppers are looking for right now and give them a reason to spend a little more time exploring tropical fruit variety. Call your Frieda’s account manager today to help build the right tropical variety program for your stores, and for additional creative merchandising ideas.

Source:
¹Destination Analysts 1,200+ people survey, November 2020
²C&R 1,000 person study, May 2020

Los Alamitos, CA – (December 2020) – While past food predictions may have highlighted adventurous eating and culinary feats, this year’s pandemic has firmly put the focus back on classic comfort … with a twist. The tastemakers at Frieda’s Specialty Produce, known for spotting food trends with longevity, have some interesting predictions up their sleeves to help retailers make room for an exciting 2021.

“The pandemic has shifted the focus from macro trends such as travel, celebrity chefs and molecular gastronomy, to the realities of everyday living. Quarantining, social distancing, and continued sheltering in-place means that 2021 will be primarily influenced by what’s directly around us, with an emphasis on health, wellness and that feel-good factor we so desperately need,” says Cindy Sherman, director of marketing, insights & innovation at Frieda’s Specialty Produce.

So, what does this mean for shoppers? Here’s what you can expect in 2021:

Bubbles Up!
Whether it’s kombucha or sparkling water with outrageous flavor combinations, effervescence is exploding! These fizzy tonics combine the benefits of prebiotics and probiotics, plant fiber, and functional herbs and botanicals to deliver flavor and fitness. We love mixing aperol with muddled rambutan and a splash of grapefruit juice for a fun, fruity spritz!

Down Home Comfort
Cooking fatigue is real. Bread has been baked, spirits have been distilled and soufflés have risen. Help shoppers hang on a little longer by inspiring them to elevate their at-home game. Incorporate Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes into sweet treats like babka or homemade ice cream.

Rule Reversal
Cereal for dinner and mac & cheese for breakfast? After a year of extremes, the focus is on what’s best for YOU! Bored with the same old Zoom routine? Play a rousing game of spice roulette with shishito peppers, or spice up your charcuterie boards with offbeat options like dragon fruit and rambutan. It’s time to bend the rules.

Hold the Bread…
…and the meat, but not the flavor! Shoppers are being spoiled for choice with alternatives that pair better-for-you ingredients with classic comfort. Hearts of palm pasta, cricket-flour cookies, and so much more. Going paleo? No problem! Try Stokes Purple® sweet potato crostinis, or crispy jicama taco shells filled with meaty—but meatless—pulled jackfruit!

Polychromatic Plates
After a gloomy year, it’s time for bold graphics, pigmented palettes and foods in saturated hues. Paint your plate with beet-dyed noodles, rosy watermelon radish with pesto hummus, or a sprinkle of vibrant blue spirulina powder. Bright and oh-so-satisfying!

Los Alamitos, CA (September 2020) – October 1 marks the 43rd annual World Vegetarian Day. World Vegetarian Day was started in 1977 and serves to kick off Vegetarian Awareness Month, a month-long celebration of plant-based foods.

More and more people are embracing a plant-based lifestyle, and the emergence of COVID-19 has only accelerated that movement. Healthy, plant-based eating is fast emerging as a way for shoppers to feel in control of their health, while also giving their bodies the best chance of fighting off disease. According to IRI, fresh produce sales are up over 10% compared to last year, versus flat growth at the start of the pandemic¹.

“The pandemic has resulted in what we like to call a ‘health trigger moment,” which is the point where consumers start to rethink their approach to diet and lifestyle. Right now consumers are making shifts in how they eat fueled by the quest for immunity, which is why World Vegetarian Month is the perfect opportunity to plug into the immunity-boosting benefits produce shoppers are looking for,” says Cindy Sherman, director of marketing & insights at Frieda’s.

How can your produce department capitalize on this movement and capture the shoppers’ attention? We suggest focusing on plant-based, immunity-boosting items, including the Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes (with almost 4 times the vitamin C of an orange sweet potato); Turmeric, known for its immunity-boosting, inflammation-fighting properties; and Ginger with its antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties.

This World Vegetarian Day, be sure to have the fruit and vegetable variety shoppers are seeking for their health and wellness. Call your Frieda’s account manager today for ideas on how to make your store a vegetarian destination all month long!

Source:
¹IRI, 210 Analytics, Produce Marketing Association data 8/23/20

About Frieda’s Inc.
Frieda’s Specialty Produce has been inspiring new food experiences for friends, families, and food lovers everywhere since 1962. From kiwifruit and dragon fruit to Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and habanero peppers, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 unique fruits and vegetables to the U.S. marketplace. Founded by produce industry trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce, and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Los Alamitos, CA (September 2020) – Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are back in season and shoppers are ready for them now more than ever. So get ready for holiday demand with shippers only available from Frieda’s.

Research shows that rich-hued purple vegetables are hot sellers. In fact, retailers carrying Frieda’s exclusive Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are seeing as much as 20% increases in weekly dollar same-store sales on this item vs. prior years’ sales, according to Nielson data¹. These purple sweet potatoes are flying off the shelves!

Why you might ask? It’s the nation’s focus on functional foods, which is peaking now. According to the Mayo Clinic, functional foods are nutrient-dense items that promote optimal health while reducing the risk of disease. Examples include items like oatmeal, nuts, berries, and purple sweet potatoes. The Hartman Group research firm is predicting that functional foods will hit a high this year as COVID-concerned, health-oriented shoppers look to empower themselves and power up their diets with antioxidants.

Frieda’s suggests creating superfood displays that combine items like Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, fresh turmeric, ginger root, and citrus. Tout the nutrition benefits of these fruits & vegetables and turn your produce department into a fresh, functional foods destination.

“Stokes are in high demand this year as we anticipate that holiday cooking will have a functional spin,” says Alex Berkley, Frieda’s director of sales. “Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are ideal to promote for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and our display shipper is a great way to showcase them and add incremental shelf space. We recommend using signage to suggest that shoppers create healthy holiday favorites like Stokes Purple® sweet potato pie.”

Organic and conventional Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are available now through May in 15-lb. and 40-lb. cartons. Every potato is labeled to reduce front-end checker error. An organic 12/3-lb. bag option is also available.

Call your Frieda’s account manager today for help in planning your ads now and pre-booking supply.

Source:
¹Nielsen Data xAOC, regional retailer in the NE. 52 weeks ending 7/11/20

Shoppers’ favorite purple sweet potatoes are the new holiday table must-have

Los Alamitos, CA – (September 2018) – Purple is the new orange…at the holiday table! The new crop of shoppers’ favorite Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes will start shipping in September, just in time for holiday ad planning and pre-book.

Exclusively distributed by Frieda’s Specialty Produce, Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes stand apart from other purple sweet potatoes with their vibrant color, smooth texture, balanced sweetness, and more antioxidants than blueberries. And shoppers love them.

“Our Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes sales volume has gone up nearly 30 percent since 2017, and there is no sign of slowing down,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, assistant sales manager at Frieda’s. “According to Google Trends, ‘purple sweet potato’ search has spiked every year around Thanksgiving for the past five years, and we’re expecting the spike to be even bigger this year.

“Today’s shoppers are literally looking for visually pleasing foods to serve at the holidays. They are more comfortable in the kitchen than ever before and not afraid to put a new twist on their traditional holiday menus with sweet potato pies and other Instagram-worthy dishes for their friends and family,” said Berkley.

Stokes Purple® Sweet Potato Pie. Click for recipe.

Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are not only gorgeous on the plate, they look wonderful in ads. “Purple stands out from the sea of orange and brown for the fall, and pops against the red and green of the holiday season.”

Pre-book Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes with a Frieda’s account manager today and explore other items for the new holiday table, such as colored cauliflower, rainbow baby carrots, celery root, and Cipolline onions.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce has been inspiring new food experiences for friends, families, and food lovers everywhere since 1962. From kiwifruit to dragon fruit and from Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes to habanero peppers, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 unique fruits and vegetables to the U.S. marketplace. Founded by produce industry trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce, and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.

The trending, sweet and tangy citrus is available from Frieda’s earlier than ever

Los Alamitos, CA – (August 2018) – Fresh from Chile are in season starting in late August to fill the demand for the popular tangy and sweet, bite-size citrus.

“Shoppers are asking for kumquats year-round, not just in the winter anymore,” said, assistant sales manager at Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Even Oprah recently mentioned her kumquat trees and sharing the fruits with her friends.”

Kumquats are trending. “When there’s a wide gap between awareness and trial, we know that item is getting ready to take off,” added Berkley. According to a Datassential report, 62 percent of the U.S. population know about kumquats and 23 percent have tried them.

Frieda’s worked with its grower partners in Chile for several years to develop production that is permitted for importation into the U.S. market. Chilean kumquat season now accounts for 25 percent of Frieda’s kumquat sales in volume. This percentage increases year-over-year as retailers and foodservice companies learn about the Chilean season, and as Frieda’s grower partners plant more fruit to meet the demand.

“Thanks to the contra-seasonal production from the Southern Hemisphere, we are able to fill the supply gap when California kumquats are not in season, making them more accessible to retailers, as well as foodservice providers,” said Berkley. “Retailers who take advantage of our Chilean kumquat season will see the incremental sales lift. We will have Chilean supplies from late August through December.

“We offer the same pack sizes for our Chilean as our Californian crop: 10-lb. bulk and 12/8 oz. branded pouch, which is easy for merchandising and ringing up. Our retail clients love our pouch pack, as it increases the sell through while reducing ‘shopper grazing’ shrink.”

In addition to kumquats, Frieda’s offers extended season and availability from grower partners around the world for many specialty citrus items to answer shoppers’ demand, including blood oranges, Meyer lemons, and more. Call a Frieda’s account manager today to have fresh citrus specialties available year-round.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Join Frieda’s Specialty Produce in celebrating on August 10 with #ThanksFrieda

Los Alamitos, CA – (August 2018) – Frieda’s Specialty Produce will celebrate the 95^th birthday of its founder and produce industry pioneer, Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, on Friday, August 10.

Despite the company’s birthday paid time-off policy, Frieda plans on coming in to the office on her birthday anyway. “I already have Thursdays off, that’s enough PTO for me,” she said.

The subject of the 2015 documentary film “Fear No Fruit,” Frieda became the first woman in the U.S. to own and operate a produce company on the all-male Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market. Starting with the unusual and new-to-market specialties including the successful introduction of kiwifruit to the American market in 1962, Frieda and her company would go on to inspire new food experiences for chefs and home cooks by introducing more than 200 exotic fruits and vegetables to American consumers over the years, including Sunchokes®, dragon fruit, habanero peppers, jicama, and Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes.

In 1979, Frieda was the first woman to receive The Packer’s “Produce Man of the Year” award, which she handed back to the organizer. The award was soon renamed “The Produce Marketer of the Year,” and she received a new plaque with that title. In 1990, the Los Angeles Times’ “A Dozen Who Shaped the ‘80s” featured Frieda alongside Steve Jobs, Michael Eisner, and Jane Fonda.

Frieda has received numerous awards and honors for her achievements over the years, including an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from CSU-Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for her achievements as one of the nation’s most successful female entrepreneurs.

Currently, Frieda serves on the Board of Dramatic Results, a nonprofit agency that solves educational challenges by providing integrated arts programs to students and teachers in over 40 public school campuses in California, Oregon, and Alaska.

Wish Frieda a happy birthday or share your favorite Frieda moment or how she has inspired you on social media on August 10, using hashtag #ThanksFrieda.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Hatch Chile promotions are kicking off as early as August 4 with Frieda’s partnership

Los Alamitos, CA – (July 2018) – The world-renowned Hatch Chiles are coming back in season, a few weeks ahead of the usual mid-August start date, and Frieda’s Specialty Produce is kicking off the season with strong supplies and high-quality product.

The authentic Hatch Chiles are available from Frieda’s in a new Frieda’s-branded 25-lb. case and an 8/2-lb. retail pouches in mild, medium and hot heat levels. The pouches help cashiers to accurately ring up the product and retail buyers to track sales.

These special, fresh, zesty green peppers are only available from New Mexico in August and September. Hatch Chile festivals and promotions are being planned around the country to celebrate this unique pepper and its robust flavor. Dedicated fans of the peppers drive across town—and state lines—to get their Hatch Chiles by the case.

“Hatch Chiles are exclusively grown in Hatch, New Mexico, and are beloved by native New Mexicans, foodies and ‘chile heads’ around the country for their limited availability and addictive flavor,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, assistant sales manager at Frieda’s. “The season is starting up earlier this year, and it’s the perfect opportunity to boost summer sales.”

Today’s shoppers, especially millennials, experience “fear of missing out,” aka FOMO, which drives them to stores for exclusive or limited supply items. (A recent Eventbrite survey says 69 percent of millennials get FOMO when they can’t attend something friends or families are attending.) Much like the pumpkin spice craze in the fall, the annual Hatch Chile season is a part of this phenomenon.

“Frieda’s has organized in-store Hatch Chile roasting events and promotions since 2011. We see the increase in popularity with shoppers year over year, which motivates retailers to execute their annual Hatch Chile promotions,” added Berkley. “Chile heads always come back, and curious shoppers with a touch of FOMO want in on the action, then become chile heads themselves, returning the next year.”

Fresh Hatch Chiles also have a significant halo effect at the retail level for the majority of the summer. There are opportunities to cross-promote with the entire store from meat and dairy to Hatch-flavored items in the center aisles like potato chips, sauces, salsas and even alcohol.

Frieda’s works closely with its grower partners to ensure excellent quality and strong supply through September. Call Frieda’s team today to pre-book the ever-popular Hatch Chiles!

About Frieda’s Inc.

Tart and tangy tropical pods take off with home cooks for summer entertaining

Los Alamitos, CA – (July 2018) – Tamarind is in! Already a staple in Latin and Asian kitchens, the tart and tangy pods are trending up with shoppers nationwide with the rising popularity of agua fresca (a fruit-infused beverage) and Indian cuisine.

“Tart tamarind is not only an everyday item in Hispanic market areas, both ‘agua fresca’ and ‘tamarind’ have been trending up steadily in Google Trends, especially during the summer months,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, assistant sales manager at Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “This is in line with what we’re seeing with consumer trends on Indian flavors and fruit-infused or flavored water.”

Frieda’s works with its growing partner in Thailand to bring in volume of the tart tamarind, which is currently shipping nationwide.

“Retailers caught on to the tamarind trend last year when we started importing directly and they are now taking advantage of our strong source of supply with our 10 lb. pack and our 12/12 oz. clamshell,” said Berkley.

Frieda’s clamshell is the first package on the market to educate consumers on how to use tamarind. America’s diverse population is familiar with this item, however there is more to learn about how to use this versatile tropical fruit.

Tart tamarind is used for cooking all across the world including Indian and Southeast Asian cuisines. Chefs have also been featuring the unique flavor in glazes, sauces, and cocktails. In Latin America, the tart tamarind is used in candies, popsicles, and agua de tamarindo, a refreshing beverage made with tamarind pulp and sugar.

Retailers should merchandise tamarind with other global cuisine ingredients or fresh spices like ginger and turmeric. It is also relevant when merchandised with tropical fruit.

Call Frieda’s today at 714-733-7676 to add zing to your summer sales with tamarind and other summer top sellers such as Nicaraguan red dragon fruit, rambutan, and young coconut.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Shoppers continue to drive pepper demand from mild to super spicy

Los Alamitos, CA – (July 2018) – From flavorful Shishito peppers to the coveted super spicy Carolina Reaper, chile peppers are spicing things up for summer from the grill to homemade margarita mix.

“Shoppers continue to have fun exploring the different varieties of chile peppers the world has to offer,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, assistant sales manager at Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “For summer entertaining and cooking new cuisines at home, all heat levels of fresh peppers are finding their way into the grocery basket.”

Frieda’s is seeing the pepper sales growth first-hand. “We have been supplying Shishito peppers for over 10 years with sales spiking over the last three,” said Berkley. “Frieda’s eye-catching 8-ounce retail pouch bag has grown in sales 88 percent over the last 12 months, and our customers see the same growth at the register.”

With the Netherlands’ super hot pepper season in full swing and continuing through November, Frieda’s is currently offering good volume of fresh Carolina Reaper, Trinidad Scorpion, and Ghost peppers in 8/50 gram clamshells to satisfy the demand. “The clamshell program educates shoppers on how to use these fiercely hot peppers and protects them from touching these peppers with their bare hands.”

Other Frieda’s top-selling peppers include grilling essentials jalapeno, poblano, and mini sweet peppers, and salsa staples like red fresno, de arbol, and habanero. Call Frieda’s today at 714-733-7676 to make your summer sales sizzle with a pepper program.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Peak season of shoppers’ favorite, high flavor, red-fleshed dragon fruit begins in early July

Los Alamitos, CA – (June 2018) – Enter the red dragon…fruit! Grown with care in Nicaragua, this flavorful red dragon fruit is two weeks away from its high-volume launch in July, and will be available through November.

“Our grower continues to focus on the best, most flavorful varieties of red dragon fruit and we are expecting excellent volume this season,” said Allen DeMo, director of procurement and sourcing at Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “The season is just starting, and we will have several large flushes of fruit late June through July, which will give retailers the opportunity to build large displays.”

This non-irradiated dragon fruit is grown in rich, volcanic soil and is known for its sweet, flavorful, deep magenta flesh.

“We receive requests daily from shoppers asking for red-flesh dragon fruit because they have seen them on Instagram in smoothie bowls and beverages,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, assistant sales manager at Frieda’s. “We have developed new tools to help retailers build large displays that move volume. We also know that sampling will make a huge difference for red dragon fruit sales. Showcasing the bright color will create impulse sales.”

Call Frieda’s sales team today at 714-733-7676 to slay your summer sales.

About Frieda’s Inc.

This hulking tropical fruit continues to smash sales records nationwide especially on the East Coast

Los Alamitos, CA – (June 2018) – Jackfruit is gaining popularity nationwide as it is becoming more familiar to mainstream shoppers, especially on the East Coast.

“Who knew you could sell so much jackfruit in upstate New York?” said Alex Jackson Berkley, assistant sales manager at Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “What we have now is the perfect storm of demand from the growing Asian population, from vegetarians and vegans seeking a meat substitute, and from shoppers who now have heard enough information to give this big fruit a try. Retailers realize they can capitalize on such demand, and start to stock jackfruit.”

New York-based Tops Friendly Markets is one of many retailers answering the demand. Working with Frieda’s team, Tops produce managers are trained on the secrets of selling jackfruit. One Tops location is selling 100 cases of these tropical giants per week!

“Shoppers have been asking for fresh jackfruit for quite some time, and once we started to stock them, they were flying off the shelf,” said Scott Tyo, Category Business Manager for Tops. “Our overall sales have gone up with jackfruit as the main draw in the produce department. Curious shoppers are also drawn to the fragrant, giant fruits on display, and with Frieda’s label and signage, they have enough information to take the fruit home to try.”

Berkley adds, “Summer is the perfect time to promote jackfruit for backyard barbecues, luaus, and tiki parties. Shoppers have heard about jackfruit ‘pulled pork’ sandwiches and tacos, so you can merchandise with barbecue sauce and salsa, or make it the center of your tropical fruit display.”

Call your Frieda’s account manager today to learn about ways to smash your summer sales with jackfruit and other tropical favorites like dragon fruit, lychees, and rambutans.

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With fresh produce sponsored by Frieda’s Specialty Produce, the vegetable-driven culinary event raises funds for Girls Inc. and James Beard Foundation women’s leadership programs

Chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken of Border Grill speak to the crowd, including Los Angeles Times restaurant critic Jonathan Gold and members of Girls Inc.

Los Alamitos, CA – (May 2018) – Over 250 hungry foodies turned up to support LA Food Bowl’s “Plant Power: The No Beast Feast” on May 19 at the Border Grill in Downtown Los Angeles. Hosted by chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken of the Border Grill, this culinary event showcased vegetable-focused cuisine from a curated, international lineup of prominent female chefs. All proceeds went to Girls Inc. and the James Beard Foundation women’s leadership programs to support the advancement of young girls and the empowerment of women in the hospitality industry.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce donated all the fruits and vegetables used in food and beverages, plus the stunning, must-see produce and floral wall, popular with attendees for photo ops.

Three generations of women, who lead the female-founded, 100-percent female-owned Frieda’s Specialty Produce. Pictured, left to right, are Alex Jackson Berkley, assistant sales manager; Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, the 94-year-old founder of Frieda’s Specialty Produce; her daughter Karen Caplan, president and CEO; and Sophia Jackson, marketing associate.

“Fresh ingredients are very important to Thai cooking, and what Frieda’s provided to us were some of the best-looking produce I’ve seen in a long time,” said Jazz Singsanong, chef and owner of Jitlada, a celebrated Thai restaurant in Los Angeles. “We put a lot of love into our food, and it looks like Frieda’s puts a lot of love in their products and services as well. It was a pleasure to work with the Frieda’s team.”

April Bloomfield, chef of The Spotted Pig and Los Angeles’s new The Hearth & Hound, grills a Romanesco for a hearty dish she created for LA Food Bowl’s ‘Plant Power: The No Beast Feast’.

Alex Jackson Berkley, assistant sales manager at Frieda’s, said, “What you see on the plates at this event represents the best of Frieda’s. We have been inspiring chefs and home cooks for over 50 years, focusing on new varieties of products with superb flavor like that of Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes. It’s amazing to see our produce so deliciously and gorgeously on the center of the plate.”

“Frieda’s is always a step ahead,” tweeted Milliken. “I’m inspired!”

Besides Milliken, Feniger, and Singsanong, participating chefs include cookbook author Nadine Redzepi (Noma), Monique Fiso of New Zealand (Hiakai), Akasha Richmond (Akasha), Antonia Lofaso (Scopa Italian Roots), April Bloomfield (The Hearth & Hound), Brooke Williamson (Playa Provisions), Dahlia Narvaez (Mozza), Dakota Weiss (Sweetfin Poké), Niki Nakayama (n/naka), Nina Curtis, Nyesha Arrington (Native Santa Monica), Roxana Jullapat (Friends & Family), Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson (Kismet), Sherry Yard (iPic Theaters), Shirley Chung (Ms. Chi), Tanya Holland (Brown Sugar Kitchen), Valerie Gordon (Valerie Confections), and more.

Dakota Weiss, Sweetfin Poké and La Estrella’s executive chef and a former contestant on “Top Chef”, mixes up a batch of her Sunchoke Carrot Poké, a featured dish at LA Food Bowl’s ‘Plant Power: The No Beast Feast’.

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The specialty produce company will provide fresh produce for the world’s top female chefs to create vegetable-centric dishes at the renowned culinary event

Los Alamitos, CA – (May 2018) – Chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken of the Border Grill are hosting “Plant Power: The No Beast Feast” as part of Los Angeles Food Bowl, a month-long food festival taking place across the Los Angeles area. This event, on Saturday, May 19, in Downtown Los Angeles, will showcase innovative vegetable-driven cuisine from a lineup of prominent female chefs paired with fine wines, beers and handcrafted cocktails from female winemakers, brewers and distillers.

“All of the fruits and vegetables featured at this plant-powered feast are generously provided by Frieda’s Specialty Produce, a powerhouse in the produce world,” said Feniger. “We’ve known and been inspired by Frieda [Rapoport Caplan, founder of Frieda’s] for more than 30 years, and we’re proud to have Frieda’s as a partner for this delicious event that celebrates female empowerment.”

Alex Jackson Berkley, assistant sales manager at Frieda’s, added, “These chefs are trailblazers and innovators, and we are delighted to supply them with produce that will inspire new food experiences for guests attending this culinary event.”

All proceeds from the event will be donated to Girls Inc. and the James Beard Foundation women’s leadership programs to support the advancement of young girls and the empowerment of women in the hospitality industry.

“We’re also proud to support these great causes to help girls become strong women and help strong women achieve their full potential,” said Berkley. “That is the spirit of ‘Inspire. Taste. Love.’”

Plant Power: The No Beast Feast begins at 6:30 p.m. Guests will be treated to a variety of vegetarian and vegan signature bites and an interactive dessert bar. Tickets are available now from Border Grill and LA Food Bowl.

In addition to Milliken and Feniger, participating chefs include cookbook author Nadine Redzepi (Noma), Monique Fiso of New Zealand (Hiakai), Akasha Richmond (Akasha), Antonia Lofaso (Scopa Italian Roots), April Bloomfield (Hearth & Hound), Brooke Williamson (Playa Provisions), Dahlia Narvaez (Mozza), Roxana Jullapat (Friends & Family), Shirley Chung (Ms. Chi), Dakota Weiss (Sweetfin/Estrella), Jazz Singsanong (Jitlada), Niki Nakayama (n/naka), Nyesha Arrington (Native Santa Monica), Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson (Kismet), Sherry Yard (iPic Theaters), Tanya Holland (Brown Sugar Kitchen) and Valerie Gordon (Valerie Confections).

Los Angeles Food Bowl brings together L.A.’s best bars, cafes, hotels, markets, restaurants and the world’s top chefs for hundreds of extraordinary events. Help raise awareness and funds to fight food waste, hunger, food insecurity and promote sustainability.

About Frieda’s Inc.

The specialty produce company and first-time exhibitor will showcase its popular two-tier display unit

Los Alamitos, CA – (May 2018) – Frieda’s Specialty Produce is set to make its debut at the West Coast Produce Expo on May 12 in Palm Desert, California, featuring its traffic-stopping two-tier display unit and a line of tropical fruits to gear up for summer.

Known for its innovation and above-and-beyond customer service, Frieda’s is bringing a display solution to the expo. “Our display unit is designed according to input from produce managers and merchandisers,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, assistant sales manager at Frieda’s. “It stops traffic in the store and encourages shoppers to try something new.”

The two-tier display unit is perfect to draw attention in limited space. The colorful design appeals to shoppers’ curiosity, and the compact size is perfect for a specialty program.

Stop by booth 712 to chat with Frieda’s team about fresh, new ideas for your specialty produce program.

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Director of Procurement and Sourcing sets record time for opening a young coconut at the company’s first-ever young coconut challenge

Los Alamitos, CA – (April 2018) – #ReadySetCoconut! To celebrate the first shipment of young coconuts from its new grower partner in Thailand, Frieda’s Specialty Produce Sales, Marketing, and Sourcing teams competed in the first-ever young coconut opening challenge on Thursday, April 19, 2018, at the company’s headquarters.

In a bracket-style tournament, Frieda’s team members faced off, using any tools of their choice from knives to a special coconut opening tool to open the young coconuts. For the finals, only knives were allowed.

Allen Demo, Director of Procurement and Sourcing, shocked the crowd when he opened the coconut in eight seconds with a single blow of a chef’s knife. He went on to win the competition.

“Allen has just returned from Thailand after a visit with our grower partner and touring the coconut groves, so I’m sure they taught him a few tricks,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, assistant sales manager, who lost to DeMo in the second round. “Was it an unfair advantage that Allen was trained by Thai farmers who trim coconuts for a living when the rest of us are taught by YouTube? Maybe.”

A few audience members were splattered with coconut shells and coconut water, but there were no injuries reported other than a slightly bruised ego of the second-fastest young coconut opener Matt Hubbard, Account Manager, who opened a young coconut in 10 seconds with a coconut opening tool.

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Cross-merchandising complementary items with produce encourages impulse buy and increases basket ring

Los Alamitos, CA – (April 2018) – Make it easy for shoppers looking to make a memorable Mother’s Day dessert by adding top-selling, value-added Frieda’s French Style Crêpes to your fresh berry display.

“Shoppers picking up strawberries can be enticed to also pick up the ready-to-eat crêpes displayed nearby and vice versa,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, assistant sales manager at Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Mother’s Day is a special occasion and shoppers are always looking for an easy option for something special to make an impressive meal.”

To boost berry sales, Frieda’s offers a shelf-stable display box of 12/5 oz. French Style Crêpes, plus an attractive, self-standing display shipper, which holds four cases (48 packages).

“Our display unit is designed to showcase the crêpes without interfering with other items,” said Berkley. “The display unit’s bright color and attractive design draw in shoppers to the area.”

While crêpes are a perfect complement to fresh berry displays, Frieda’s also recommends adding whipped cream, Nutella, and nuts for a complete dessert idea.

Frieda’s is now taking pre-bookings for these crêpes shippers. Call today to take advantage of this Mother’s Day opportunity.

About Frieda’s Inc.

The specialty produce company welcomes former Starbucks executive to the family

Los Alamitos, CA – (April 2018) – Frieda’s Specialty Produce proudly introduces Cindy Karas Sherman as its new Director of Marketing and Innovation.

With 16 years of experience in Marketing Strategy, and Marketing Management and Innovation, Sherman has innovated for Consumer Packaged Goods companies such as PepsiCo, Wrigley, and most recently, Starbucks, where she launched—in the grocery aisle—Starbucks Plus K-Cup Coffee with twice the caffeine and managed the Teavana Hot Tea business within Starbucks retail stores. Sherman has deep innovation experience, having built new product pipelines across the coffee, confections, snacks, and juice categories. She applies her background in design thinking to all of her innovation and marketing challenges.

“We are thrilled to welcome Cindy to the Frieda’s family,” said Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s. “Her entrepreneurial spirit elevates our innovative culture and her CPG experience gives us a fresh perspective to improve how we can go above and beyond for our clients.”

Sherman has a bachelor of science in Marketing from Rutgers University and an MBA from Haas School of Business at University of California, Berkeley. She relocated from Seattle, Washington, to Long Beach, California, with her family in March.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s founder is one of the two honorees at the upcoming EPC event in New Jersey

Los Alamitos, CA – (March 2018) – Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, founder of Frieda’s Specialty Produce, is among the two women honored for their decades of contribution to the produce industry at the Eastern Produce Council (EPC) John J. McAleavey 52nd Annual Dinner Dance in Woodland Park, New Jersey, on April 7.

“I am so honored to have been chosen by the Eastern Produce Council for this honor,” said Caplan. “Some of my first direct customers are EPC members: Wakefern, D’Arrigo Brothers, and Kings Supermarkets.”

“Frieda is an amazing pioneer in our industry,” said Marianne Santo, vice president of the EPC and senior produce buyer for Wakefern. “I join all my peers at the Eastern Produce Council in recognizing her contribution to the industry.”

The EPC also will posthumously honor Annabel Donio Arena, second-generation leader of Frank Donio Inc. of Hammonton, New Jersey.

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Thank your produce staff for a job well done after busy spring holiday promotions

Los Alamitos, CA – (March 2018) – This year’s national Love Your Produce Manager® Day is on April 2, the Monday after Easter and Passover weekend. Show your extra appreciation for your produce staff for a job well done after a busy spring holiday weekend.

As featured in Chase’s Calendar of Events, Love Your Produce Manager® Day is a day to honor supermarket produce managers for their exemplary service and dedication to their craft. Frieda’s Specialty Produce invites industry participation in saluting these hardworking men and women both in stores and over social media with hashtag #LYPM.

For each industry company or organization that uses #LYPM hashtag or mentions Love Your Produce Manager® Day in its communications, Frieda’s will make a donation on its behalf to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, a member of the Feeding America national network. Love Your Produce Manager® Day messages must be posted by 11:59 p.m. PST on April 3 to be counted for the donation. Over 30 produce organizations and professionals participated in 2017.

“The produce department is the center of a supermarket now more than ever, and the produce managers work hard to build beautiful displays, keep products in stock, and inspire new food experiences for shoppers every day,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, assistant sales manager at Frieda’s. “As a company that got our start because of produce managers calling and asking for unusual fruits and vegetables, we know that they are as passionate about their jobs as we are. That’s why we created the holiday on our 50th anniversary in 2012.”

Additionally, Frieda’s is hosting a public social media giveaway to encourage shoppers to share selfies with their local supermarket produce managers and hashtag #LYPM from March 26 through April 3.

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Boost February impulse sales by cross-merchandising fresh berries with shelf-stable, ready-to-eat crêpes

Los Alamitos, CA (January 2018) – Boost berry sales by cross-merchandising with top-selling, value-added produce items like ready-to-eat French Style Crêpes available from Frieda’s Specialty Produce. Historically, the biggest sales period for crêpes is from Valentine’s Day through Mother’s Day in May.

Frieda’s newly designed instant display unit holds four 12/5 oz. cases of the shelf-stable, ready-to-eat French Style Crêpes. The display and the packaging feature a bright, fun design that attracts impulse shoppers, especially millennials, and includes how to prepare crêpes in three easy steps.

“Our top retail clients suggested that we design these space-saving display units,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, assistant sales manager at Frieda’s. “We also found that the stand-up displays draw attention to other produce around the area and not just to the crêpe packages themselves. They definitely work well with berries and also with tropical fruits and citrus.”

These displays are also great for center aisle promotions with jams.

Call a Frieda’s account manager today for sweet deals on these crêpes displays and other Valentine’s Day promotion ideas.

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Shoppers seek out fruits and vegetables to boost brain health and as alternative to carb-heavy ingredients

Los Alamitos, CA (January 2018) – Brain foods and carb alternatives are two of the hottest healthy eating trends for 2018, and shoppers will be looking in the produce department to find what they need.

“Shoppers are always trying to make healthier choices at the beginning of the year, which includes seeking out fresh produce they read or hear about in the food trend lists,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, assistant sales manager of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Retailers must be ready to meet the demand.”

Many health publications, including “Today’s Dietitian” magazine, point to brain foods as one of the top trends for 2018. These are foods that help with cognitive function, memory, and alertness. Some brain-healthy foods include fresh fruits and vegetables high in anthocyanin, the antioxidant in blue-purple foods like blueberries, purple grapes, and Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes.

The National Restaurant Association and Natural Grocers see a trend in vegetables as carb substitutes―from spiralized vegetable “noodles” for pasta to sweet potato slices as “toasts.” Adding vegetables to unexpected dishes like oatmeal, smoothies, and desserts to add nutritional values, colors, and flavors is also a trend to watch for.

“The Stokes Purple® sweet potato is on those lists as a hip and healthy food to eat in 2018,” said Berkley. “In addition to being a source of brain-healthy anthocyanin, Stokes Purple® sweet potato fans have been adding them to everything from breakfast burritos to brownies.

“Retailers can tie in the ‘Power of Purple’ with Ultra Violet being 2018’s color of the year for their promotions,” added Berkley. In December, Pantone, the global authority on color, announced Ultra Violet as the color of 2018 that will be seen everywhere from fashion to food.

Call Frieda’s account managers today to kick off your “Power of Purple” program and start 2018 off right.

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Frieda’s Specialty Produce offers special training and programming to help retailers ring in Year of the Dog

Los Alamitos, CA (December 2017) – Draw in shoppers to your store with the unique food experience of a Chinese New Year promotion. Frieda’s Specialty Produce offers special support to customers who book a Chinese New Year promotion by January 10; it includes a holiday promotion playbook, team training, point-of-sale support, and key merchandising recommendations to create a successful program.

Chinese New Year (also known as “Lunar New Year” or “Spring Festival”) is one of the biggest food holidays, and is celebrated across the country and around the world. The Year of the Dog begins on February 16, but the celebration starts a few days before and continues for 15 days afterward with feasts focusing on fresh produce, meat, and seafood.

Since the number six is considered lucky in Chinese tradition, here are six reasons retailers need Chinese New Year promotions.

1. Boost Winter Sales

Other winter promotions like the Big Game and Valentine’s Day promotions do not always translate into bigger sales in the produce department. However, the Chinese New Year celebration is all about fruits and vegetables, and it goes beyond just the one day.

“The celebration may begin a few days before the actual new year’s day on February 16, but the key to success is to have your stores ready to go with full displays starting in early February and continue promotions through the end of the month,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, assistant sales manager at Frieda’s.

2. Unique In-store Experience

According to SupermarketGuru’s 2018 trends forecast, shoppers will be looking for a multi-sensory food experience—they want to interact with foods. “Chinese New Year is a great opportunity to engage in-store shoppers with an experience they can’t get from shopping online, and that definitely will set your store apart from the competition,” said Berkley. “Make an event out of the holiday with sampling and cross-promotions with other departments.”

3. Produce Showcase

Traditional feasts feature top Asian sellers such as ginger, daikon radishes, and Shanghai bok choy. “Create a destination with a refrigerated Chinese New Year spot display with Asian staple vegetables and complementary items such as wonton and egg roll wrappers, edamame, and kimchi,” recommended Berkley. “Specialty citrus such as kumquats, pummelo, and mandarin oranges are used as gifts, so a bountiful citrus display will not go unnoticed.”

4. Halo Effect

Shoppers buying produce items for Chinese New Year will also purchase seafood, meat, floral arrangements, and other center-aisle Asian grocery items. “The promotions can span the store through collaboration with other departments to further boost sales,” said Berkley.

5. A Food Holiday for All

This promotion is not just for Asian shoppers who celebrate the holiday. “Chinese New Year is a foodie holiday!” said Berkley. “After all, Chinese food is one of the top three most consumed ethnic foods in the United States. Shoppers are looking for ingredients to make authentic meals at home. This promotion is the perfect opportunity to showcase your Asian produce selection to all shoppers, a key to remaining competitive.”

Asian cuisines and flavors have been trending for the past few years, across all regions of the U.S. A Chinese New Year promotion gives retailers the opportunity to feature their specialty offerings so shoppers will return for their Asian grocery needs throughout the year.

6. Attract Growing Asian Population

“With a Chinese New Year promotion, retailers can start building a relationship with the growing Asian demographic,” said Berkley.

According to a Nielsen report, Asian-Americans are the fastest growing population with significant buying power. Asians of Chinese ancestry represent about 20 percent of the group. Asian-Americans purchase 72 percent more fresh vegetables and 29 percent more fresh fruit per household than does the total U.S. population.

Frieda’s has a proven, nearly 45-year track record for helping produce retailers create successful Chinese New Year programs. Get ahead of the pack and call Frieda’s account managers today to book a Chinese New Year promotion. Also find more inspiration here.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Bring the Color of the Year into supermarkets with vibrant purple produce

Los Alamitos, CA (December 2017) – Purple still reigns, according to Pantone, the global authority on color, announcing “Ultra Violet” as the 2018 Color of the Year. Pantone’s selection comes on the heels of a report by Frieda’s Specialty Produce naming colorful produce (including purple) a 2018 food trend.

Each year, Pantone chooses a color that symbolizes design trends and the cultural mood. “Inventive and imaginative, Ultra Violet lights the way to what is yet to come,” according to Pantone’s website.

“The description of Ultra Violet hits home with us because purple has been our color from the very beginning,” said Alex Jackson Berkley of Frieda’s. “My grandmother, Frieda Rapoport Caplan, opened the business with a purple sign in 1962. She was the first woman to own a produce business and purple became a symbolic color for the company’s passion and innovation.”

Since 2012, when Frieda’s launched their “Power of Purple” program, they have been helping customers create exciting in-store experiences around this popular color.

“The popularity of purple produce shows no sign of slowing as more shoppers are discovering the nutritional values of purple produce and the photo-friendly color it adds to their plates,” said Berkley. “With Pantone’s latest news, we are already creating some new promotions and programs to increase the customer experience in store. Stay tuned for our announcements in the near future.”

As the purple produce experts, Frieda’s team is at the ready to help produce merchandisers bring #PurplePowerToThePeople by creating bountiful purple displays showcasing purple cauliflower, asparagus, baby potatoes, kohlrabi, and baby carrots, along with passion fruit, eggplant, radicchio, Treviso, and shoppers’ favorite Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes.

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Contra-seasonal availability creates hot holiday sales opportunities

Los Alamitos, CA (December 2017) – The Southern Hemisphere is lighting up the Northern Hemisphere with supplies of fresh lychees for the holiday season. Starting in now, Frieda’s offer South African-grown lychees to customers in 10-pound bulk cartons and 12-ounce clamshells, which reduce shrink and leakage.

Fresh lychees have traditionally been available in spring and early summer from the Americas, so contra-seasonal availability has opened up additional sales opportunities for retailers during the holiday months. Since South African lychee import to the U.S. was permitted in 2015, Frieda’s has distributed increasing volume and expects this season to be the best yet with supplies through January.

The Asian demographic has traditionally been the top purchasers of lychees in the U.S. and they tend to buy in bulk. Since Chinese New Year starts on February 18, stocking up on lychee in January will help create more sales. Furthermore, the fruit’s popularity has grown in recent years, expanding the demand to culinary enthusiasts and millennials who are more likely to purchase the product in a clamshell, helping to reduce shrink for the retailer.

“Getting lychees this time of year is an absolute treat and they will be quickly snapped up by shoppers as an impulse buy,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, senior account manager at Frieda’s. “And because they tend to be a limited-supply and hard-to-find fruit, shoppers do not mind paying a premium for them, especially during the holiday season.”

The renowned lychee has rough, bumpy skin with a juicy, grape-like flesh and one large inedible seed. Lychees feature a fragrant sweet-tart flavor profile. Frieda’s recommends displaying fresh lychees under refrigeration to extend shelf life.

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Specialty produce trend-setter forecasts five fresh fruit and vegetable trends

Los Alamitos, CA (November 2017) – Supermarket shoppers will be perusing the produce aisles in search of new flavors and food experiences in 2018. Brick-and-mortar retailers with the right item mix can take advantage of this experiential path to purchase in ways that no online shop can offer.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce calls out five items that can add value to produce departments by attracting those key consumers who seek experiences in food and like to travel with their taste buds.

Jicama

“I believe 2018 will be the year of jicama,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s, who noted that more retailers are offering fresh-cut jicama sticks than ever before. “It has only taken 45 years for jicama to become a household name since Frieda’s introduced it to produce retailers in 1972!” The Whole Foods 2018 trend report also called out shaved jicama as a vegetable alternative to grain-based taco shells.

Frieda’s also sees jicama in a position for growth in the super-foods category, thanks to its excellent nutritional value, which includes a high level of vitamin C and gut-friendly properties. San Francisco-based food development firm Mattson identified healing foods as a trend from the 2017 Natural Products Expo East. The natural sugars and fiber in jicama are considered a prebiotic for the digestive tract, meaning it helps create the right environment for good bacteria (probiotics) to flourish in the gut.

“With all the research and development in the field of the gut microbiome, I believe that produce like jicama and Sunchokes® will continue to be in high demand for 2018 and beyond,” Caplan said.

Dragon Fruit/Pitaya

Now available in a rainbow of colors, mainstream U.S. consumers are really catching on to dragon fruit, also known as pitaya. They have seen dragon fruit in flavor and fragrance marketing, and frozen in smoothies, and now they are finding it fresh in their supermarkets as multiple countries are supplying the U.S. marketplace with various skin colors, varieties, and internal flesh colors. For example, Israel exports several different varieties, including a unique desert-grown type with a pine cone-like shape and high flavor. Nicaragua exports a rounder-shaped, deeply pigmented, red-flesh variety. And Vietnam exports a large white-flesh variety with high visual appeal and long brachs (leaves).

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“With several 2018 food trend forecasts pointing to Instagram-ready colorful cuisine and upscale non-alcoholic cocktails, the vibrant magenta-colored dragon fruit is poised for a big year,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, senior account manager at Frieda’s.

Jackfruit

The mother of all tropical fruits has attracted quite a fan base over the past two years, thanks in part to its use as a meat texture substitute, similar to pulled pork, when unripe and green. However, Frieda’s “trendologists” believe the sweet, complex flavor of the ripe jackfruit has yet to be discovered by the masses.

“Ripe jackfruit is enjoyed in Asia as a snack or dessert. It has a delicious sweetness reminiscent of Juicy Fruit gum,” said Berkley. “In 2018 we expect to see more savvy retailers offering ripe jackfruit sections, overwrapped, in their fresh-cut coolers.

“We also discovered that the jackfruit’s large seeds are edible when cooked, and may be ground into a flour to use in baking,” Berkley added. Frieda’s expects to see more exploration in the use of jackfruit seeds, as it aligns with two emerging food trends: alternative flour sources and root-to-stem cooking.

Purple and More

“Whole Foods called the purple food trend in 2017, but Frieda’s has been promoting the purple produce movement since 2012, and we believe it’s still trending up,” Berkley said.

More consumers are learning about the role of anthocyanins—the natural purple pigment found in produce—and other micronutrients in their health. Frieda’s Stokes Purple® Sweet Potato is one example of a vegetable loaded with anthocyanins, while purple-skinned fruits, such as concord grapes, share a similar benefit.

The Packaged Facts 2018 food trends forecast also claims, “Color is the new sugar,” pointing to naturally vibrant foods like beets that act like eye candy. In addition, Packaged Facts identifies sweet potato as a 2018 culinary star and another way to add color to vegetarian and vegan plates.

Frieda’s also expects to see fresh cut food processors adding more purple-hued produce to their veggie noodle product lines in 2018.

Fresh Turmeric

Still on the rising trend train for 2018, turmeric has caught on with early adopters for its anti-inflammatory health benefits. With the increase in supply to the U.S. market from growers in Jamaica and Fiji, more supermarkets are stocking this healing root.

“We continue to see fresh turmeric as an ingredient in fresh-pressed juices and smoothies, and even lattes,” Berkley said. Roots like fresh turmeric and ginger have been prized for centuries for their medicinal properties. “With the rise in the #selfcare movement, this buzzword often equates to people turning to natural remedies and fresh whole foods,” she added.

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Plan now to take advantage of good quality and steady supply from California

Los Alamitos, CA (November 2017) – California citrus season is underway, and Frieda’s Specialty Produce offers selling solutions and a suite of products for a successful winter citrus program.

“Frieda’s is bringing on more citrus growers each season to increase our volume and variety of products,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, senior account manager at Frieda’s. “Not only are we able to offer a reliable source of supply, we are also able to provide solutions for easy selling at the retail level.”

Frieda’s offers a special program set for January through March, featuring top sellers such as “adorable” kumquats, key limes, and Meyer, pink, and seedless lemons in easy-to-merchandise pouches. Along with blood and Cara Cara oranges, mandarin varieties, pummelos, and Ugli®/uniq fruit, Frieda’s has a line of unique citrus items like Buddha’s Hand citron, sweet limes, limequats, and calamondin (calamansi) that are growing in popularity in the culinary world.

“Citrus is a category that provides inspiration for consumers during the winter months,” says Berkley. “With a limited season and many options, you can keep consumers on their toes with citrus.”

Call Frieda’s account managers today to pre-book and plan your winter citrus program.

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Popular purple tubers and other purple produce are in demand for holiday feasts

Los Alamitos, CA (November 2017) – Everyone is looking for these Instagram-famous Stokes Purple^® sweet potatoes for their fall feasts. Draw shoppers in to your produce department with a big, beautiful sweet potato display featuring these purple-skinned tubers.

“Our retail partners say the best time of year to promote Stokes Purple^® sweet potatoes is the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, senior account manager at Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “With sweet potatoes remaining a trendy and staple produce item, and shoppers looking to add color to the Thanksgiving table, Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes will sell out for the holiday.

“Conventional Stokes Purple^® sweet potatoes can be merchandised with other sweet potatoes, and the organic ones can be in the organic section,” said Berkley. “Purple deserves a place at the holiday table.” Add purple cauliflower, purple asparagus, baby purple potatoes, and radicchio to round out the holiday purple vegetable set.

Other popular volume holiday items from Frieda’s include fingerling and baby potatoes, Frieda’s Star Spangled Spuds, ginger, shallots, blood oranges, Fuyu persimmons, and Green Dragon apples.

(Turkey) Trot over to the phone and call a Frieda’s account manager to book your holiday orders today.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce has been inspiring new food experiences for friends, families, and food lovers everywhere since 1962. From kiwifruit to dragon fruit and from Stokes Purple^® sweet potatoes to habanero peppers, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 unique fruits and vegetables to the U.S. marketplace. Founded by produce industry trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce, and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.

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Good fall supply from the Southern Hemisphere to smooth transition to strong California season

Los Alamitos, CA (October 2017) – It may be getting cold outside, but produce sales can stay hot with winter citrus. Shoppers will be looking for the sunshiny color and bright flavor of citrus, from tiny kumquats to giant pummelos.

“We have good supplies of citrus from the Southern Hemisphere already coming in, and California has just started,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, senior account manager of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “It’s never too early to start planning your specialty citrus program for the winter months.”

Top citrus sellers include Cara Cara and blood oranges; Meyer, pink, and seedless lemons; and mandarin varieties.

“The items that create excitement are our high-flavor citrus varieties like Tahitian pummelos, sweet limes, and mandarinquats,” said Berkley. “We’ve noticed shoppers are more informed about unique citrus varieties—it’s so much more than navel oranges and lemons now.”

As a trends spotter, Frieda’s team predicts a slight bump in demand for blood oranges. “Our phones have been ringing with consumer magazines looking for blood oranges for their winter issues. October through December is the time to make sure you’re always well stocked with blood oranges.”

Call your Frieda’s account managers to book your citrus program today.

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The specialty produce company brings new produce ideas to the table

Los Alamitos, CA (October 2017) – Frieda’s Specialty Produce is bringing innovation to the table at PMA Fresh Summit booth 1207 with jackfruit selling solutions.

“At Frieda’s, we know jack…fruit, and we know how to make it sell at retail,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, senior account manager of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Jackfruit has become one of the most asked-about and sought-after tropical fruits, a natural star for your tropical program. You cannot miss a pile of jackfruit at retail—it’s definitely a ‘wow’ item that sets stores apart from the competition.”

Jackfruit is one of the biggest (literally) trends in produce today. The sheer size of this fruit (8 to 24 pounds) catches the eye, but it’s the label and point-of-sale merchandising that close the sale for shoppers, by offering them the information and inspiration they need to make a confident purchase.

“There’s no better time to talk to us about jackfruit and our full line of tropical fruits than at PMA Fresh Summit,” added Berkley. “Our jackfruit selling solution is just one of the ways we go beyond what is expected at Frieda’s.”

With more than 55 years as specialty produce trailblazers, Frieda’s knows what’s new in specialty produce and what’s trending with shoppers to keep its customers relevant in the produce space.

“Our mission is to inspire new food experiences for consumers and we are always looking for ways to partner with clients who understand that education is key for moving these lesser known and unusual fruits and vegetables,” Berkley said.

So, pull up a chair at booth 1207 or call a Frieda’s account manager today to learn more about the company’s fresh brand, shopper-friendly packaging, and unique product mix that make life a lot sweeter for retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice providers everywhere.

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Plan now for must-have holiday display builders from Frieda’s Specialty Produce

Los Alamitos, CA (September 2017) – Prepare for the holiday shopping season by booking all the essential complementary items for your holiday produce sets.

“For your holiday resets and department walk-throughs, include these complementary and specialty items so your shoppers have everything they need in the produce department,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, senior account manager of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “The top sellers each year are shallots, elephant garlic, specialty onions (pearl, boiler, and cipolline), pine nuts, cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, and mulling spices.”

Additionally, there are big sales opportunities on Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, fingerling and baby potatoes, variety hard squash, and sweet crab apples.

“These are all items that consumers use in their holiday menus. It’s important to have them available in store by mid-October to maximize your holiday impulse sales,” said Berkley.

Call your Frieda’s account manager today to pre-book your holiday produce essentials.

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Prepare your produce department for shoppers looking for stranger things

Los Alamitos, CA (September 2017) – Summon shoppers to the produce department with a “Spooky Foods” display featuring out-of-this-world fruits and vegetables, along with traditional fall pumpkin and squash.

“Halloween is the perfect time to showcase your tropical fruits and specialty vegetables as shoppers will be looking for unique, spooky items for their Halloween celebrations,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, senior account manager of Frieda’s Specialty Produce.

“Build out your ‘spooky foods’ displays with creepy-looking fruits and vegetables on both dry and refrigerated cases, and have fun with it,” added Jackson. “Why should the center aisles have all the Halloween fun?”

New #spookyfoods favorites include jackfruit, organic finger limes, colored cauliflower, and “scary hot” ghost peppers. Other Halloween classics include Buddha’s hand citron, Kiwano® horned melon, dragon fruit, rambutan, red cactus pears, and blood oranges.

Call the spooky foods specialists (aka Frieda’s account managers) today to help you put together a “scare-tastic” product selection.

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Book now for the popular California-grown purple sweet potatoes, exclusively available from Frieda’s Specialty Produce

Los Alamitos, CA (August 2017) – Shoppers’ favorite Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are back in season and ready to ship on September 6. Plan your ads now and pre-book the trendiest item in the sweet potato category from Frieda’s Specialty Produce.

According to recent research from Welch Foods, shoppers are seeking health benefits from colorful foods, especially antioxidant-rich purple.

“Shoppers have been contacting us wanting to know when the season will be starting. The Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes definitely have a cult-like following,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, senior account manager of Frieda’s. “Purple foods continue to be a hot trend, and purple is definitely the new orange when it comes to sweet potatoes.”

“Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are a must-have item for retailers to include in their fall table resets,” said Berkley. “Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are also ideal to promote pre-Thanksgiving, winter holidays, the New Year, and Easter/spring.”

Organic and conventional Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are available from September through May in 15 lb. and 40 lb. cartons. Every potato is labeled to reduce front-end checker error. An organic 12/3 lb. bag is also available.

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The specialty produce company partners with wholesalers and foodservice distributors to inspire new food experiences for children nationwide

Los Alamitos, CA (August 2017) – For wholesalers who supply school districts, planning begins now for the coming school year! Frieda’s Specialty Produce can help its customers get to the head of the class by offering exotic fruits and vegetables for the school snacking program and the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP).

“We offer customized programs with fun and exciting fruits and vegetables like starfruit and watermelon radishes. They can really set our customers and their school districts apart,” said Jeff Kelly, sales manager of Frieda’s. “Thanks to our unique product selection and our team’s expertise with FFVP, we know what a school district needs and we can help win the bids.”

The FFVP grants funds for elementary schools to offer free fresh fruit and vegetable snacks, helping kids learn to make healthier food choices. “We’re making an impact on America’s future and our growers’ sustainability in the industry,” said Kelly. “Kids love to try new things, especially when it’s colorful, flavorful, and fun; specialty produce gets them excited about fruits and vegetables.”

Wholesalers and foodservice distributors interested in including specialty produce such as rambutan, cape gooseberries, baby bok choy, and organic finger limes in their FFVP should contact Frieda’s account managers today.

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Latest trends article points to growers, distributors, and chefs creating the next ‘it’ vegetable

Source: Wall Street Journal

Los Alamitos, CA (August 2017) – What makes produce trend? Wall Street Journal writer Karen Stabiner sought out to answer that question in the newspaper’s latest food trend story, “Forecasting the Next Food Fad: Are ‘Kohlrabi’ and ‘Yacon’ the Next Kale?” published on July 27.

The author reached out to Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce, as well as top-trending chefs and farmers, to report on the new urgency of fruit and vegetable trends and the increasing demand for the latest items at restaurants, grocery stores, and home delivery services.

“…Caplan has never seen anything like the current scramble for marquee produce. ‘Information travels at the speed of light’ in the Instagram era, she said. The next big thing gets a lot more exposure, and faces a lot more competition,” said the article.

Stabiner discusses the synergy between farmers and chefs with exclusive new vegetables, both on the small scale and larger scale, touching on items like kohlrabi, broccolini, escarole, and tropical root yacon.

Stabiner explains that national distributors like Frieda’s often take a more strategic approach to trend-building, requiring a product to have “volume and a decent shelf life.”

“For example, yacon was brought to our attention a few years ago,” added Caplan. “But the volume was limited and shelf life was just not viable for retail.”

Other trending items mentioned in the article include jackfruit and Frieda’s exclusive Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes—both with good shelf life, great volume, and stable supply to be available anywhere and almost year-round.

Watch Karen talks about how produce trends:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoVqiE2ekRc]

About Frieda’s Inc.

The Caplan women discuss past, present, and future of the company

Los Alamitos, CA (July 2017) – The Philadelphia-based national publication Family Business Magazine featured Frieda’s Specialty Produce in its July/August cover story, highlighting the company’s trailblazing history and continued success.

In “A Fruitful Female Partnership at Frieda’s,” author Hedda T. Schupak writes about Frieda’s family dynamics, work-life balance, current vision, and future plans for the specialty produce company co-owned by president and CEO Karen Caplan and vice-president and COO Jackie Caplan Wiggins.

“Sisters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins have grown Frieda’s, the pioneering specialty produce wholesaler, since taking over from Frieda Caplan, their mother. Now that Karen’s daughter Alex [Jackson Berkley] has joined the business, they’re beginning to contemplate the next transition,” wrote Schupak in the introduction to her exclusive interview with the Caplan women.

“We’re in discussion now on succession planning…what our options are for leadership of the company,” said Karen per the article.

As a senior account manager, Berkley talked about her current position and working toward taking the over the reins in the future. “I’m on the path and would be good at it,” she told Schupak. But for right now, “I’m trying to grow the business and push our numbers forward and to be a good leader, family member, and employee.”

The current issue of Family Business is available via paid subscription, or pay-per-issue. Past issues are available for free.

The Philadelphia-based Family Business Magazine is the preeminent magazine and digital media publisher dedicated to multi-generational family companies, providing the latest news, trends and in-depth interviews, how-to articles and handbooks with more than 7,500 active paid circulation and 10,000 e-newsletter subscribers.

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Shoppers’ favorite table grapes are in steady volume through August

Los Alamitos, CA (July 2017) – California-grown champagne grapes have arrived and are in good supply from Frieda’s Specialty Produce in Frieda’s-branded 16/1 lb. clamshell. Book now to keep your summer sales fizzy!

“With summer entertaining in full swing, champagne grapes create excitement in grape merchandising as their small, snack-able size is perfect for charcuterie and cheese platters,” said Alex Jackson Berkley of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Merchandise two facings in the grape case or cross-merchandise with cheeses, wine, and champagne.”

“The weather got warmer earlier than anticipated, so the fruit will be ready to ship in volume this week,” added Berkley.

Frieda’s also offers seasonal California-grown specialty grape varieties such as Yellow Sweetie (16/1 lb.) and Thomcord (10/1 lb.), along with many other summer top-selling tropical fruits such as lychee, rambutan, cherimoya, and dragon fruit.

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Get summer sales sizzling with Frieda’s new 2-lb. Hatch chile pouch and a successful Hatch Chile Program

Los Alamitos, CA (June 2017) – Hatch chiles from New Mexico return in August and Frieda’s Specialty Produce is ready to turn up the heat with a new 8/2-lb. retail pouch.

“These pouches help retailers reduce shrink and increase sell-through at the register,” said Alex Jackson Berkley of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “With Hatch Chiles looking identical to Anaheim chiles, this bag will help retail buyers accurately track sales, and cashiers to accurately ring up product. Plus, the package educates shoppers on how to roast the chiles for ultimate flavor.”

Exclusively grown in the Mesilla Valley near the town of Hatch, New Mexico, and available fresh once a year, Hatch chiles are sought after by chile pepper fans everywhere for their zesty, bold flavor, especially when roasted over an open flame. Many retailers also host in-store chile-roasting events to build excitement and provide shoppers with an authentic New Mexico Hatch chile festival experience.

“August is the only time of year when Hatch chiles are available fresh for roasting, and serious Hatch chile fans go crazy for them,” said Berkley. “Frieda’s has organized in-store roasting events since 2011, and retailers see the Hatch chile halo effect through sales across all departments. Shoppers who buy fresh or roasted Hatch chiles will also pick up cheese, chips, and beer to enjoy with their chiles.”

“This is the perfect time to start planning for your Hatch program to increase summer sales,” said Berkley.

Weather is always a factor when it comes to Hatch chile supply.

“Our team just visited our partner growers in New Mexico last week and we learned that, while the recent heat wave affected the early crop, we are still on track for the August start,” said Allen DeMo, Director of Procurement and Sourcing at Frieda’s.

“The Hatch chile supply is looking good for the season,” he added.

Call Frieda’s team today to pre-book the ever-popular Hatch chiles, only from New Mexico and only for a limited time!

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Summer is ripe for dragon fruit promotions

Los Alamitos, CA (June 2017) – This is the perfect time to really drive retail sales for red-fleshed dragon fruit with a lower retail price point. Nothing adds color and excitement like this eye-catching, pink-skinned, magenta-fleshed fruit.

“Summertime is peak season for dragon fruit, and the prices are very reasonable,” said Alex Jackson Berkley of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Dragon fruit is one of the top-selling and trending tropical fruits, and also resonates with Asian and Hispanic shoppers.

“Build a big, beautiful dragon fruit display with signage about the different varieties, as shoppers may want to try all the colors and flavors. Merchandise other tropical fruits along with the dragon fruit to make the display a truly exotic destination,” said Berkley.

Nicaragua Dragon Fruit

Available from June through November, Nicaragua red dragon fruit has a rounder shape—like a pink softball—with a deep magenta flesh and better flavor than the mild Vietnamese variety. Frieda’s ships Nicaragua fruit from both Miami and Los Alamitos, California, in pallet or truckload volume.

In addition to Nicaragua, Frieda’s supplies dragon fruit from several other growing regions to offer year-round availability on this trending fruit:

Vietnam Dragon Fruit

Available in white and limited red flesh, this top-selling variety boasts a beautiful appearance and is available year-round. (It’s also the only dragon fruit that has to be irradiated.)

Israel Pitaya

Available from July through March, the non-irradiated Israeli crop has multiple colors and appearances, from white flesh, to red flesh, to the popular yellow skinned fruit with white flesh. Some varieties feature curly “leaves,” while others may have a more unique pinecone-type shape.

USA White and Red Dragon Fruits

Similar in appearance to the Vietnam fruit, they’re grown in Florida and California, and available from June to August.

“We always get asked the difference between dragon fruit and pitaya. The names can actually be used interchangeably!” said Berkley. “The key is to have the fruit properly labeled with a PLU—which we do on all the fruit we ship.”

From super-trendy pitaya bowls and smoothies to tropical fruit platters for summer entertaining, red-fleshed dragon fruit is the hottest fruit of the season. Retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice providers interested in growing their tropical fruit program should contact Frieda’s account managers today.

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McCormick’s Flavor Forecast 2017 points to the produce department

Los Alamitos, CA (June 2017) – From perfect-for-grilling baby potatoes to specialty peppers and fresh Asian flavors, the produce department is where it’s at for summer grilling essentials.

The recent McCormick & Co.’s Flavor Forecast 2017 “5 Hot Ideas for Summer” includes grilled potatoes, Korean barbecue flavors, and fruity, sticky sweet, and spicy glazes.

“These grilling trends resonate with shoppers seeking new food experiences for summer grilling, and they can go to the produce department for it,” said Alex Jackson Berkley of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Merchandise specialty produce alongside conventional ones to inspire shoppers. Retailers can get creative with in-store displays and signage, suggesting new ways to use produce for summer grilling.”

Here are some merchandising suggestions to complement each grilling trend:

Bring on the heat

Complete your pepper display with a wide range of heat level from mild mini sweet peppers to grilling favorites like poblano and serrano, all the way to the super-hots like ghost, Trinidad Scorpion, and Carolina Reaper.

Grilling potatoes

Display fingerling and assorted baby potatoes like Frieda’s Star Spangled Spuds with russets and Okinawan sweet potatoes with orange sweet potatoes.

Korean barbecue flavor center

Add daikon, napa cabbage, and Shanghai bok choy to your Asian vegetable display and make sure to have kimchi in the refrigerated case.

Frieda’s also suggests adding these grilling favorites: shishito peppers, jicama, radish varieties, baby pineapples, summer squashes, mini graffiti eggplants, baby Japanese eggplants, and pearl, boiler, and cipolline onions.

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Frieda’s Specialty Produce offers shoppers’ favorite tropical fruits in easy-to-merchandise, protective clamshells

Los Alamitos, CA (May 2017) – The popular lychee and rambutan are back in season with lychees beginning now and rambutan in late May. Frieda’s Specialty Produce offers this dynamic duo in bulk or in protective clamshells to help with merchandising, reducing shrink, and attracting shoppers.

“Despite their weird looks, both lychees and rambutan are quite delicate. Our clamshells help protect the fruits, extending the shelf life, and make them really easy to merchandise,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Shoppers often confuse the lychee and the rambutan—they’re both red tropical fruits of roughly the same size and similar texture. Our clamshells with bright, colorful labels reduce the confusion.

“Sampling of these often-confused tropical fruits may also help increase basket rings,” said Caplan. “And they’re really easy to sample—just peel and enjoy!”

The renowned lychee has rough, bumpy skin, while the rambutan has thicker skin covered in soft, hair-like spikes. Both fruits have juicy, grape-like flesh with one large inedible seed, but the flavors are completely different. Lychees are fragrant with a strong, sweet-tart flavor. Rambutan are more subtle with their sweetness.

Frieda’s “Luscious Lychees” from Mexico are available now in 10-lb. bulk and 12/12 oz. clamshells. “Rockin’ Rambutan” from Guatemala are set to start late May, and will be available in 5-lb. bulk and 14/12 oz. clamshells. Rambutan are also available from Vietnam and Mexico.

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Shoppers are looking for something new to grill this season, including tropical fruits, specialty citrus, and fresh spices

Los Alamitos, CA (May 2017) – According to an April 2017 report by the Institute of Food Technologists, three-quarters of U.S. homes own a grill and millennials are by far the most likely to grill. From grilled salads to vegetable-centric main courses to charred fruit sangria, millennials are looking to the produce aisle for something new to serve in the summer.

“According to a 2015 Mintel survey, millennials want meals to be social, healthy, and delicious. And grilling satisfies all of that,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “It’s all of their favorite activities rolled into one—healthy cooking, experimenting with food, and sharing the experience in real life as well as online.”

It’s not just millennials, either. The Mintel survey also said that more Americans are pairing grilled meats with grilled fruits and vegetables more than stove-top or oven-baked side dishes like baked beans or potatoes.

“Grilled vegetables are becoming the norm, but grilled fruits, especially citrus, are trending with millennials and gaining popularity,” said Caplan. “Create signage to encourage shoppers to try grilling citrus and other tropical fruits.”

To help shoppers grill something extraordinary, Frieda’s recommends tropical fruits such as dragon fruit, cape gooseberries, and rambutan, and specialty citrus, such as pink and seedless lemons, and Cara Cara and blood oranges. Exotic aromatics like turmeric, ginger, and lemongrass are also used for marinades and glazes.

Contact Frieda’s account managers today to get started on the perfect summer grilling product mix for your produce department, such as summer grilling favorites like Shanghai bok choy, baby pineapples, watermelon radishes, and pepper varieties from shishito and mini sweet to serrano and habanero.

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Produce organizations and professionals join Frieda’s Specialty Produce in honoring supermarket produce staff on social media

Los Alamitos, CA (April 2017) – Produce organizations and professionals joined Frieda’s Specialty Produce in celebrating Love Your Produce Manager® Day on April 2 online and in stores by using hashtag #LYPM on social media to salute the hardworking men and women in supermarket produce departments.

“ShopRite retail dietitians work closely with our produce staff, and we’re happy that we get to show our appreciation on Love Your Produce Manager Day,” said Ashley Cully, MS, RD, retail dietitian manager at ShopRite of Marlton, New Jersey, whose store acknowledged the day on social media. “Produce managers and their teams provide invaluable services to us by bringing in the freshest fruits and vegetables, creating beautiful displays, and helping us guide our customers on their healthy eating and wellness journeys.”

Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s, said, “We’re ecstatic about all the produce professionals engaging with Love Your Produce Manager Day this year. Retail dietitians and produce staff themselves are involved in the celebration, not just the organizations. And that shows the awesome culture and passion of those people, companies, and our industry as a whole.”

Love Your Produce Manager Day participants included:

• AGF.nl (Netherlands and Belgium produce publication)
• And Now U Know
• Arctic Apples
• Brookshire Brothers
• Cal Organic Farms
• Corrigan Mist
• FMI
• Fresh Plaza
• Grimmway Farms
• Grocery Headquarters
• Harris Teeter
• HEB Careers
• Westlakes Hy-Vee
• Lexington Co-Operative Market
• Lunds & Byerlys Woodbury
• Marsh Grocery
• National Mango Board
• Onion Business Magazine
• Perishable News
• Piece of Cake Wellness (Cierra Robbins, RD)
• Produce Marketing Association
• Produce Retailer
• Progressive Grocer
• Quebec Produce Marketing Association
• Russ Davis Wholesale
• ShopRite of Lincoln Park
• ShopRite of Marlton
• ShopRite of West Chester
• ShopRite of Whitman Plaza
• SmartBrief
• Sunripe Produce
• United Supermarkets
• Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market
• Vermont Hydroponic

In honor of Love Your Produce Manager Day, Frieda’s made a donation to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, a member of the Feeding America national network, on behalf of the above produce organizations and professionals who recognized their produce managers.

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The specialty produce company shines a spotlight on the trending purple yam

Los Alamitos, CA (April 2017) – Prepare your produce teams to answer one of the trickiest questions in food trends: do you sell ube (pronounced “OO-beh”)?

The internet is buzzing with images and stories of purple-tinted desserts made with the elusive purple yam, which is difficult to find fresh in the U.S., and, at the same time, perpetuating misinformation about what fresh ube looks like. The specialty produce experts at Frieda’s Specialty Produce want to demystify common confusion about ube and other purple sweet potato varieties so retailers are ahead of the game on this popular trend.

“Because fresh ube is rarely available in the U.S., most people don’t know what it looks like,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s. “They often mistake Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and Okinawan sweet potatoes for ube because of the purple flesh. Even the internet is confused about that!

“Shoppers may think they are looking for fresh ube, but oftentimes we find they really want a purple sweet potato. We want our customers to be knowledgeable about all of the trending purple tubers, so they can better inspire new food experiences for their shoppers,” added Caplan.

[youtube=https://youtu.be/IZ02naNivx4]

Also known as a purple yam, fresh ube has brown, bark-like skin, and flesh that ranges from white with purple specks to lilac. This tuber is a staple of the Filipino kitchen. It is well loved all over Asia as a dessert ingredient for its sweet and nutty flavor. However, in most cases, ube desserts are made with either grated frozen roots, powder, flavor extract, or jam (ube halaya), which are all available in Filipino or Asian markets.

Purple sweet potatoes, however, are more commonly available to most consumers. Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes have purple-tinted skin and violet-purple flesh; Okinawan sweet potatoes have beige skin and lavender-purple flesh.

“What Is (or isn’t) Ube?” 1-minute video and a written companion piece, “The Ultimate Purple Sweet Potato Guide,” are now available as a part of the company’s ever growing specialty produce information library. From “Quick Bite” recipe videos to the classic “Produce 101” series, and extensive recipe and product information database, Frieda’s is the go-to resource for specialty produce information.

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As shoppers trade in hearty winter dishes for lighter, warm-weather fare, produce departments must stock up on spring favorites to meet demand

Los Alamitos, CA (April 2017) – The cold winter is thawing out and shoppers are trading in winter stews and roasts for light and refreshing vegetable-centric dishes. As retailers get ready to shift from winter to spring merchandising, they can attract shoppers with bountiful and colorful displays of Instagram-perfect spring vegetables like purple asparagus, watermelon radishes, heirloom cherry tomatoes, specialty radishes, and fennel.

“The change of season brings the change in what shoppers want to cook and eat. Warm weather means light, crisp, refreshing food—maybe even grilled,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Spring also provides great opportunities for retailers to promote key drivers starting with fresh horseradish root for Passover, artichokes and colored cauliflower for Easter, and rhubarb and berries with value-added specialties like ready-to-eat French style crêpes for Mother’s Day.”

Additional spring top-sellers include Brussels sprouts, baby carrots, baby beets, endive, mini sweet peppers, radicchio, Shanghai bok choy, fava beans, sugar snap peas, and English peas.

Call Frieda’s account managers today to help select the best spring product mix to increase basket rings.

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Frieda’s Specialty Produce offers extensive fresh pepper varieties for spring and summer entertaining

Los Alamitos, CA (March 2017) – Consumers are demanding a wider selection of fresh chile pepper varieties as part of their grocery shopping experience, and there’s no better time to stock up produce departments than Cinco de Mayo. Retailers and wholesalers can look to Frieda’s Specialty Produce as their comprehensive source for all their fresh chile pepper needs.

“Frieda’s has expanded our fresh pepper program to new growing partners in multiple growing regions to offer year-round supply on many fresh pepper varieties, and we offer them in multiple pack sizes for our customers,” said Allen DeMo, director of procurement and sourcing at Frieda’s. “Many buyers have told us they didn’t realize just how competitive Frieda’s could be and that our quality really measures up.”

Frieda’s is a one-stop pepper shop for:

Staples like jalapeno, poblano, and serrano
Hot specialties like red fresno, de arbol, and shishito peppers
Lesser-known foodie finds like manzano, Hungarian wax, and caribe
Fiery hot peppers from Holland including ghost and Carolina reaper
Classic and mild mini sweet and organic bell peppers

“Fresh peppers are key ingredients to essential Cinco de Mayo dishes from salsas and guacamole to main dishes, and even infusing into beverages,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s. “This food-centered holiday kicks off the summer party season and sets the tone for summer selling. We want to help our customers keep their sales sizzling as we roll into summer grilling season,” added Caplan.

Call your Frieda’s account manager today to ask about its extensive fresh chile pepper selections and other Cinco de Mayo favorites like jicama, tomatillos, key limes, seedless lemons, Soyrizo®, and dried peppers like ancho mulato and pasilla negro.

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Inaugural event connects emerging food producers with retailers and foodservice distributors

Los Alamitos, CA (March 2017) – Thirteen of America’s top food executives and entrepreneurs in fields from aquaponics to hospitality services will speak at the inaugural Vegas Food Expo on March 30 and 31 at the Gold Coast Resort and Casino, Las Vegas. The expo will also connect more than 130 innovative food and beverage brands to retailers, distributors, and foodservice providers.

Expo attendees will have a chance to interact with artisanal food makers and learn from innovative food executives during speaking sessions scheduled on both days of the expo.

Speakers have been selected by Brett Ottolenghi, founder of the Vegas Food Expo and owner of Artisanal Foods in Las Vegas, for their leadership, tenacity, creativity, and influence in the food world. The lineup includes Zingerman’s Co-owner Paul Saginaw, TAO Group Managing Partner Louis Abin, “Made to Stick” co-author Chip Heath, Bitten food conference Founder & CEO Naz Riahi, and Frieda’s Specialty Produce President & CEO Karen Caplan.

“Staying on top of food trends and being able to spot what’s coming next are important for ideation,” said Caplan. “It’s imperative for us at Frieda’s to know what’s happening so we can provide what our foodservice clients need to stay current and for our retail clients to be aware of what shoppers are going to come looking for next. Las Vegas is at the forefront of food innovation, being the city of renowned chefs, up-and-coming culinary talents, and creative food start-up companies. This is the expo to be at if you want to know what the next hot trends are.”

Speaking on “Tapping into Fresh Trends in Produce,” Caplan is scheduled to take the stage at 1:40 p.m. on Thursday, March 30.

March 30 is exclusively open to buyers, and March 31 is open to the ticket-holding public. For tickets and more information, visit here.

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Join Frieda’s Specialty Produce in saluting produce department heroes

Los Alamitos, CA (March 2017) – April 2 is the 6^th annual national Love Your Produce Manager® Day, a day to show appreciation for supermarket produce managers. Frieda’s Specialty Produce invites industry participation in saluting the hardworking men and women in supermarket produce departments, both in stores and over social media with hashtag #LYPM. For each industry organization that shares the hashtag or mentions Love Your Produce Manager® Day in its communications, Frieda’s will make a donation to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, a member of the Feeding America national network.

“The produce department is the heart of the supermarket, and produce managers keep it ticking,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s. “According to United Fresh Produce Association’s 2016 year in review, 33 percent of all fresh grocery sales comes from produce. And these men and women contribute to that success with their beautiful displays and excellent customer service. Their passionate work helps put more fruits and vegetables in the shopping basket, boosts produce consumption, and inspires new food experiences for shoppers.”

Industry companies and organizations that would like to participate can find shareable graphics here. Love Your Produce Manager® Day messages must be posted by 11:59 p.m. PST on April 3 to be counted for the donation. Additionally, Frieda’s is hosting a public social media giveaway to encourage shoppers to share selfies with their local supermarket produce managers and hashtag #LYPM from March 28 through April 4.

In 2015 more than 40 organizations participated in LYPM online activities. Frieda’s made a donation on their behalf to United Fresh Produce Association’s “Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools” initiative.

As featured in Chase’s Calendar of Events since 2012, Love Your Produce Manager® Day aims to honor exemplary customer service in U.S. supermarket produce departments. Frieda’s created the holiday on the occasion of the company’s 50th anniversary to acknowledge the produce manager’s key role.

“Conversations that produce managers have with shoppers pave the way for us to bring to market unique and exciting products like Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, jackfruit, and fresh turmeric root,” Caplan said. “Without the help of a Salt Lake City produce manager listening to a single consumer’s request in 1962, kiwifruit may not have become the well known and loved fruit it is today.”

The importance of produce managers is also highlighted in “Fear No Fruit,” the documentary chronicling the life of Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, as a contributing factor in her success as the first woman entrepreneur on the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market in the 1960s. “Fear No Fruit” is available on DVD and digital streaming platforms (iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Instant Video). The film is also available for group and educational screenings by contacting Kino Lorber EDU.

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The specialty produce ‘faculty’ is ready to educate retailers on purple produce and other trending fruits and vegetables

Los Alamitos, CA (March 2017) – Supporting the “Magic in Produce” theme of Southeast Produce Council Southern Exposure 2017, Frieda’s Specialty Produce is proud to invite attendees to “Frieda’s School of Purple Magic” Preview Day activities at Booth 620 on Saturday, March 11.

“Purple produce is a major 2017 food trend, and no one knows purple like we do. After all, we have been working with our clients on ‘Power of Purple’ since 2013,” said Karen Caplan, headmistress of Frieda’s School of Purple Magic (otherwise known as president and CEO of Frieda’s). “Shoppers really respond to a big, bountiful purple destination display. National media is buzzing with purple produce trends this year, featured everywhere from NBC’s TODAY show to Consumer Reports. Retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice providers must take advantage of this hot trend.”

Interested “students” will also discover top selling purple produce like Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and other trending specialty fruits and vegetables at the booth. Call Frieda’s admission officers (also known as account managers) to learn more about current programs.

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The Frieda Caplan documentary is set to inspire dietetic professionals

Los Alamitos, CA (March 2017) – The Central Valley District of the California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (CAND) will host a screening of “Fear No Fruit,” the Frieda Caplan documentary, on Wednesday, March 8, in Fresno, California, to celebrate National Registered Dietitian Day and to raise funds for the Helena Kennedy Scholarship. The screening begins at 5 p.m. at Bitwise Industries.

“Fear No Fruit” chronicles the life of Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, the first woman entrepreneur on the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market in the 1960s.

“Frieda’s determination gave Americans the opportunity to try fresh new produce by making exotic fruits and vegetables more accessible. And that makes our job advocating for more fruit and vegetable consumption easier,” said Carrie Der Garabedian, MBA, RD, CFPM, president of the Central Valley District CAND. “We’re excited to share Frieda’s story to help inspire others to follow their hearts and achieve their goals.”

“Dietitians face challenges similar to Frieda—encouraging people to try new foods and eat healthier,” said Amy Myrdal Miller, MS, RDN, FAND, president of the California Academy. “‘Fear No Fruit’ is an inspiring, must-see film for dietetic students and professionals!”

The California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Central Valley District, represents registered dietitians in various job functions throughout Central California with the goal of optimizing health through food and nutrition. The Helena Kennedy Scholarship is established to honor the late Ms. Kennedy for her passion for nutrition and commitment to the community. The scholarship will be awarded to a California State University, Fresno, dietetic student.

Tickets are $10 and include dinner. Because seating is limited, advanced reservations and ticket purchase are required.

“Fear No Fruit” is available on DVD and digital streaming platforms (iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Instant Video). The film is also available for group and educational screenings by contacting Kino Lorber EDU.

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Spicy root is more than just a traditional staple

Los Alamitos, CA – (February 2017) – Horseradish root is a must-have item for Passover, the traditional Jewish celebration beginning at sundown on Monday, April 10, and ending Tuesday, April 18. Retailers should now pre-book their horseradish orders in preparation for this important cultural holiday.

“Horseradish and parsley sales go through the roof the week before Passover as they are the most traditional produce items used for the holiday meal,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “In addition to Passover, fresh horseradish is also used as a condiment for fish and seafood during the Christian observance of Lent, which begins March 1 and ends on April 13. It is a great opportunity for retailers to increase basket ring.”

But this traditional root is actually gaining popularity as part of the growing weekend brunch trend, and as a key ingredient in bloody Mary beverages and other chef-inspired creations. In fact, the Baum + Whiteman Restaurant and Hotel 2017 trends report listed horseradish among the year’s buzzwords as the use of horseradish went up 29 percent last year.

“Weekend brunch has become a part of the culture, and the trend continues to grow. Fresh horseradish is going to grow along with it,” said Caplan. “Once shoppers experience fresh horseradish while dining out, they will try to replicate it at home.”

Call Frieda’s account managers today to pre-order horseradish roots, as well as other Passover essentials including parsley, beets and baby beets, fingerling potatoes, parsnips, parsley root, specialty carrots, and baby apples.

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Capitalize on the shift in shoppers’ behavior during 40 days of Lent

Los Alamitos, CA – (February 2017) – Lent-observing shoppers, especially Hispanics, change their shopping behaviors to accommodate going meatless starting on Ash Wednesday, March 1, and continuing through Thursday, April 13. Produce departments should capitalize on this shift by stocking up on specialty Latin produce and meat substitutes during this religious holiday season.

Twenty-six percent of Americans observe Lent and abstain from meat (except fish and seafood) on Fridays during this 40-day period. Some go meatless the entire time.

“Lent is becoming a big food holiday as the culture and demographic continue to shift,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “There is an opportunity here for retailers to offer authentic Latin produce and capture that Hispanic buying power during Lent and afterward.”

A recent Nielsen study shows Hispanics represent almost 18 percent of the U.S. population, and in 2015 they had $1.3 trillion in buying power. A Food Marketing Institute report shows 91 percent of Hispanic shoppers prefer stores where they can find Hispanic products.

Cater to the Cuaresma (Lent) crowd with seasonal popular items like Soyrizo™, SoyTaco™, cactus pads (nopales), fresh Poblano and Anaheim peppers, and dried peppers like Guajillo, Ancho Mulato, and Pasilla Negro. Other items that complement fish and seafood include ginger, fennel, dragon fruit, and citrus, such as key limes, Meyer lemons, and pink lemons.

Call Frieda’s account managers to optimize your product mix today.

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Liven up citrus displays with California-grown exotic varieties

Los Alamitos, CA – (February 2017) – California specialty citrus supplies are back after a few weeks of winter rainstorms. Cheer up shoppers with California-grown exotic citrus varieties like Tahitian pummelos, kumquats and other “quat” varieties, specialty lemons, and more.

“We have had an incredible specialty citrus season so far—these varieties really bring excitement to the citrus display,” said Alex Jackson, senior account manager at Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Winter doesn’t mean just apples and oranges anymore. A big, beautiful display of bulk and packaged specialty citrus will draw attention.”

Specialty citrus is not just great for retailers, but foodservice as well. “Mocktails and fizzy drinks are big this year, and specialty citrus is key to making things exciting at the bar as both ingredients and garnish,” added Jackson.

Start California dreaming, and contact Frieda’s account managers today to stock up on peak-season citrus such as Tahitian pummelos, kumquats, limequats, mandarinquats, pink lemons, proprietary varieties of mandarin orange, and organic mango oranges.

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Frieda’s Specialty Produce, Taylor Farms, and Driscoll’s Berries execs join other esteemed speakers to discuss future of agriculture

Los Alamitos, CA – (January 2017) – Corporate executives from all corners of the agriculture industry gather to share their ideas on the future at THRIVE AgTech Innovation Forum on Wednesday, February 1, in Menlo Park, California. The event is a full day of keynote addresses, panel discussions, and tech presentations for executives, investors, farmers, and startups to discover the technologies that are changing the way we grow food today and will in the future.

Among the panelists are produce industry leaders Taylor Farms CEO Bruce Taylor, Driscoll’s Berries CEO Kevin Murphy, and Frieda’s Specialty Produce President and CEO Karen Caplan. Taylor and Murphy will be on the “Catalyzing Industry Transformation” panel, and Caplan will be on “Driving Innovation for the 21^st Century Consumer.”

“Our goal by inviting these three produce leaders is to join together the great minds and innovators in the Silicon Valley with the great minds and innovators in the fresh produce industry,” commented John Hartnett, CEO of SVG Partners and founder of THRIVE. “We are thrilled that all three of them will be joining us for the day.”

About THRIVE AgTech

THRIVE AgTech connects the expertise of tech companies to the on-the-ground knowledge of agricultural companies, the financial backing of investors, and the innovation of entrepreneurs, bringing them together to meet the global food demands of the future.

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As fermented foods become more mainstream, retailers should stock up on shoppers’ favorite Korean pickled vegetables

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (January 2017) — Food trendsetters and health experts continue to sing the praises of fermented foods, so it’s time for produce departments to capitalize on the rising demand by stocking the refrigerated section with kimchi—Korean pickled vegetables.

Consumer Reports, Thrillist, and Food Network’s Healthy Eats blog are among many trends lists that called out fermented foods like kimchi, kombucha (fermented tea), and kefir (yogurt-like drink) as this year’s hot items.

As more research reveals the correlation between good digestive health and overall wellness, dietitians and other health professionals continue to recommend adding fermented foods like kimchi to one’s diet for a healthy dose of probiotics.

“More shoppers are looking to eat better and are getting their recommendations from retail dietitians. We are definitely seeing that in our sales over the past few years,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Our new packaging also helps with that. It’s colorful. It’s funny. And that helps make kimchi less intimidating to shoppers who may be scared to try something ‘fermented.’”

Frieda’s offers Nice & Mild “funky fresh” kimchi, Hot & Spicy kimchi that’s “fire in the bowl,” and “fiery and delish” Extra Hot kimchi—all with “friendly fermentation!”

“Kimchi is popular with the health and wellness set, as well as foodies everywhere,” said Caplan. “You can find recipes and pictures of kimchi in just about everything from Korean-inspired tacos and burgers to a Bloody Mary. Even the Idaho Potato Commission’s recent recipe contest winner is a kimchi potato recipe!”

Caplan also added, “The upcoming Chinese New Year promotion is a great opportunity to showcase this versatile fermented food along with other Asian vegetables.”

Retailers who are ready to rock their refrigerated cases with Frieda’s kimchi varieties should contact Frieda’s account managers today.

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LOS ALAMITOS, CA (January 2017) — Purple produce was featured as a top 2017 food trend in national media including NBC’s TODAY, Fortune, Forbes, Food & Wine, Parade, and Consumer Reports. Frieda’s Specialty Produce urges retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice providers to take advantage of this purple buzz before it fades.

Most of these reports mentioned by name Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, purple asparagus, and purple cauliflower, which Frieda’s predicted to be one of the top trends for 2017.

“Purple fruits and vegetables are everywhere in the media right now with purple cauliflower and Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes leading the way,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Cauliflower in general is gaining ground as a contender to dethrone kale, and Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes sales remain strong as shoppers are asking for them by name nationwide.

“This is the perfect time to build a big, bountiful ‘Purple Power’ destination in the produce department or promote special menus while purple is fresh in shoppers’ minds.”

Other purple produce includes passion fruit, purple potatoes, purple carrots, radicchio, Treviso, and eggplant varieties.

Frieda’s has been promoting purple produce since its “Year of Purple” campaign in 2013. Retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice providers should contact Frieda’s account managers to discuss all the ways to bring purple power to the people today.

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Frieda’s Specialty Produce picks four produce trends to prepare retailers for 2017

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (January 2017) — From Whole Foods to Nielsen, almost all of the 2017 food trend reports lead to one place: the produce department. “Vegetable-centric” cooking and dining are on top of most trends lists and retailers must be ready to offer a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to shoppers seeking to add more produce to their plates.

“Vegetable-centric eating is finally mainstream, and it’s paving ways for the future of food and produce consumption,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Retailers are embracing this change by expanding the number of vibrantly colored vegetables and providing more produce variety for shoppers.”

Frieda’s identifies four emerging fruit and vegetable trending items for 2017:

Radishes

With root-to-stem cooking making its way from restaurants to home kitchens, specialty radishes will take center stage as vegetables that can be eaten whole, tops and all. It also doesn’t hurt that the recent episode of Bravo’s “Top Chef Charleston” featured all types of radishes from daikon to French breakfast to watermelon radishes. With their vibrant colors, bright flavors, and nutritious green tops, radishes might just be the next kale.

Purple Cauliflower

Cauliflower has been jockeying for “the new kale” position for many years now, but with the focus firmly back on purple vegetables, the purple cauliflower might just make it this year! This purple cruciferous vegetable finds itself all over Instagram in gorgeously-arranged vegetable trays and pickle boards. Even food television personality Alton Brown touted cauliflower as the “ingredient of the year” for 2016.

Hard Squashes

Shoppers are also looking for a variety of squash year-round instead of just in the fall and winter. From soups to grain bowls to spiralized noodles, hard squashes can do it all. They are hearty and nutrient-dense, economical and versatile. No wonder they are becoming the darling of “veg-centric” cooking, with butternut and delicata squashes leading the pack.

Tropical Fruits and Aromatics

Tropical flavors are the key to many rising trends from the tiki cocktail revival to island cuisine. Be ready with shoppers’ favorites like jackfruit, lychees, dragon fruit, and starfruits, and make sure to have fresh aromatics on hand like turmeric, ginger, and lemongrass.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 55-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped launch unique items like kiwi fruits, Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, habanero peppers, Sunchokes®, and organic finger limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce, and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.

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Two popular mango varieties from Down Under are now available from Frieda’s Specialty Produce

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (December 2016) — Kensington Pride and R2E2 Australian mango varieties are available now from Frieda’s Specialty Produce in good supply.

These popular Australian varieties are sweeter, juicier, and more aromatic than most mangoes American shoppers are used to. The texture is silky with no stringiness, and they also have a great shelf life with beautiful blush on the skin. The Kensington Pride mango is medium size and oval in shape with a beautiful pink-red blush. The R2E2 is more round and a bit larger with a gorgeous, deep orange blush, and a high flesh-to-seed ratio.

“Shoppers are looking for enjoyable food experiences and many will pay extra for high-flavor produce,” said Alex Jackson, senior account manager at Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “These mango varieties meet the requirements: beautiful color, great flavor and texture. Shoppers will be looking for them.”

The Australian mango growers are excited to increase the volume of their imports to the U.S. this season, so Americans can experience the silky, sweet flavor the Aussies have been raving about.

“There are only a few importers of Australian mangoes and the demand for these varieties is high. It is best to pre-book now for the first of the year,” added Jackson.

Frieda’s will have volume of Australian mango varieties for ads starting January 2, 2017, through the end of March. Call your Frieda’s account manager today, mate.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 54-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped launch unique items like kiwi fruits, Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, habanero peppers, Sunchokes®, and organic finger limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce, and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.

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Asian holiday promotions help build relationships with growing population of Asian-American shoppers

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (December 2016) — Retailers should take advantage of Chinese New Year promotions not only to offset winter sales slump, but also to build relationships with Asian-American shoppers, the fastest-growing population segment in the U.S.

Chinese New Year (also known as “Lunar New Year” or “Spring Festival”) is one of the biggest food holidays of the year. In 2017 it will begin on January 28. The holiday is celebrated in communities worldwide and goes on for 15 days. Fresh produce, meat, and seafood are the focus of holiday feasts.

“Asian-Americans are the fastest growing population with significant buying power and Asians of Chinese ancestry represent about 20 percent of the group,” said Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “A Chinese New Year promotion is the opportunity for retailers to serve the Asian-American community, so retailers must have these traditional ingredients in store to attract Asian-American shoppers. Working with seafood, meat, and floral departments on Chinese New Year promotions will further boost sales.”

A recent study by Nielsen reports that, currently at 20.5 million strong, the Asian-American population is expected to grow to 25.7 million by 2019. The study also reveals that Asian-Americans purchased 72 percent more fresh vegetables and 29 percent more fresh fruit per household than did the total U.S. population.

“When we first introduced the concept of promoting Chinese New Year in product departments back in the 1970s, we saw it as an opportunity to introduce Asian fruits and vegetables to non-Asian shoppers. Now, promoting Chinese New Year will draw in Asian shoppers,” added Caplan.

Some of the Chinese New Year top sellers include traditional fresh vegetables such as ginger, daikon radishes, bok choy, gailan, Shanghai bok choy, Napa cabbages, snow peas, and sugar snap peas. For fruits, retailers should have a good supply of kumquat, mandarins, pummelo, Oroblanco, Buddha’s Hand citron, and persimmons on hand, to name a few.

For over 43 years, Frieda’s has inspired retailers on their Chinese New Year display programs. Call a Frieda’s account manager to start planning today.

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The company welcomes Director of Procurement and Sourcing

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (November 2016) — Frieda’s Specialty Produce proudly adds Allen DeMo to its roster as Director of Procurement and Sourcing.

“We are excited to welcome Allen to the Frieda’s family,” said Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s. “He will direct our buying and grower development team, nurturing our relationships with suppliers and growers around the world.”

DeMo has more than 25 years of experience in the produce industry, having had leadership roles at Green Thumb Produce, DiMare Fresh, Ready Pac Specialties and most recently DLJ Distributing. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Fresh Produce and Floral Council.

DeMo can be reached at allen.demo [at] www.friedas.com starting December 1, 2016.

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Shoppers look for ‘wow factor’ produce and special treats for the holidays

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (November 2016) — Retailers can maximize the season’s produce sales by stocking up on trending holiday items like gourmet and specialty produce, artfully merchandised alongside proven staples. Shoppers want to impress their guests with “wow” items during the holidays, and they look to the produce department for fresh inspiration.

“Holiday shoppers are not just Boomers buying potatoes and green beans. Adventurous Millennials are shopping for their ‘Friendsgiving’ and holiday parties, as well,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “They’re seeking the season’s hottest food and flavor trends, and retailers who offer a wide variety of produce specialties are positioned for greater overall basket rings.”

A recent NPD Group study reveals that Millennials and Gen Zs are driving the growth in fresh vegetable consumption. With the cultural shift to flexitarian and plant-focused eating, vegetables are set to be the star of Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving tables this year.

Here are a few trends showing up on shoppers’ holiday tables:

Veg-centric Dishes

The root-to-stem trend is in full swing with whole roasted rainbow carrots, parsnips, and baby beets, plus sautéed greens on the side.

The New Classics

Holiday traditions get a modern twist for today’s healthier eaters, such as roasted pearl onions and cipolline onions instead of great-grandma’s creamed onion dish. Mashed potatoes get one-upped by celery root and cauliflower purée or roasted Sunchokes®. Fruit pies get a flavor upgrade with specialties like Green Dragon apples, quince, and fresh ginger.

Colorful Feast

The orange and brown autumn palette is getting a pop of color with vibrant veggies like whole roasted purple cauliflower, spring-green romanesco, mashed Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, and magenta slices of watermelon radish on crudité platters.

Make produce the hero of your holiday shopping baskets by calling a Frieda’s account manager today.

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Trending purple tubers add color break and draw attention to potato display

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (November 2016) — Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are having their day in the sun with foodies and trendsetters. From oatmeal add-ins to replacing bread for “toast,” savvy shoppers are looking for more than just orange sweet potatoes to add nutritional value and color to their meals. Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, exclusively available from Frieda’s Specialty Produce, are the tubers they are looking for.

“This year’s shipments are up significantly from last year at this time, and we’re not even into the holiday season yet. That’s how strong the demand has been for these California-grown purple sweet potatoes,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s.

In general, sweet potatoes have come a long way from the marshmallow-topped holiday side dish. Their nutrient-dense nature makes them a hit with fitness enthusiasts and healthy eaters everywhere—as an energy and nutrition booster for oatmeal, smoothies, and even in baked goods and holiday treats. Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes give shoppers the color variety and vitamin C boost they crave.

“We’ve seen a considerable increase in website traffic and shoppers contacting us to find purple sweet potatoes over this past year,” added Caplan. “Shoppers, especially Millennials, are discovering these special tubers through social media like Instagram, where the vibrant purple hue makes for beautiful food photography, attracting more shoppers.”

The holidays are peak season for sweet potatoes, and Frieda’s recommends that retailers and wholesalers add some color and variety to their offerings. Purple inside and out, Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes stand out in the sea of brown and orange in any potato display, providing a much needed color break to draw in curious shoppers.

Talk to a Frieda’s account manager about these terrific tubers, as well as other popular holiday roots like Sunchokes®, celery root, and parsnips.

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Exotic on-trend varieties meet the growing demand for specialty

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (October 2016) – Winter is coming, and so are the specialty citrus varieties. Juice up sales by offering peak-season specialty citrus like organic finger limes and Tahitian pummelos to add variety to fall-winter produce displays and menus.

“This year is a good year for specialty citrus,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “We have great supply of exciting varieties like deliciously sweet lemonade lemons and cocktail grapefruits, and top-sellers like kumquats and Meyer lemons.”

Specialty citrus is not only big with shoppers, but also prominent in foodservice. Lemon desserts and gourmet lemonades are popular menu items, according to the National Restaurant Association’s “What’s Hot in 2016” report. The ever-evolving mixology scene and rising tiki cocktail trend also demand colorful, flavorful citrus.

“Shoppers and diners want something outside of just typical fall-winter fruits of apples and ordinary oranges during the cold months. Specialty citrus fills that need,” said Caplan. “You can have a big, beautiful, fragrant display of winter citrus that draws in shoppers, and merchandise it along with juicing companions like ginger and turmeric, or even beer and wine pairing suggestions, for citrus-centric dishes.”

“Ap-peel” to shoppers looking for grab-and-go convenience with Frieda’s branded pouches for top citrus sellers like kumquats, key limes, Meyer lemons, pink lemons, and seedless lemons.

Retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice providers looking to juice up their sales should call a Frieda’s account manager and ask for the above varieties, as well as Buddha’s hand citrons, Ugli®/uniq fruits, calamondins, T’orange lemons, minneolas, centennial kumquats, limequats, mandarinquats, organic vaniglia oranges, and more.

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Produce industry leader Karen Caplan to speak at the first Los Angeles edition of New York food conference Friday

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (October 2016) — The renowned New York event series “Bitten” comes to Los Angeles for the first time this Friday, October 28. Frieda’s Specialty Produce President and CEO Karen Caplan will be the day’s first speaker, the only produce industry professional among an impressive list of disruptors, innovators, and thought leaders in the LA food scene.

Bitten hosts a series of events in New York City, bringing people together to talk about the future of food, looking through the lens of creativity, art, trends, technology, and innovation. For “Bitten LA,” topics will range from food waste reduction to the science of flavor, from cocktail trends to the convergence of science fiction and food. Speakers include Los Angeles Times food critic Jonathan Gold and Nyesha Arrington, Bravo’s “Top Chef” contestant and executive chef at Leona in Venice, California.

“I’ve been enamored with the Frieda’s story since reading about it in David Sax’s book, ‘The Tastemakers,’ so I am thrilled to have Karen open our first-ever Los Angeles conference,” said Naz Riahi, founder and CEO of Bitten.

Join Los Angeles’ food trendsetters for a day of inspiration, connections, and good food at the Gallery Theater of Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood, starting at 8:30 a.m. Tickets are available now.

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The specialty produce company to showcase PMA’s Impact Award-nominated packaging and new Stokes Purple® sweet potato recipes

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (October 2016) — Frieda’s Specialty Produce continues to inspire new food experiences at PMA Fresh Summit with its Millennial-friendly brand and packaging concept, and innovative recipes at booth 2943.

“We launched our new brand at last year’s Fresh Summit, so this year we will highlight how our branded packaging is making an impact,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s. “From our new vegetable pouches to an innovative jackfruit tag, we make buying specialty produce easy for shoppers and that means a sales boost for retailers.”

Frieda’s will feature its new line of pouches including the 2016 Impact Award: Excellence in Packaging finalist watermelon radishes pouch, and its new shishito peppers and Sunchokes® pouches.

Frieda’s team will also sample two new ways to use its exclusive Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes: healthy purple power snack bites and decadent purple sweet potato brownies.

Stop by booth 2943 to see the impactful branding everyone is talking about, or contact Frieda’s account managers today to schedule a time to chat with on-site team members in Orlando October 14 through 16.

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’New fruit’ madness during Jewish holiday captures the attention of WSJ

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (October 2016) — The produce industry graced the front page of the Wall Street Journal earlier this week with a feature story on the spike in demand for exotic produce during the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashana, especially in the New York City area. [Subscription is needed to access full article.]

Published on October 2, “What’s Juicing the Market for Weird Fruit? Rosh Hashana, Obviously” explores the fall grocery store phenomenon which sees shoppers rushing stores for the most exotic fruits they can find to celebrate Jewish New Year. It is a tradition to try a new fruit for Rosh Hashana.

As specialty fruits become more widely available, so grows the demand, year after year, for even more exotic items. According to Sophia Hollander’s article, Baldor senior buyer Patrick Ahern saw exotic fruit sales grow more than 500 percent in 2014 compared with the same week the previous year.

The article indicates that many shoppers do not mind premium pricing as long as they get something new and impressive for their New Year’s celebration. New York-based produce retailers like Gourmet Glatt Emporium and Ouri’s stock exotics because “they know they will sell,” according to Hollander.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce President and CEO Karen Caplan was quoted as saying that stores compete over “who’s got the newest and the weirdest.”

In response to this article, Caplan added, “Rosh Hashana is a great launch pad to start an exotic fruit program. Sales momentum continues after the holiday is over.”

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Shoppers demand fresh turmeric for health benefits and brilliant color

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (September 2016) — “Fresh is best” applies to turmeric, this year’s hottest trend in food that shows no sign of slowing down. From popular websites to printed magazines, turmeric is cropping up everywhere. Savvy shoppers have discovered the benefits of the fresh rhizome over its dried or powdered counterpart, and are looking in the produce aisle for the fresh spice for its nutritional boost, brilliant color, and fresh flavor.

The Google Food Trends 2016 Report confirms that turmeric is a top trending search word—with searches increasing 56 percent between November 2015 and January 2016, and “turmeric root” as one of its top phrases.

Leading food and cooking websites Food52, The Kitchn, and Epicurious all prefer fresh turmeric for its brighter color, more earthy-peppery flavor, and more concentrated level of curcumin, a beneficial compound with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

The therapeutic, turmeric-infused dairy or plant-based milk beverage known as “golden milk” was the trending summer topic, showing up at every corner of the internet from fitness sites Shape and Pop Sugar Fitness, and lifestyle site The Social (Canada), to news source The Guardian.

Most recently, the October issue of Cooking Light magazine features fresh turmeric as one of the “Trending Tastes from Cooking Light’s Editors” in a 3-page article.

“We see more retailers adding fresh turmeric to their produce departments because shoppers are asking for it,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “It’s great merchandised alongside ginger or paired with juicing ingredients like beets.”

Frieda’s shows customers and consumers some quick and easy turmeric recipes with three of its Quick Bite videos on its YouTube playlist: Fragrant Yellow Rice, Thai Grilled Turmeric Chicken, and Grilled Purple Sweet Potato Wedges with Turmeric Aioli.

Get on the Frieda’s turmeric train today by calling Frieda’s account managers. Consistent supplies of fresh turmeric root from Jamaica and Fiji are available in convenient 4-ounce, 6-ounce, and 8-ounce clamshells, and in bulk.

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Research on the Okinawan diet reveals a connection between longevity and the vibrant tubers

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (September 2016) – Shoppers around the world are discovering the potential health benefits of purple sweet potatoes, thanks to media coverage by a recent BBC documentary series and research from the Blue Zones organization.

In April 2016, the BBC aired a documentary series called “How to Stay Young” featuring a segment on the Okinawan diet. According to a decade-long study of the Okinawan people, it appears that a key factor in the Okinawans’ vigorous health and longevity can be attributed to the consumption of purple sweet potatoes. Okinawans reportedly eat an average of half a kilo (1 pound) of purple sweet potatoes per day.

“After the program aired, we were deluged with emails from people in the U.K. and the U.S. looking for purple sweet potatoes,” said Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Our California-grown Stokes® Purple sweet potatoes are a different variety than the Okinawan sweet potatoes, but they actually have an even darker, vibrant, purple flesh.”

Blue Zones, an organization founded by National Geographic fellow Dan Buettner, is another source of information about the Okinawan diet—a diet specific to an island in Japan—and purple sweet potatoes. Buettner has written three books on the topic of how lifestyle and diet impact longevity.

In addition to vitamin C, fiber, carotenoids, and slow-burning carbohydrates, researchers believe that the presence of anthocyanins, the natural phytochemicals that give purple sweet potatoes their deep violet color, may be the key. Numerous studies have shown that anthocyanins may have disease-fighting properties.

The beige-skinned, lavender-fleshed Okinawan sweet potato is available on a limited basis in the U.S., as it is typically grown in Hawaii and must be irradiated before reaching the mainland.

In comparison, Frieda’s California-grown Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are available in plentiful supplies to retailers and wholesalers throughout North America. The Stokes variety features dark purple skin and dense, vibrant, purple flesh that intensifies in color when cooked.

“Our goal is to have Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes available year-round,” said Caplan. “But because they are so popular, we tend to sell out before summer begins.”

The 2016-17 Stokes Purple® sweet potato season has just begun and Frieda’s has excellent supplies of both organic and conventional packs (15 lb. and 40 lb. cartons). Organic is also available in 12/3 lb. bags. Join in and give purple power back to the people by contacting your Frieda’s account manager about Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes today.

Frieda’s also features several fan-favorite recipes including “Stokes Purple^® Sweet Potato Medallions with Chipotle Cream,” “Purple Power Breakfast Bowl,” and “Stokes Purple^® Sweet Potato Oven Fries.”

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Delight and attract shoppers with weird and wonderful exotic fruit displays

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (September 2016) — Shoppers are looking for stranger things this Halloween, and there is no better place than the produce department.

“Alien-looking tropical fruits always turn up in science fiction movies and television shows because of their unique look. Halloween is the perfect time to show them off,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Let your produce teams use their creativity and build fun displays for Halloween with all the ‘weird stuff’ usually hidden in the back of the department.

“This is the time to let the freak flag fly in the produce department, so to speak,” added Caplan.

Halloween classic spooky foods include Kiwano®, Buddha’s hand citron, dragon fruit, rambutan, blood oranges, and chayote squash. New, trending favorites now include jackfruit, ghost peppers, organic finger limes, and turmeric.

Summon Frieda’s account managers today to connect you with spooky foods fit for your horde of shoppers.

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Take advantage of the Jewish New Year tradition by showcasing your specialty fruit selection

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (September 2016) – Jewish New Year is a prime opportunity for retailers to ramp up their specialty fruit displays. Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on October 2 and ends on the evening of October 4. During this two-day celebration of Rosh Hashanah, it is traditional to try a new fruit to celebrate the New Year.

“Our clients who create displays for Rosh Hashanah see an increase in fruit sales during the week leading up to the holiday,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Every retailer has told us that in addition to prominent grocery displays, plentiful displays of tropical and specialty fruits are well received during the Jewish New Year holidays.

“We recommend building these destination displays the week before the actual New Year to take advantage of heavy shopping for this holiday,” added Caplan. “You are not only attracting Jewish customers with big, gorgeous displays of tropical fruits, but you are also drawing in curious shoppers.”

Frieda’s top Jewish New Year sellers include dragon fruit, Meyer lemons, pepino melons, kumquats, blood oranges, papaya, and rambutan. The traditional Medjool dates, raisins on the vine, pomegranates, and pomegranate arils are also in demand, along with apples, baby apples, and honey as they signify the sweetness of the New Year.

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Trending specialty radish gets a retail-savvy, shopper-friendly treatment

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (August 2016) – The foodie darling watermelon radish is ready for its close-up. Frieda’s Specialty Produce introduces the first retail package for watermelon radishes, showing off the radishes’ vibrant internal color and with recipe ideas right on the bag.

Restaurants and food bloggers have already grabbed onto the more visually impactful watermelon radish—from thinly shaved onto a salad to quick-pickled for trending vegan/vegetarian grain bowls, poke (Hawaiian raw fish rice bowl), and bahn mi (Vietnamese sandwiches). The Huffington Post Food section recently featured radish recipes that include pickled and roasted radishes. Radishes are definitely trending, and the watermelon radish is the trendiest!

The 1-pound stand-up pouch provides solutions for retailers by eliminating confusion about the PLU, extending the product shelf life, and moving more radishes off the shelf. Frieda’s signature branding also stands out in the refrigerated rack so it is easy to merchandise.

“The watermelon radish is truly a hidden gem of the produce department—most shoppers don’t know about its beautiful color on the inside just from looking at it on the shelf,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Our pouch showcases what these gorgeous radishes look like on the inside, which not only attracts the attention of shoppers, it also educates them about the product with serving suggestions on the back.”

Watermelon radishes are available from Frieda’s in 12/1-lb. pouches and in 10-lb. bulk. Introduce your shoppers to their new favorite vegetable by contacting Frieda’s account managers about watermelon radishes. Frieda’s has also recently introduced a stand-up pouch for shishito peppers.

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The Frieda Caplan story is one of only three documentaries to be featured at the three-month movie series

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (August 2016) – Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board will screen “Fear No Fruit,” the Frieda Caplan documentary, during its Movies in the Parks series. The screening is scheduled for Saturday, August 20, at the J.D. Rivers Children’s Garden in Theodore Wirth Park. Start time is 15 minutes after sunset, or about 8:30 p.m.

The park board encourages people to bring a new fruit or “fruit that scares you” to eat as a part of the movie experience.

The Movies in the Park series runs each year from June through August with recent blockbusters as well as Hollywood classics. “Fear No Fruit,” “He Named Me Malala,” and “Batkid Begins” are the three documentaries in the lineup.

Directed by Mark Brian Smith, “Fear No Fruit” chronicles the life of Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, the first woman entrepreneur on the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market in the 1960s. While the film focuses on the life and career of the produce icon, founder of Frieda’s Specialty Produce, it also features interviews with other industry power players like Rick and Tonya Antle of Tanimura & Antle, Dick Spezzano (formerly of Vons), The Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert, and David Karp, The Fruit Detective. The storyline touches on California agriculture along with the state’s current water crisis and its impact beyond agriculture.

“Fear No Fruit” was an official selection at the San Luis Obispo, Newport Beach, Carmel International, and Sedona International film festivals. The documentary is now available on DVD on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, and Kino Lorber, and as a Netflix DVD rental. Streaming and digital downloads are also available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Instant Video, Xbox Video, Vudu, and Vimeo on Demand. Additionally, the film is available for educational and community screenings via Kino Lorber EDU.

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Thanks to feedback from retailers and their shoppers, Frieda’s Specialty Produce now offers peppers in 8-oz. stand-up pouch

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (August 2016) – Very popular shishito peppers are now available in eye-catching, convenient, 8-oz. stand-up pouches from Frieda’s Specialty Produce.

In its winter 2015 industry trends report, United Fresh Produce Association highlighted shishito peppers as a growing/trending item in foodservice, and these mostly mild peppers are showing up as an appetizer on menus around the country. That trend translates to increased retail sales opportunities with consumers, especially during summer grilling season.

“We have been selling shishito peppers for several years, and every year they get more popular,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s. “Shoppers will be looking for these peppers and our grab-and-go pouch makes it easy, while retailers will love our eye-catching, easy-to-merchandise package that will protect and extend the life of the product.

“Our shishito pouch offers the perfect solution for everyone,” added Caplan.

Using 60 percent less material than a clamshell, Frieda’s shishito pouch stands up for easy display and stands out in the produce aisle with its bright color, playful copy, and serving ideas.

Shishito peppers are available from Frieda’s in 12/8 oz. pouches and in bulk. Organic shishito peppers are also available in bulk in limited supply during the summer.

Add some spice to your summer sales by contacting Frieda’s account managers about our shishito peppers, or any other peppers like Carolina reaper, Trinidad scorpion, ghost, and orange habanero peppers.

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Help shoppers make healthy lunch and snack decisions for their children by offering specialty options

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (August 2016) – School is almost back in session. Time to wow parents and kids alike with weird and wild specialty fruits and vegetables perfect for lunch boxes and after-school snacks.

“Never underestimate how adventurous children can be when it comes to food,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “They prove to us time and time again that they are open to try something new and fun.”

Stock up on easy favorites like baby apples, organic baby heirloom apples, baby bananas, blood oranges, and Yellow Sweetie grapes, as well as wow items like rambutan, dragon fruit, baby kiwifruit, and starfruit.

In addition to supplying retailers, Frieda’s also works with wholesalers who support the USDA Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program (FFVP) to inspire more than 400,000 students nationwide with fun fruits and vegetables like jicama, rainbow carrots, organic finger limes, and seasonal stone fruits.

“Frieda’s has been our partner in growth in FFVP,” said Chris Mills of Bonanza Produce Company in Sparks, Nevada. “The program is bigger, more diverse, more successful, and most importantly, the children have had the opportunity to learn and taste so many different fruits and vegetables.”

According to a report by the National Fruit & Vegetable Alliance, over the past five years, children’s fruit intake increased by 18 percent, and the FFVP increases children’s fruit and vegetable consumption by one-third cup a day on school days.

Wholesalers and foodservice distributors who are interested in including specialty and exotic fruits in your FFV program can contact Frieda’s account managers.

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See and taste the future of food at booth #426

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (July 2016) – Frieda’s Specialty Produce will be exhibiting at the PMA Foodservice Conference this year, showcasing its newest arrival, yellow pitahaya (aka yellow dragon fruit) from Israel. The company’s fan-favorite Purple Power Breakfast Bowl recipe, featuring its exclusive Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, is also a Sensory Experience Contest finalist.

“Most people think of Frieda’s solely as a retail-focused brand, but we also do significant business with foodservice distributors and chefs across the country,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s. “So we thought it was time to participate at the foodservice conference.

“The specialty produce category is where it’s at and our knowledgeable team can hardly wait to share and sample the latest trends in fresh produce.”

Frieda’s Purple Power Breakfast Bowl, featuring Frieda’s exclusive Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and pomegranate arils, was selected as one of 10 Sensory Experience Contest finalists based on four criteria—appearance, ease of replication, produce centricity, and innovation. Frieda’s will be sampling this unique recipe during all show hours.

“As the team leader for our foodservice business, I’m excited to invite everyone to stop by our booth 426,” said Jeff Kelly, Frieda’s sales manager. “Attendees will be impressed with what Frieda’s has to offer in the areas of ideation, innovation, and inspiration.”

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Take advantage of great Champagne and Thomcord grape supply

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (July 2016) – Champagne and Thomcord grapes from California are now in season with good supply from Frieda’s Specialty Produce.

Champagne grapes are available from Frieda’s through early August in 16/1-lb. clamshells. Juicy Thomcord grapes are available through the end of August in 10/1-lb. clamshells.

Frieda’s recommends retailers display specialty grapes with other grape varieties or cross-merchandise with cheese and wine for summer entertainment ideas. Champagne grapes are an especially sweet deal for foodservice’s special summer menus as they are the perfect accompaniment on cheese or charcuterie platters and in picnic boxes.

Sweet California grape season continues through the fall with Yellow Sweetie grapes, starting in mid-August and available from Frieda’s in 16/1-lb. clamshells.

Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s account managers to take advantage of specialty grapes and other favorite summer fruits like lychee and rambutan.

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The company adds Director of Business Development to its roster

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (July 2016) – Frieda’s Specialty Produce welcomes long-time produce industry professional Kevin Leap to the family as Director of Business Development.

“We are so delighted to have Kevin on board,” said Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s. “Kevin has a fantastic reputation and a lot of experience building programs and introducing products to both retailers and foodservice operators across the country. Our sales and business development teams are thrilled to work with him in creating more excitement in the specialty category,” she added.

“I have long admired Frieda’s and the Caplan family, and am happy to be able to work with them as they continue to grow the company and extend the reach of their brand,” Leap said.

Leap was most recently with West Pak Avocado, developing new business programs in both retail and foodservice. Previously, he was the director of sales at Dulcinea Farms and sales manager at Ready Pac Specialties.

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These tropical fruits are at peak freshness and flavor

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (June 2016) – Attract shoppers to your produce department with fragrant lychee and eye-catching rambutan. These two top-selling seasonal fruits are now available in excellent supply from Frieda’s Specialty Produce in easy-to-merchandise clamshells, and in bulk.

Lychees from Mexico are available in 10-lb. bulk and 12/12 oz. clamshells. Rambutan from Mexico and Guatemala are available in 5-lb. bulk and 14/12 oz. clamshells.

“Based on customer requests, we developed these clamshells to extend the shelf life and make both lychee and rambutan easier to merchandise. To maximize shelf life, both of these fruits should be refrigerated and the clamshells make that easy,” said Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce.

“Our bright, new branding and fun labels for ‘Luscious Lychee’ and ‘Rockin’ Rambutan’ will attract shoppers as well as help them identify the often-confused fruits.”

Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s account managers to take advantage of peak-season lychee and rambutan, and other tropical fruits.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 54-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped launch unique items like kiwi fruits, Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, abanero peppers, Sunchokes®, and organic finger limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce, and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.

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Breast cancer survivor Jackie Caplan Wiggins recognized for her contribution to Long Beach Cancer League

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (June 2016) – Frieda’s Specialty Produce Vice President and COO Jackie Caplan Wiggins was honored by the Long Beach Cancer League, a fundraising auxiliary of the American Cancer Society, during its 41^st annual gala on June 4, 2016, along with nine others from the greater Long Beach area in California.

Wiggins was recognized for her contribution to furthering the work of the American Cancer Society in her hometown.

A recent breast cancer survivor, Wiggins is a mentor to other women in various stages of their diagnosis. “When I was first diagnosed with cancer, I didn’t understand the importance of sharing one’s story,” says Wiggins. “But after I was diagnosed and sent out emails letting people know, it was a real epiphany for me. Sharing your story is not only helpful to others, but is also healing.”

In 2012 Wiggins appeared on the daytime CBS show, “The Doctors,” sharing her story of surviving breast cancer. Wiggins was also selected to represent the face of the TeamSpirit campaign for Long Beach Memorial Hospital in 2012 and is a regular participant in the TeamSpirit Breast and Ovarian Cancer 10K walk. Through the support of friends in the produce industry, Wiggins has raised more than $50,000 for the Long Beach Memorial Medical Center.

About the Long Beach Cancer League & the American Cancer Society

A fundraising auxiliary of the American Cancer Society, the Long Beach Cancer League raises funds to support the American Cancer Society’s cutting-edge research programs. Founded in 1913, the American Cancer Society is the most experienced and largest nonprofit cancer-fighting organization in the world. It consists of a national home office, located in Atlanta, Georgia, and chartered divisions throughout the country comprised of more than 3,400 community offices. More than 2 million society volunteers work to conquer cancer. All services and programs are free to the public. Information can be found 24 hours a day at www.cancer.org or 1-800-227-2345.

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The specialty produce company will showcase impactful branding and on-trend recipe sampling

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (June 2016) – Frieda’s Specialty Produce is bringing the love to United Fresh attendees on June 21-22 with its new branding, plus sampling of its signature Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes at booth #2214. Frieda’s “adorable” kumquat bag is also a United Fresh Produce Innovation Award finalist.

“We’re super excited to return to exhibit at United Fresh this year,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “We’d love to chat with our retail, wholesale, and foodservice friends about how our new packaging and brand can increase retail sell-through and profits.”

Frieda’s will feature its fresh and fun, visually impactful branding and its lines of specialty fruits, vegetables, and complementary products that are sure to inspire new food experiences for friends, families, and food lovers everywhere.

“And of course, you’ll need to power up with a sample of our antioxidant-packed Purple Power Breakfast Bowl before you walk the rest of the show!” added Caplan.

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From fast food to home kitchens, hot peppers are the flavor of summer

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (May 2016) – From ghost pepper hot sauce at fast food restaurants to the increasing demand for fresh specialty peppers in the produce aisles, America is turning up the heat this summer with the continuing rise of spicy foods.

According to the trend-tracker NPD Group, hot sauce sales increased 150 percent from 2000 to 2013 alone, and more than half of the nation’s households have hot sauce in their pantries. Fast food chain Wendy’s is offering its super spicy menu again for a second year in a row, topping their chicken sandwich and fries with ultra-hot ghost pepper sauce.

Millennials are driving the spicy food trends as they seek out adventurous foods and authentic, ethnic flavors, which many times include spicy dishes and the use of hot peppers such as jalapeño, habanero, and Thai peppers. However, the trend does not stop with Millennials.

Heat seekers are also looking for fresh peppers to spike their dishes or make their own “nuclear” hot sauces. They are wild about fresh ultra-hot selections such as ghost and Trinidad Scorpion peppers, as well as dried hot peppers.

To best display fresh peppers, group them all together, next to bell peppers. Secondary displays with other ingredients will also inspire authentic dishes. For example, pair habanero peppers with tomatillos, tomatoes, and onions for Latin dishes, or Thai peppers with lemongrass, ginger, and turmeric for Asian dishes. Don’t forget to include signage with recipe suggestions. “Caution” signage for the ultra-hot peppers is also recommended.

Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s account managers to explore its extensive selection of fresh and dried peppers.

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Shoppers are looking for functional foods and authentic flavors

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (May 2016) – Turmeric and authentic ethnic dishes are on top of the trending searches in the U.S., according to the recent “Think with Google: Food Trends 2016” report. Other produce on the list of trending items are jackfruit, bitter melon, daikon radishes, and cauliflower.

The report pulled top search information from January 2014 to February 2016 to pinpoint rising and falling trends in food.

In the “Food with Function” category, people are searching for information on food with nutritional benefits such as being a pre- or probiotic, an anti-inflammatory, or an immunity booster. Turmeric reigns the category as Americans are learning more about this “it” spice from its health benefits to how to consume it.

Also listed in this category are jackfruit, bitter melon, daikon radishes, and cauliflower “rice”—chopped up cauliflower used as a low-carb substitute for rice.

“Traveling Through Taste” is a search for the authentic flavors of ethnic dishes, many of which are produce-centric. Pho—Vietnamese noodle soup with garnish of bean sprouts, jalapeno or other chile peppers, Thai basil, white onion, cilantro, and lime—come out on top of other searches including Bibimbap (Korean rice bowls topped with assorted vegetables) and Elote (Mexican corn on the cob).

Cauliflower makes an appearance again in “Bite-sized Snacks” as Buffalo Cauliflower Bites.

Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s account managers to explore its new branding and discover trending products and to access its extended resources library which include a cauliflower rice bibimbap recipe and how to open a jackfruit video.

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Understanding generational traits is key to staying relevant, improving shoppers’ experience, and boosting sales

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (May 2016) – Produce and floral professionals received a first-hand account of how to market to millennials at the Fresh Produce and Floral Council (FPFC) April luncheon in Cerritos, California, from an actual Millennial, Alex Jackson, Senior Account Manager of Frieda’s Specialty Produce.

“Different generations shop differently and think differently,” said Jackson. “You need to understand your shoppers’ core beliefs to stay relevant.”

Traditionalists were born before 1946. “The Silent Generation” spends the least amount of money during shopping trips, but takes the most time going through the store.

Baby Boomers, currently the largest generation, were born between 1946 and 1964. They like sales and bargains, but at the same time don’t mind spending on the brands they are loyal to. While they are getting more tech savvy, personal touches like helpful produce managers and cheery cashiers keep them loyal to stores.

Born between 1965 and 1980, Generation X is a highly independent generation, but still holds buying power. Gen Xers are willing to go with a new brand if they are won over by superior quality and exemplary customer service.

Millennials are the next wave of influential shoppers. Born between 1981 and 2000, they will be 50 percent of the workforce by the year 2020 and will spend more than $200 billion annually, starting in 2017. Millennials are loyal to brands that treat them well, offer new experiences, and are aligned with their beliefs.

“Companies in all industries are making changes to their branding to appeal to my generation, the Millennials,” said Jackson. “But to make your stores relevant to us, it takes more than just changing the look—you have to be a company we can believe in.”

Using this generational marketing angle, companies like Frieda’s have redesigned their packaging to appeal to Millennial shoppers without alienating other generations. By focusing on inspiring new food experiences for friends, families, and food lovers everywhere, Frieda’s brand not only offers culinary adventures to Millennials, but to all the generations before them.

Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s account managers to explore its new branding and discover trending products.

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Donations to benefit 5,500 local students

Students and officials from Oak Middle School in Los Alamitos, California, enjoying their new salad bar.

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (April 2016) – Frieda’s Specialty Produce, through the United Fresh Start Foundation, donated three salad bars to Los Alamitos Unified School District schools in Los Alamitos, California, where the company is headquartered.

“We’re so pleased to be able to support salad bars for schools in our local community, encouraging healthy choices for children in our hometown,” said Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s. “These donations are especially meaningful as my sister Jackie [Caplan Wiggins, vice president and COO] and I both attended Los Alamitos schools.” The schools receiving salad bars from the Frieda’s donation include Oak Middle School, McAuliffe Middle School, and Los Alamitos High School.

At the start of the school year, the Los Alamitos School District had salad bars in all of its schools, however the ones at the middle and high schools were old and in disrepair. The Frieda’s donation is providing new salad bars for the district’s middle and high schools, ensuring these students can continue to have access to fresh produce choices every day.

According to Celeste Calubaquib, director of food services for the school district, “We greatly appreciate this generous donation from Frieda’s and look forward to stocking our new salad bars with a variety of healthy, fresh produce choices each day. The salad bar helps encourage our students to select fruits and veggies. Thank you, Frieda’s!”

The salad bar donations were coordinated with the United Fresh Start Foundation, supporting the national “Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools” initiative. To date, salad bars have been donated to more than 4,600 schools nationwide, benefiting nearly 3 million children every school day. This includes 1,060 salad bars for California schools, the most of any state.

Research and experience in schools across the country demonstrate that children significantly increase their fruit and vegetable consumption when given a variety of choices from a school salad bar. When offered multiple fruit and vegetable choices, children respond by incorporating greater variety and increasing their overall consumption. Salad bars empower students to make their own healthy choices and create excitement about trying new fruits and vegetables, ultimately increasing children’s daily consumption.

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About Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools

Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools is a public health campaign to increase salad bars in schools across the country so that every child has the choice of healthy fruits and vegetables every day at school. Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools supports First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” initiative to end childhood obesity in a generation. Founding partners are the United Fresh Start Foundation, National Fruit and Vegetable Alliance, Chef Ann Foundation, and Whole Foods Market.

About the United Fresh Start Foundation

The United Fresh Start Foundation is focused exclusively on increasing children’s access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and inspiring the next generation to “choose fresh” whenever and wherever they are eating their next snack or meal. Working with the produce industry, local nonprofits, healthcare organizations, allied businesses, and others, the United Fresh Start Foundation is committed to helping today’s youth achieve the public health goal of making half their plate fruits and vegetables in order to live longer, healthier lives. Join our movement to ensure kids everywhere are “Growing Up Fresh!”

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Retailers prepare as the ‘spice of the year’ catches on with shoppers

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (April 2016) – The turmeric trend shows no sign of stopping as it moves from juice bars into coffeehouses, from family kitchens to restaurants, and from baking aisles to center store and fresh perimeters.

Dubbed “Spice of the Year” for 2016 by the Baum+Whiteman report [PDF], fresh turmeric root has been growing steadily as a staple of the healthy eating and juicing set. The new food trend of “golden milk,” turmeric-infused dairy or plant-based milk, has recently emerged and is gaining popularity. Turmeric-infused almond milk and turmeric-dusted coconut chips are among many turmeric food products seen all over the recent Natural Products Expo West.

More shoppers are learning about the anti-inflammatory health benefits of turmeric from health magazines and news articles, and they are now looking for fresh roots. Recipes often call for both fresh turmeric and fresh ginger together, so retailers should merchandise turmeric and ginger roots together. Juicing sections are also a magnet for health conscious consumers and a great place to feature turmeric, along with other juicing favorites like kale and young coconut.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce has consistent supplies of fresh turmeric root from Jamaica and Fiji available in convenient 6-ounce and 8-ounce clamshells, and in bulk.

Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s account managers about turmeric and other trending products, and gain access to Frieda’s extensive product information, high resolution images, and recipe database.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 54-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped launch unique items like Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, habanero peppers, Sunchokes®, and organic finger limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Conventional and organic rhubarb step out of the oven and into the juicer

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (April 2016) – Rhubarb is not just for pies and preserves anymore. This tart vegetable is making a comeback, thanks partly to retro-chic food trends and home-canning popularity, but mostly to the juicing trend.

In addition to classic dishes like strawberry rhubarb pie and preserves, shoppers are adding rhubarb to their vegetable and fruit juice blends for its refreshing tartness.

“We see more demand for rhubarb every year and even more requests for the organic variety,” Alex Jackson, senior account manager and organic product manager at Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “We have a great supply with gorgeous color this year to answer that demand.”

Display organic rhubarb in your wet rack near other juicing vegetables, like carrots and beets, with signage to boost impulse buys.

U.S.-grown organic rhubarb is available from Frieda’s Specialty Produce now through July. Conventional U.S. product is available now through September, and Holland import season starts in November or December.

In addition to rhubarb, Frieda’s Specialty Produce also offers in-demand spring organic items such as lychee, fennel, finger limes, and its signature Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes.

Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s account managers to get a complete list of available organic items and other trending products, and gain access to Frieda’s extensive product information, high resolution images, and recipe database.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a nearly 54-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped launch unique items like Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, habanero peppers, Sunchokes®, and organic finger limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Karen Caplan of Frieda’s will speak on exotic fruits April 13 & 14

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (April 2016) – At this year’s CPMA Convention, two Retail Produce Manager Sessions will focus on product knowledge from key industry suppliers. Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce, will highlight tropical fruits, joined by Les Mallard of Chiquita Brands North America on bananas, Sammy Duda of Duda Farm Fresh Foods Inc. on celery, and Dani Sweet of Sunset on Greenhouse/Hothouse Produce. Larry McIntosh from Peak of the Market will be the session moderator.

The free sessions take place both April 13 and 14 to accommodate retail produce managers and independent store owners from across Canada. Attendees will gain insights into the produce industry supply chain, improve their produce knowledge, and learn how to offer more value to their customers.

“We appreciate all four presenters making themselves available to help educate our retail produce managers,” said Ron Lemaire, President of CPMA. “These sessions are a great opportunity to learn how the produce they sell is grown and merchandised, including the growing category of specialty produce.”

After the sessions, participants are invited to a complimentary lunch, followed by a walk of the trade show floor to meet with exhibitors and explore produce displays. The sessions are sponsored by Tanimura & Antle, Canadawide Fruit Wholesalers Inc., Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, Mastronardi Produce Ltd./Sunset, and Catania Worldwide.

About Frieda’s Inc.

The Frieda Caplan documentary is set to inspire a new wave of women in produce

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (March 2016) – A screening of “Fear No Fruit,” the Frieda Caplan documentary, is scheduled for the April 18 optional evening session 2 at the 2016 Women’s Fresh Perspectives Conference April 17-19 in San Diego. Hosted by the Center for Growing Talent by PMA, the annual event is dedicated to providing leadership development for women in the fresh produce and floral industry.

The conference combines education and networking in a packed agenda. Education will include in-depth general sessions and workshops tailored to a range of career stages.

“We believe this year’s conference program will truly inspire attendees,” said Alex Jackson, co-chair of the Women’s Fresh Perspectives Committee and a senior account manager at Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “My grandmother Frieda has been my inspiration throughout my life and we are grateful for the privilege to share her life and business success story with hundreds of women in the produce industry.”

“Fear No Fruit” was an official selection of the 2015 Newport Beach Film Festival, San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, Carmel International Film Festival, and the 2016 Sedona International Film Festival. The feature-length documentary film is now available on DVD and online VOD platforms including iTunes, HuluPlus, Google Play, and Amazon Instant Video. Additionally, the film is available for educational and community screenings via Kino Lorber EDU.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Purple foods continue to grow in popularity and show no signs of stopping

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (March 2016) – From the Winter Fancy Food Show to the March issue of Better Homes and Gardens, purple is everywhere. Produce retailers should take advantage of peak purple produce season and the growing food trend this spring by creating a #PurplePower destination in the produce department.

The Specialty Food Association identifies purple as one of the Top 5 food trends spotted at the 2016 Winter Fancy Food show, from purple potatoes to beets. The March 2016 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine includes a feature article titled, “Power of Purple,” filled with stunning photos and recipes for purple snow peas, purple kohlrabi, purple cauliflower, baby purple carrots, and radicchio.

Known for its wide selection of purple fruits and vegetables, Frieda’s Specialty Produce offers these purple items shoppers will be looking for, including Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, passion fruit and purple asparagus.

Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s account managers to get a complete list of available purple items and other trending products, and gain access to Frieda’s extensive product information, high resolution images, and recipe database.

About Frieda’s Inc.

The specialty produce company continues to add organic specialties to its lineup

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (March 2016) – Frieda’s Specialty Produce meets the growing demand for organic produce by offering many of its broad range of specialty items as organics. One of the biggest sellers right now is organic fresh ginger.

“We’ve seen demand for organic ginger continuing to grow, mirroring available supplies,” said Alex Jackson, senior account manager and organic product manager. “Frieda’s continues to supply conventional ginger as well as USDA-accredited Bio Latina-certified organic ginger from Peru.”

Organic ginger was highlighted as a trending produce item at the world’s biggest organic fair, BioFach, held in Nuremberg, Germany, in February. This zesty spice is a favorite for health enthusiast shoppers, and is especially popular for those who add fresh ginger to their juicing recipes. Other top-selling organic items at Frieda’s include young coconuts, vaniglia oranges and other specialty citrus, alliums, and Frieda’s signature Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped launch unique items like Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, habanero peppers, Sunchokes®, and organic finger limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Inspire. Taste. Love.

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The specialty produce company is set to ‘bowl’ over attendees with fresh recipe sampling and attention-grabbing new branding

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (March 2016) – Frieda’s Specialty Produce will inspire new food experiences for SEPC Southern Exposure Expo’s attendees on Saturday, March 5, with its Millennial-friendly new brand and sampling of its exclusive Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes at booth #1200.

“We’re definitely bringing the love to Southern Exposure this year with our tasting samples of Purple Power Breakfast Bowl,” said Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s. “Purple sweet potatoes have been gaining popularity year over year—led by fitness enthusiasts and health-conscious shoppers—and we’re seeing no sign of slowing. Combining the purple sweet potato’s popularity with the latest foodie trend of power bowls and smoothie bowls, we came up with this fresh, antioxidant-packed breakfast bowl recipe.”

Purple Power Breakfast Bowl is also featured in Frieda’s latest 30-second video, as part of the new Frieda’s Quick Bites video series, available on the company’s social media channels.

[youtube=https://youtu.be/XDo_ErZqn-Y]

Along with the Purple Power Breakfast Bowl samples, Frieda’s will showcase its impactful new brand and packaging. Part of its overall brand refresh, Frieda’s new packaging has a playful and eye-catching design that resonates with shoppers.

“Our new brand has a fun, young vibe that appeals to Millennials without alienating Baby Boomers,” said Caplan. “Our wording has a sense of humor, making our specialty fruits and vegetables a lot more approachable and less scary for shoppers.”

Stop by Frieda’s #1200 for a taste of the future and a chat with the Frieda’s team to see how they can inspire new food experiences for retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors everywhere.

About Frieda’s Inc.

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Retailers can meet the growing demand by stocking a variety of colorful roots in their wet veg sets

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (February 2016) – Health conscious shoppers and trend-chasing foodies are driving the vegetable-centric menu trends, and they are looking for a greater variety of root vegetables to add nutrients, color, texture, and flavor to their dishes. Retailers should ready their wet veg sets to take full advantage of this growing demand by building a beautiful display to showcase the wide selection and brilliant colors that can be found in root vegetables, from specialty carrots to radishes, parsnips, and beets.

The rising stars of the radish world are multi-colored Easter egg and French breakfast varieties, as well as Asian flair daikon and beautiful watermelon radishes. For roots with tops, occasional long truck rides can cause wilted or yellowing green tops. With food waste reduction top of mind, Frieda’s Specialty Produce has worked with its retail partners on trimming yellow tops or soaking the greens to revive them instead of rejecting product.

Over in your fresh beet display, shoppers continue to find ways to add these nutritious and colorful roots to every meal. Make sure to always have multiple varieties on hand, like red, gold, and striped (chioggia) beets.

In the “ugly duckling” category are roots like jicama, celery root, parsnip, kohlrabi, and Sunchokes®. These humble roots do not win any beauty contests, but shoppers in the know will be looking for them. In the wintertime, consumers can roast these vegetables, and in spring and summer, they are added to salads. Attract shoppers to the “beauty within” with big, bold, colorful signage.

Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors who carrot all about food trends should contact Frieda’s to keep their wet racks well stocked, to find out more information, and to gain access to Frieda’s extensive product information, high resolution images, and recipe database.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped launch unique items like Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, Sangria artichokes, habanero peppers, Sunchokes®, and organic finger limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Inspire. Taste. Love.

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (February 2016) – “Fear No Fruit,” the Frieda Caplan documentary, is among a handful of documentary films about food and agriculture at the Sedona International Film Festival. Screenings will be in Sedona, Arizona, on Saturday, February 20, at 3 p.m. at Mary D. Fisher Theatre and on Monday, February 23, at 12:10 p.m. at Harkins Sedona 6 Theater.

The Sedona International Film Festival is one of the top independent film festivals in the nation. From features to shorts, documentaries to animation, and foreign films to student films, over 160 films are being shown during this nine-day event from February 20-28.

Directed by Mark Brian Smith, “Fear No Fruit” chronicles the life of Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, the first woman entrepreneur on the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market in the 1960s. While the film focuses on the life and career of produce icon Dr. Caplan, founder of Frieda’s Specialty Produce, it also features interviews with other industry power players like Rick and Tonya Antle of Tanimura & Antle, Dick Spezzano (formerly of Vons), The Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert, and David Karp, The Fruit Detective. The storyline touches on California agriculture along with the state’s current water crisis and its impact beyond agriculture. Well-known California chefs Susan Feniger, Mary Sue Milliken, and Michael McCarty also appear in the film.

“Fear No Fruit” is now available on DVD on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, and Kino Lorber, and as a Netflix DVD rental. Streaming and digital download are also available on iTunes, HuluPlus, Google Play, Amazon Instant Video, Xbox Video, Vudu, and Vimeo on Demand. Additionally, the film is available for educational and community screenings via Kino Lorber EDU.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped launch unique items like Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, Sangria artichokes, habanero peppers, Sunchokes®, and organic finger limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Make a big splash in the produce aisle with attention-grabbing citrus bags

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (February 2016) – Citrus fruits are enjoying their time in the spotlight, from everyday shoppers to foodies to chefs. And it’s not just during the winter when shoppers are looking for healthier options to brighten up their foods on dreary days. Specialty citrus is here to stay.

Once a limited specialty item, Meyer lemons have become so popular that every retailer must stock them. New and unusual citrus varieties like kumquats, finger limes, and Buddha’s hand citron are getting more attention these days thanks to the growth of foodie-focused millennial shoppers, who always seem to want something new and different—an “adventure” with every meal. Retailers who offer a wide variety of produce options can capitalize on this experiential shopping trend.

Millennials and other foodie-focused shoppers also tend to prefer brands with a style or personality that reflects their own. As shoppers peruse the produce aisles for their next fresh experience, an attention-grabbing package or label can make all the difference.

Part of Frieda’s Specialty Produce overall brand refresh, the new specialty citrus bags offer an eye-catching design that welcomes shoppers to give the fruit a try. Featuring fun wordplay like “Don’t pucker up, we’re sweet” for Meyer lemons and “We’re blushing on the inside” for pink lemons, the packages attract curious shoppers who may not have tried these varieties.

Frieda’s branded line of citrus bags stands out with bright, bold, playful copy paired with a natural, kraft-paper feel. Frieda’s launched its new 1-pound Meyer and seedless lemon bags in October 2015, and has recently added a 1-pound pink lemon bag and an “adorable” 8-ounce kumquat bag to the line.

Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s to find out more about specialty citrus and other trending products, and gain access to Frieda’s extensive product information, high resolution images, and recipe database.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped launch unique items like Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, Sangria artichokes, habanero peppers, Sunchokes®, and organic finger limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Frieda’s offers top-selling wrappers in redesigned packaging with new egg-free formula

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (January 2016) – Egg roll and wonton wrappers are a top-selling fixture in many produce department refrigerated cases, and savvy cooks are discovering them as a quick and easy meal solution from party appetizers to creative desserts year-round.

With their new, egg-free formula, Frieda’s Specialty Produce egg roll and wonton wrappers are ready to party with their new attention grabbing, impactful packaging, designed to attract Millennials and food lovers everywhere.

In addition to traditional Asian-style preparations, egg roll wrappers can be used to make lasagna, pastry shells for taco filling or chicken salad, or dessert pastry rolls. Wonton wrappers are perfect for making ravioli and mini pizza bites.

Frieda’s showcases the versatility of these wrappers in their new 30-second instructional video series called “Frieda’s Quick Bites,” available on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

[youtube=https://youtu.be/vb40o_SZprY]

Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s for more details on these top-selling refrigerated produce items, and to gain access to Frieda’s extensive product information, high resolution images, and recipe database.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped launch unique items like Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, Sangria artichokes, habanero peppers, Sunchokes®, and organic finger limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Celebrate Potato Lover’s Month with colorful potato varieties

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (January 2016) – Celebrate Potato Lover’s Month with a purple flare. Attract shoppers with colorful, specialty varieties on your potato display. Frieda’s Specialty Produce recommends the following eye-popping potatoes:

Star Spangled Spuds: Grab shoppers’ attention with this mix of Yukon gold, purple, and red potatoes in a 2-pound bag with Frieda’s new bold and brightly colored label.

Purple Peruvian potatoes: Beautiful inside and out, these purple potatoes provide a great color break and attract shoppers. A- and baby sizes are available.

Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes: Add a purple color break to the sea of orange in your sweet potato display. This beautiful purple variety is also a favorite of fitness enthusiasts and foodies. Also available in organic.

A great way to increase impulse sales is to merchandise these specialty potatoes alongside flavorful shallots, Cipolline onions, elephant garlic, and white, red, and gold boiler and pearl onions.

Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s to find out more about these and other trending products, and gain access to Frieda’s extensive product information, high resolution images, and recipe database.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped launch unique items like Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, Sangria artichokes, habanero peppers, Sunchokes®, and organic finger limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce offers key produce items in line with this year’s health and wellness movements

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (January 2016) – From soups to spuds—no matter how you slice the new year’s health trends—all wellness roads lead to the produce aisle. Trend-spotters at Frieda’s Specialty Produce predict the following healthy food movements will send shoppers to the produce department in 2016, looking for specific produce items.

The Return of Potatoes and Good Carbs

“Good carbs,” or complex carbohydrates, are back on the menu. Sweet potatoes are more popular than ever, especially those in vivid hues like Frieda’s Stokes Purple® variety. Potatoes in general are making a comeback, so be sure to stock a variety of specialties like fingerling potatoes and multicolor packs like Frieda’s Star Spangled Spuds. As many retailers are already stocking up for Potato Lover’s Month in February, it’s the perfect time to power up the specialty potato offerings.

Power Bowls with Colorful Vegetables

Meals in a bowl have evolved from breakfast açai and fresh-fruit smoothie bowls to main entrée lunch and dinner fare. “Power bowls” and vegan “Buddha bowls” often include a base of quinoa or brown rice topped with a lean protein, lots of colorful vegetables, and a fruit or two. Popular power bowl ingredients include nutrient-dense citrus and tropical fruits like starfruit and dragon fruit, plus vegetables like fennel, baby beets, watermelon radishes, colored cauliflower, and Romanesco, or even slices of baked sweet potato. Wellness-junkie shoppers will be perusing your produce aisles for something new and colorful to add to their next bowl, so offer them variety.

Soup Up with Roots & Flavor Boosters

Soups are the new smoothie! Comforting and packed full of nutrients, your health-conscious shoppers are adding more home-cooked soups to their menus with a broader range of ingredients than just carrots and celery. On-trend ingredients include colored cauliflower, sweet potatoes, root vegetables like Sunchokes® and celery root, and flavor boosters like ginger, turmeric, lemongrass, and fresh chile peppers.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped launch unique items like Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, Sangria artichokes, habanero peppers, Sunchokes®, and organic finger limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Frieda’s new crêpes packaging attracts impulse shoppers to help boost retailers’ berry sales

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (January 2016) – This February, provide your shoppers with a Valentine’s Day meal solution display featuring value-added produce items like Frieda’s newly branded French Style Crêpes, paired with your fresh berry case.

Frieda’s new packaging design has a fun, young vibe that appeals to home-cooking Millennials without alienating Baby Boomers. With attractive branding, including the phrase “Ooh là là” on the packaging, Frieda’s ready-to-eat crêpes are an easy way for shoppers to add a little romance to their Valentine’s Day menus.

Packed in ready-to-display cases, the crêpes are also available in a self-standing crêpes shipper display of four 12/5oz. cases featuring bright colors and tasty graphics that will catch shoppers’ eyes and draw them right to your Valentine’s Day destination display.

While crêpes are a perfect complement to fresh berry displays, Frieda’s also recommends merchandising them with tropical fruits, such as passion fruit and pomegranate, and specialty citrus, such as mandarins, blood oranges, pink lemons, and Meyer lemons.

Shelf-stable and ready-to-eat, Frieda’s crêpes are the perfect impulse item for your produce department. Ooh là là, indeed!

Contact Frieda’s to find out more about la crêpe magnifique shipper and très bons products.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped launch unique items like Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, Sangria artichokes, habanero peppers, Sunchokes®, and organic finger limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Leading food-policy news source features the Frieda Caplan documentary

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (January 2016) – In “How One Woman Changed the Supermarket Produce Section Forever,” recently published on CivilEats.com, journalist Larissa Zimberoff discusses the success story of Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan and the documentary film about her life, “Fear No Fruit.”

Civil Eats is a daily news source for critical thought about the American food system and was named the James Beard Foundation’s 2014 Publication of the Year.

Zimberoff was on her United Airlines flight to New York from France when she picked documentary “Fear No Fruit” from in-flight entertainment selection. She was impressed by the story.

“At the time I was working on a story about the future of the supermarket, and it seemed like such a coincidence to find this film. While watching it, I kept thinking what a cool woman Frieda was and that I wanted to share her story,” said Zimberoff.

It’s not just Dr. Caplan’s entrepreneurial spirit and can-do attitude that inspired her. Zimberoff finds the behind-the-scenes look at the produce industry equally intriguing. She connected with the Caplans within hours of having viewed the documentary via Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert, whom she had recently interviewed for another story. (Lempert also appeared in the film.)

“The film was incredibly engaging from start to finish, and it was inspiring to learn about the strong, family-run, and female-led company,” added Zimberoff.

Excerpt from Civil Eats:

“Today, the produce section is the most profitable part of the supermarket; in 2014, sales in fruits and vegetables amounted to approximately $7.34 billion. The extraordinary selection found in the bins today is due, in part, to Caplan, who is credited with introducing the U.S. market to more than 200 fruits and vegetables—everything from fiddleheads to jicama and finger limes.”

“Fear No Fruit” will be available on DVD on January 12 from Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com, BestBuy.com, and KinoLorber.com, and as a Netflix DVD rental. Streaming and digital download are also available on iTunes, HuluPlus, Google Play, Amazon Instant Video, Xbox Video, Vudu, and Vimeo on Demand. Additionally, the film is available for educational and community screenings via Kino Lorber EDU.

Directed by Mark Brian Smith, “Fear No Fruit” chronicles the life of Dr. Caplan, the first woman entrepreneur on the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market in the 1960s. While the film focuses on her life and career, it also features interviews with produce business influencers including Rick and Tonya Antle of Tanimura & Antle.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped launch unique items like Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes, Sangria Artichokes, Habanero Peppers, Sunchokes®, and Organic Finger Limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Frieda’s recommends shoppers find intergalactic snack ideas in the produce aisle

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (December 2015) – You have your tickets. You have your plans. But do you have the perfectly themed snacks to celebrate “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” with? You don’t have to be the best cook in the universe to serve up intergalactic snacks. Just look in your produce aisle!

STARFRUIT

Obvious choice, isn’t it? Slice Starfruit crosswise and serve fresh, make starfruit upside down cake, or play up the Dark Side and the Light by dipping the slices in dark and white chocolate.

KIWANO® HORNED MELON

This horned melon is the golden cousin of Darth Maul! Relations or not, the Kiwano is alien-looking enough to serve up at your party. Slice and serve Kiwano with a sprinkle of sea salt or a squeeze of Meyer Lemon. And of course, the Kiwano’s electric green pulp also makes great Mos Eisley-esque cocktails.

ICICLE RADISH

Recreate the Wampa cave scene with these spicy, pure white radishes. Nestle your Hoth Luke action figure or a mini Lightsaber on the platter, and serve with a snowy white dip or whipped butter.

BLACK GARLIC AND ELEPHANT GARLIC

Which side will you choose: the Dark with umami-tastic Black Garlic Spread or the Light with sweet Roasted Elephant Garlic? Split the platter down the middle with crostini or crackers and let your guests choose their own tasty side of the Force.

Enjoy your snacks and see you at the movies!

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped launch unique items like Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes, Sangria Artichokes, Habanero Peppers, Sunchokes®, and Organic Finger Limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Prepare your produce department for vegetable-focused food trends

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (December 2015) – Next year’s food trends lead to the produce department, finds Frieda’s Specialty Produce. From the clean-eating movement to a more vegetable-centric menu, don’t miss out on the great vegetable revolution of 2016!

Clean Eating Movement

Shoppers are eliminating processed food and artificial ingredients from their diets, sticking to more fresh ingredients instead. Take advantage of this trend and keep shoppers coming back for more by consistently stocking your produce department with a variety of nutrient-dense vegetables like Sunchokes® and Stokes Purple™ Sweet Potatoes, and flavor boosters like ginger, fresh chile peppers, and various onions.

Veg-centric

With the Meatless Monday movement continuing to gain popularity and vegetable spiralizers flying off the shelf, it’s easy to see that vegetables are gaining ground as the star players in restaurants as well at home. Colored carrot and zucchini ribbons are nudging out actual pasta, and roasted root vegetables like celery root and colorful beet varieties are taking over more plate space at dinner time.

Turmeric

The Baum+Whiteman report named turmeric “Spice of the Year” for 2016 [PDF]. This yellow root has been gaining popularity in recent years with the clean-eating and juicing sets as an immunity booster.

Flavorful Heat

Home food preservation continues to be a trend with shoppers, including homemade hot and chile sauces. While Ghost and Trinidad Scorpion Peppers remain popular, foodies are—forgive the pun—burned out on pure heat and are seeking more flavor from peppers like Habanero, Serrano, and Poblano, along with Hatch Peppers from New Mexico in the summer.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped launch unique items like Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes, Sangria Artichokes, Habanero Peppers, Sunchokes®, and Organic Finger Limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Frieda’s shares four reasons these lucky legumes attract shoppers

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (December 2015) — Blackeyed Peas have been a part of New Year’s Day celebrations in the U.S. for over 300 years, and this Southern tradition is making a comeback in a big way. Every year, Frieda’s Specialty Produce sees an increase in the demand for pre-soaked Blackeyed Peas, as well as dried beans, and expects this year to be the best yet. Here are four reasons Blackeyed Peas are good for business.

1. Convenience

Today’s shoppers want quick and easy everything. Pre-soaked Blackeyed Peas provide the perfect solution—just rinse and cook. No more soaking dried peas overnight. Retailers can also offer a convenient meal solution center by displaying Blackeyed Peas tubs alongside cooking greens.

2. Modern Southern and Comfort Food Trends

Updated Southern cuisine and comfort foods are trending with shoppers for both home cooking and dining out—from traditional dishes like Blackeyed Peas and Collard Greens to new classics like Blackeyed Pea Hummus.

3. Health and Nutrition

Nutrient-dense food is the new buzzword in healthy eating. Blackeyed Peas are one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables, packing lots of good stuff like fiber, folate, and iron, with fewer calories.

4. Halo Effect

Cooking Blackeyed Peas requires additional ingredients from all over the supermarket, not just the produce aisle, from collard greens and garlic, and dried peppers and canned beans, to ham and bacon.

Frieda’s pre-soaked Blackeyed Peas in our rebranded tubs and our dried beans are available to order now. Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s for product information and high resolution images to assist with any marketing needs.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped launch unique items like Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes, Sangria Artichokes, Habanero Peppers, Sunchokes®, and Organic Finger Limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Bright color and clear signage will attract shoppers and make sales

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (November 2015) — During the winter months, shoppers are looking for citrus fruits to boost their immune systems and brighten up their meals. Take advantage of winter specialty citrus to give your shoppers more variety and liven up your produce department.

Citrus’ bright color and fragrance will attract shoppers initially, but proper signage is crucial in getting shoppers to put those fruits in the basket. Shoppers need to be able to distinguish the many varieties and unique flavor profiles before making that final purchasing decision.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce recommends these winter citrus top-sellers:

• Blood Oranges
• Buddha’s Hand Citron
• Cara Cara
• Centennial Kumquats
• Cocktail Grapefruit (Mandarin Oranges crossed with Pummelo)
• Kumquats
• Lemonade Lemons
• Mandarinquats
• Organic Finger Limes
• Oroblanco (Grapefruit crossed with Pummelo)
• Vaniglia Oranges
• Variegated Pink Lemons

Frieda’s also offers Meyer Lemons and Seedless Lemons in convenient 1-pound bags.

Bring in some citrus sunshine to your produce aisle. Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s for product information and high resolution images to assist with any marketing needs.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped introduce unique items like Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes, Sangria Artichokes, Habanero Peppers, Sunchokes®, and Organic Finger Limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Attract shoppers, boost sales, and bring ‘Purple Power to the People’

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (November 2015) — Follow these three tips from Frieda’s Specialty Produce for a successful sweet potato program.

Follow the Foodies

Foodies often make new culinary discoveries around the holidays when they’re looking to put a fresh twist on classic recipes. Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes make any home cook look good at dinner parties and potluck feasts, with everything from roasted sweet potatoes to purple sweet potato pies. Then, the foodies will be back for more after the holidays.

Attract Athletes

Runners and fitness enthusiasts seek out Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes as they are the perfect #powerfuel. The anthocyanin antioxidants in the purple-pigmented Stokes Purple® add extra appeal to sweet potatoes, which are already considered a “super starch,” a nutrient-rich source of energy packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Put Purple in the Mix

The purple-tinted skin of Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes stands out against a sea of orange and brown on your potato display, not just during the holidays, but all through the spring. These tubers also add color and interest to your shoppers’ meals—from breakfast to dinner, any time of year.

Bring “Purple Power to the People”! Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes are available in conventional and organic, exclusively from Frieda’s. Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s for product information and high resolution images to assist with any marketing needs.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped introduce unique items like Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes, Sangria Artichokes, Habanero Peppers, Sunchokes®, and Organic Finger Limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Inspire new holiday flavor experiences for shoppers with specialty ingredients

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (November 2015) – Retailers need to make the most of holiday sales this season with a fully stocked produce department. One of the hottest trends in home cooking is putting a modern twist on traditional recipes by using new ingredients. While the mainstream holiday staples are in high demand, specialties are positioned to further bolster seasonal produce sales.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce recommends these nine, retro-chic top-sellers:

1. Pearl and Boiler Onions

Traditional creamed pearl or boiler onions get a modern treatment with white, red, and gold pearl onions.

2. Cipolline Onions

Roasted vegetables are always a fall favorite. These Italian miniature onions add just the right twist.

3. Shallots

With shoppers looking for fresh, unprocessed ingredients, crispy fried shallots are replacing the canned fried onions commonly used to top holiday green bean dishes.

4. Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a must-have, but some shoppers will be looking to wow their families with a colorful new sweet potato dish.

5. Colored Baby Carrots

Beautiful heirloom root vegetables add more than just orange to your holiday table.

6. Parsnips

These underappreciated root vegetables play well together with sliced sweet potatoes on a roasting pan in the oven.

7. Baby Potatoes

Nobody’s knocking mashed potatoes, but whole-roasted baby spuds are where it’s at for holiday cooks.

8. Colored Cauliflower

Colored cauliflower in purple, orange, and green demand shoppers’ full attention as they shop for holiday menus.

9. Sunchokes®

Sunchoke purée used to be something you’d only see on a restaurant menu. Now home cooks are impressing their dinner guests with these knobby little roots.

These nine holiday essentials are ready to ship. Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s to order or for product information and high resolution images to assist with any marketing needs.

(Click on each image to view full size.)

Frieda's Specialty Produce - Pearl Onions — Frieda’s Specialty Produce Pearl Onions

Frieda's Specialty Produce - Maple Bacon Roasted Potatoes — Maple Bacon Roasted Potatoes

Frieda's Specialty Produce Stokes Purple Sweet Potato Pie — Stokes Purple Sweet Potato Pie

Frieda's Specialty Produce Honey Roasted Cipolline Onions — Honey Roasted Cipolline Onions

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped introduce unique items like Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes, Sangria Artichokes, Habanero Peppers, Sunchokes®, and Organic Finger Limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Inspire. Taste. Love.

New branding on popular lemon bags sets retailers up for sweet success

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (October 2015) — With the domestic citrus season reaching its peak in the early winter months, Meyer Lemons and Seedless Lemons are perfect to brighten up holiday displays, and Frieda’s Specialty Produce’s new 1-pound bags are ready to attract shoppers and increase specialty sales at retail.

Part of Frieda’s overall brand refresh, the new specialty citrus bags have a playful and eye-catching design that welcomes shoppers to give the fruit a try. Featuring fun wordplay like “Don’t pucker up, we’re sweet” for Meyer Lemons, the package will attract curious shoppers who may not have tried these varieties.

“We see the demand for Meyer Lemons grow every year and we are excited to offer our popular lemon bag in our new branded look,” says Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s. “One of our retail clients recently switched over to the re-branded Meyer Lemons and saw an immediate increase in movement at the store level.”

“Shoppers are in love with Meyer Lemons—just search Twitter for the #MeyerLemon hashtag and you’ll see these sweeter lemons are quickly becoming the new holiday cooking staple,” adds Caplan. “It only makes sense to stock your produce departments according to this trend.”

Frieda’s 1-pound Seedless Lemon bag will also be ready to ship in early December. Seedless Lemons are ideal for holiday dishes and beverages because there’s no need to strain the seeds.

Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s for product information and high resolution images to assist with any marketing needs.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped introduce unique items like Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes, Sangria Artichokes, Habanero Peppers, Sunchokes®, and Organic Finger Limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Learn innovative tactics from industry marketing leaders on October 23

ATLANTA, GA (October 2015) – Produce marketing innovators will share their insights during an industry panel on Friday, October 23, 2015, at 2:35 p.m. at PMA Fresh Summit in Atlanta, Georgia.

Titled “All Together Now: Innovative Marketing Tactics to Grow Sales,” the workshop features Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce; Ryan Shadrick Wilson, Chief Strategy Officer/General Counsel for Partnership for a Healthier America; and Bart Minor, President and CEO of the Mushroom Council. The panel will be moderated by Robert Verloop, Executive Vice President of Marketing for Naturipe Farms.

During the panel, Caplan will share lessons learned and a marketing success case study on one of Frieda’s top products. “I am looking forward to a lively discussion on marketing with my industry peers,” said Caplan. “The workshop will provide a well-rounded perspective on produce marketing for attendees – from industry-wide initiatives to commodity boards and foodservice, and to the supermarket retail channel.”

Caplan is a former board member of the PMA Retail Board, the PMA Foundation, past chair of United Fresh Produce Association, and founder of United Fresh Women in Produce. She was named 2004 Produce Person of the Year by The Packer and was the 2015 Women in Produce Honoree.

Caplan’s company is also unveiling its new brand at Fresh Summit Expo booth #2546.

Editor’s notes: Karen Caplan will be available for interviews at PMA Fresh Summit Expo Booth #2546 on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Contact news.bureau@friedas.com to schedule an appointment.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped introduce unique items like Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes, Sangria Artichokes, Habanero Peppers, Sunchokes®, and Organic Finger Limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce, and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.

‘Fear No Fruit’ documentary featured at Carmel’s Women in Film event with sponsors Tanimura & Antle and Taylor Farms

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (October 2015) – California agriculture gets the spotlight at the Carmel International Film Festival’s Women in Film event on Saturday, October 24, in Carmel, California. “Fear No Fruit,” the Frieda Caplan documentary, is an official selection of the festival and the focus of the Saturday event sponsored by Taylor Farms and Tanimura & Antle.

Women in Film celebrates women in the creative arts industries with a focus on nurturing the future women leaders of the film industry. It is also one of the fundraisers for the Carmel International Film Festival’s scholarship and awards program for young film and art students.

“We are proud to sponsor this program to show our support of the great women in the film industry as well as in our own industry—like Frieda Caplan,” said Tonya Antle, principal of Tanimura & Antle, based in Salinas, California. ‘Fear No Fruit’ gives the public a glimpse into the produce industry and helps raise awareness about some of the agricultural issues we are facing in California.”

Bruce Taylor, CEO of Taylor Farms, added, “Sharing the story of a successful family produce business is so important to the future of our industry. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to help sponsor this event.”

While “Fear No Fruit” focuses on the life and career of produce icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, founder of Frieda’s Specialty Produce, it also features interviews from other industry power players like Rick Antle of Tanimura & Antle, Dick Spezzano (formerly of Vons), The Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert, and David Karp, The Fruit Detective. The storyline touches on California agriculture along with the state’s current water crisis and its impact beyond agriculture. Well-known California chefs Susan Feniger, Mary Sue Milliken, and Michael McCarty also appear in the film.

Carmel’s Women in Film program includes a luncheon at the La Playa Hotel, featuring local food and wine, and a panel discussion with Dr. Caplan and her daughter, Frieda’s COO and Vice President Jackie Caplan Wiggins. A screening of “Fear No Fruit” will follow at 3 p.m. at Sunset Center Studio 105 in Carmel-By-The-Sea. Tickets are available now.

“Fear No Fruit” is available on Hulu Plus, iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Xbox Video, Vudu, and Vimeo on Demand.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped introduce unique items like Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes, Sangria Artichokes, Habanero Peppers, Sunchokes®, and Organic Finger Limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce, and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.

Specialty produce brand gets a fresh new look geared toward millennial shoppers

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (October 2015) – Frieda’s Specialty Produce is unveiling its new brand at the 2015 PMA Fresh Summit in Atlanta, Georgia, at booth #2546. The launch includes a new logo and fresh visual identity for the 53-year-old specialty produce company, and showcases its brand new look and packaging on many of its products.

Working closely with Florida-based strategic branding consultants Edmundson Martin, Frieda’s conducted a consumer insights initiative, competitive analysis, and in-store reviews.

“We learned that Millennials crave new food experiences and favor brands that engage them, and we believe that our new brand connects with this generation of culinary enthusiasts in a more authentic way,” says Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Our new brand has a fun, young vibe that appeals to Millennials without alienating Baby Boomers.

“Our company’s fun and quirky personality really shines through in our new look. It has a sense of humor and is very approachable, which helps with the unusual nature of many of our specialty fruits and vegetables,” says Caplan.

Frieda’s booth will also feature a sampling of produce-flavored craft beers to encourage visitors to stop by and have a look at the new brand.

“We’re really excited that our brand is positioned to grow the category, and to inspire new food experiences for friends, families, and new food lovers everywhere,” adds Caplan.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped introduce unique items like Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes, Sangria Artichokes, Habanero Peppers, Sunchokes®, and Organic Finger Limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce, and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.

City of Los Alamitos acknowledges produce icon’s contribution to produce industry and local community

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (September 2015) – The city of Los Alamitos, California, has proclaimed October 15, 2015, as “Frieda Rapoport Caplan Day,” to celebrate the accomplishment of its longtime resident, the founder of Frieda’s Specialty Produce.

Mayor Richard Murphy presented Caplan with the proclamation at the September 21 city council meeting, noting Caplan’s “hard work and dedication to the produce industry and the city of Los Alamitos.”

“One of the nice things is that three of our clients have their stores in Los Alamitos – Ralphs, Sprouts, and Vons-Safeway,” says Caplan. “Do not forget to look for your exotic fruits and vegetables!”

To commemorate the occasion, the Los Alamitos City Council will host a free public screening of Fear No Fruit, the Frieda Caplan documentary, on Thursday, October 15, at the Los Alamitos Community Center. Caplan, along with daughters Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce, and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, Vice-president and COO, will be present for a post-screening meet and greet with the local community.

“[Caplan] is such a champion in her industry, you would not know the things she had done until you come and see the movie,” says Council Member Warren Kusumoto.

A resident of the small northern Orange County city since 1958, Caplan still lives in the same home she shared with her daughters and late husband, Al Caplan. In 1994, daughters Karen and Jackie relocated Frieda’s Specialty Produce from Los Angeles to Los Alamitos.

About Frieda’s Inc.

With over 50 years of fresh produce innovation, Frieda’s Specialty Produce continues to change the way America eats fruits and vegetables. Founded in 1962 by Frieda Caplan, Frieda’s was the first wholesale produce company in the U.S. to be founded, owned, and operated by a woman, and is still a family- and women-owned business today. Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 specialty items to U.S. produce departments, including Kiwifruit, Spaghetti Squash, Habanero Peppers, Sunchokes®, Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes, Sangria and Fiore Viola Artichokes, and many more. Frieda’s featured program is “Eat One Fruit a Day That Scares You,” which encourages everyone to #FearNoFruit. Connect with Frieda’s on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and at Friedas.com.

Shoppers’ favorite purple tubers are back in time for fall promotions

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (September 2015) – The popular Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes season has begun and they will be in good supply through spring. They are exclusively available from Frieda’s Specialty Produce. Frieda’s offers both Organic and Conventional Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes. This is the second year that the organic variety will be available both in a 12/3 lb. bag and bulk packs (15 lb. and 40 lb. cartons). Conventional product is only available in bulk. All product is labeled to reduce front-end checker error.

The California-grown Stokes Purple® Sweet Potato has a unique purple skin and deep purple flesh that is unusually high in antioxidants—such as those found in super foods like açai, blueberries, and purple potatoes. Shoppers—especially fitness enthusiasts and those on clean-eating diets—seek out these sweet potatoes for the high nutrient density, well-balanced sweetness and firm texture. Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes have a low glycemic index and are non-GMO.

Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes sell well all year round, so retailers and food service distributors are encouraged to contact Frieda’s now to place their orders. Frieda’s has product information and high resolution images available.

About Frieda’s Inc.

More than 15 varieties are coming into season to satisfy shoppers’ demand

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (September 2015) – Over 15 varieties of Organic Heirloom Apples are available in short bursts throughout the season from Frieda’s Specialty Produce, starting now with Ribston Pippin, Cox’s Orange Pippin, and Cortland.

Due to the short season and limited availability, most retailers and distributors pre-book theirs months in advance.

“The appeal of Organic Heirloom Apples is the variety of color, texture, and flavor profile,” said Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s. “Not only are they a big hit with shoppers, these apples add color break and attractive variety to your fall display.”

Among the varieties available from Frieda’s are Matsu, Orleans Reinette, Winesap, Northern Spy, and Arkansas Black. Most varieties are also available in baby size. Call Frieda’s today as availability on varieties varies week by week throughout the season.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Second Harvest Food Bank lauded Frieda’s continuous support at Angels baseball pre-game ceremony

Left to right: Karen Caplan and Alex Jackson from Frieda’s Specialty Produce, Bill Denny from Wells Fargo, and Pooja Pelham and Menna Eshete from Second Harvest.

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (August 2015) – Frieda’s Specialty Produce was recognized by Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County as the Wells Fargo Community Hero on August 21, 2015, in front of over 40,000 baseball fans at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California.

Wells Fargo also made a $1,000 donation to Second Harvest to further support its mission to end hunger. Every dollar donated provides enough food for three meals for the hungry.

“It is such an amazing opportunity to be able to highlight our most supportive partnership with Frieda’s, thanks to Wells Fargo and the Angels,” said Menna Eshete, Community Relations Coordinator of Second Harvest. “Working with organizations that share our passion in ending hunger creates a stronger team to make what seems like the impossible, possible.”

“As a family-owned and -managed company, we value the relationships we have with our community,” said Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “We have been donating edible but not saleable produce to Second Harvest since the company moved to Orange County more than 20 years ago.”

“There are so many people who face hunger, right here in our own backyard, and we feel the best way to help is to donate fresh produce that would otherwise go to waste,” added Caplan.

About Frieda’s Inc.

About Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County

Second Harvest Food Bank’s mission is to end hunger in Orange County. We are the largest nonprofit hunger relief organization in Orange County, leading the fight to end hunger in our community. Second Harvest distributes donated, purchased and prepared foods through a network of more than 320 community partners in 470 locations throughout the county. Second Harvest is a member of Feeding America, a national hunger relief organization. Learn more about Second Harvest Food Bank’s work in the community – and how you can help – at FeedOC.org.

GFSI and CCOF inspections confirm Frieda’s high quality standards

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (July 2015) – Frieda’s Specialty Produce continues to focus on providing the highest quality to its customers, once again passing its annual Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmark audit and California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) organic audit.

“Food safety is of high importance here at Frieda’s, and this is validation that we are not only just in compliance, but at the top percentile of compliance,” says Jackie Caplan Wiggins, Frieda’s Vice President and COO. “We also remain 100 percent compliant with the USDA National Organic Program. Everyone at Frieda’s is proud of these accomplishments. What that means for our customers is they know we have the strictest requirements for the suppliers we represent and for our own handling processes and procedures.”

Based on the audit in April, Frieda’s received a superior score of 99.62 percent on the PrimusGFS Packinghouse Audit, the highest global standard. Performed by PrimusLabs, this score is an improvement from last year’s score of 99.35.

Additionally, the organic audit performed in June by CCOF confirmed that Frieda’s remains 100 percent compliant with the National Organic Program set up by the USDA.

The GFSI is an initiative for the continuous improvement of food safety management systems to ensure confidence in the delivery of safe food to consumers worldwide.

As one of the first organic certification entities in the United States, the CCOF certifies more than 2,500 organic operations in 38 states and three foreign countries, and serves over 240 supporting members—consumers, suppliers, businesses, and individuals.

Frieda’s clients may request updated certificates and final audit results. Please contact Frieda’s Compliance Department for more details.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Shoppers’ favorite grapes are in good supply through August

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (June 2015) — Packed in a 16/1 lb. clamshell, Frieda’s Specialty Produce’s Champagne Grapes are available starting in July. Although Champagne Grapes from Arizona experienced a gap in mid-June due to rain, Frieda’s will still have good supplies of shoppers’ favorite table grapes from California through August.

Also known as Zante Currants or Black Corinth Grapes, Champagne Grapes have a delicate appearance and intensely sweet flavor. They are small and seedless, and the average size of a bunch is about the length and width of a hand. Frieda’s recommends displaying Champagne Grapes with other grape varieties, including seasonal specialty varieties such as Sweetie Yellow Grapes and Thomcords. Champagne Grapes can also be cross-merchandized with gourmet cheeses and wines for entertaining ideas.

Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s for product information and high resolution images to assist with any marketing needs.

About Frieda’s Inc.

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Short video series returns to assist shoppers and produce managers

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (June 2015) — Frieda’s Specialty Produce premieres its 2015 YouTube video series with “Specialty Produce 101: Angelcot^®”— just in time to kick off the season for Frieda’s exclusive white apricots. Third-generation Caplan family member Alex Jackson, daughter of President & CEO Karen Caplan and granddaughter of founder Dr. Frieda Caplan, returns as the host.

Produced in-house in Frieda’s test kitchen, these one-and-a-half minute videos offer interesting facts and recipe ideas for specialty items such as Jackfruit, Dragon Fruit, Fennel, and Pine Nuts. The videos are also used by Frieda’s clients to train their produce managers.

Four more videos are planned for this season.

Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s to pre-book the limited-availability, Frieda’s exclusive Angelcots^®.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Purple crisp pods stand out as a healthy snack option

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (May 2015) — Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert confirms that Frieda’s Specialty Produce’s Purple Snow Peas are a hit. In “Phil’s Food Reviews,” Purple Snow Peas were his pick of the week on May 1, scoring 93 out of 100.

Purple Snow Peas are available year-round, however the rainy season in Guatemala can affect availability intermittently from June to mid-November. An excellent source of vitamin C, fiber and folate, Purple Snow Peas come in 12/6-ounce plastic bags or in 10-pound bulk. These deep purple pods have tiny green peas inside and maintain their purple color when cooked.

“I love these,” Phil says in his review. “Great to get kids to eat more vegetables. Under 40 calories for half a bag with zero fat, 3 grams of protein and 5 grams of naturally occurring sugars.”

Frieda’s offers healthy snack options to help keep shoppers away from not-so-healthy snacks. Crisp and crunchy, easy and fun-to-eat, exciting fresh produce like Purple Snow Peas, Rambutans, Mini Sweet Peppers, and Starfruit can satisfy any craving.

Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s for additional information on Purple Snow Peas.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Over 40 produce organizations and professionals joined in saluting supermarket produce staff via social media

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (April 2015) — Over 40 produce organizations and registered dietitian nutritionists joined Frieda’s Specialty Produce on social media to celebrate the national Love Your Produce Manager^® Day on April 2. Using hashtag #LYPM on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, these organizations and individuals called attention to the exemplary service of men and women in supermarket produce departments.

To show appreciation for the produce industry’s participation in raising awareness of this holiday, Frieda’s made a commitment to make a donation to the “Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools” program on their behalf.

“We quadrupled last year’s industry participation, going from about 10 organizations to over 40!” said Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s. “We are exceedingly proud of our industry and grateful for the level of activity we’ve experienced this year.”

Caplan herself gave a shout-out to her local produce manager at the Ralphs in Seal Beach in a recent blog post.

As featured in Chase’s Calendar of Events since 2012, Love Your Produce Manager^® Day celebrates the unsung heroes of the healthy eating revolution.

National Love Your Produce Manager^® Day’s 2015 participants included:

Ambrosia Apples USA
Pat Baird, RDN
California Giant
California Lavash
CMI Growers
Coast Produce Company
Robyn Flipse, MS, RD
Food Marketing Institute
Fresh Plaza
Fresh Point Inc.
Garden Cut
Harmony Natural Foods Co-op (Bemidji, MN)
Mindy Hermann, MBA, RD
Indianapolis Fruit Company
Allison Kuhn, RDN
Jersey Fresh/State of New Jersey Department of Agriculture
KIKU USA
Living Earth Natural Food Supermarket (Worcester, MA)
Lucky Supermarkets
Market Fresh Produce
Market Street (Texas)
Menomonie Market Food Co-op (Menomonie, WI)
Native Sun Jacksonville (Florida)
Northern Illinois Food Bank
Natural Specialty Foods Memo Blog
Passion for Nutrition, Independent Health Coach
Robin Plotkin, RD, LD
The Packer
Produce For Better Health Foundation
Produce For Kids
Produce Marketing Association
Produce Processing Magazine
Produce Retailer
Progressive Grocerw
Ravitz Markets
Robins Air Force Base Health and Wellness Center (Georgia)
Save Mart
The Shelby Report
United Supermarkets
Washington Ag Network
Windset Farms

About Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools

Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools was founded by the Chef Ann Foundation, National Fruit and Vegetable Alliance, United Fresh Produce Association Foundation, and Whole Foods Market in support of first lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Initiative. The goal is for every school in the United States to have a salad bar as part of its school food service program so that every child—from elementary school to middle school to high school—has daily access to fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy proteins.

About Frieda’s

Pre-book begins now for shoppers’ favorite stone fruit

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (April 2015) — Frieda’s Specialty Produce’s exclusive Angelcots^®, the “heavenly white apricots,” are only available for three weeks starting in mid-June. This specialty hybrid of Moroccan and Iranian apricot varieties is grown in Northern California and packed in 16/1 lb. clamshells.

Angelcots’ pale-yellow skin—with a pale-peach blush—is covered with a fine, velvety fuzz. The beautiful fruit has the right balance of acid and sugar, along with a buttery, perfume-like sweetness. Angelcots have the juiciness of the ripest nectarine and the delicate texture and aroma of an apricot, with floral and tropical notes. Angelcots are also rich in vitamins A and C, as well as being a good source of fiber.

Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s for promotional ideas, marketing tools, product information, and high resolution images to assist with any marketing needs.

About Frieda’s

A call to arms to salute the unsung heroes of the healthy eating revolution

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (March 2015) — Produce managers play an important part in changing the way America shops—and eats. They are the unsung heroes of the healthy eating revolution, quietly playing a key role in increasing fruit and vegetable consumption just by helping us take home the freshest produce. After all, according to a recent survey by Packaged Facts, three out of four shoppers choose where they shop based on the produce department.

As featured in Chase’s Calendar of Events since 2012, Love Your Produce Manager® Day aims to honor exemplary customer service in U.S. supermarket produce departments.

To encourage industry participation in raising awareness of this holiday, a donation will be made to United Fresh’s “Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools” program by Frieda’s Specialty Produce on behalf of produce companies, industry organizations, grocery retailers, and growers who use the #LYPM hashtag in a Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram post, or mention Love Your Produce Manager^® Day on their websites. Love Your Produce Manager^® Day messages must be posted by 11:59 p.m. on April 3 to be counted.

Additionally, Frieda’s is hosting a public social media giveaway to encourage shoppers to show their appreciation for their Produce Managers from Wednesday, March 25, through Thursday, April 2. For a chance to win a prize for themselves and their Produce Manager, shoppers can post a shout-out to their favorite Produce Manager on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with hashtag #LYPM. Three sets of winners will be announced on April 3.

About Frieda’s

Frieda’s offers healthy and flavorful suggestions for shoppers and diners during Lent

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (February 2015) – Many shoppers and diners use Lent observance to kick-start a new, healthier lifestyle. During the 40 days of penance—starting on Ash Wednesday, February 18, and continuing through Thursday, April 2—they will look to their supermarkets and restaurants to help them stick to their commitment to give up meat, junk food, and sugary treats.

For the produce department to make the most of this observance, Frieda’s Specialty Produce recommends the following:

Beefing Up on Plant-based Protein: Meat is one of the first items observers of Lent give up. As vegetarians and vegans shop in produce departments for their protein, stock up on a selection of meat alternatives like Tofu and Soyrizo™, ready-to-eat Organic Polenta, and soy-based meat substitute products like Yves and Lightlife. Also call attention to protein-rich vegetables such as Colored Cauliflower, Edamame, Sunchokes®, and Artichokes, and hearty and satisfying root vegetables like Celery Root, Baby Carrots, and Malanga Lila.

Satisfying the Sweet Tooth: Shoppers will turn to fresh fruits to curb their cravings for the soft drinks and other sugary treats they have given up for Lent. It’s the perfect time to introduce shoppers to unique and flavorful tropical fruits like Passion Fruits, Zululand Queen Baby Pineapples, and Dragon Fruits. Young Coconut and juicy citrus like Blood Oranges and Cara Cara Oranges are also perfect to offer as a soft drink substitute.

Offering Healthy Snack Options: Keep shoppers away from not-so-healthy snacks like potato chips with crisp and crunchy, easy and fun-to-eat, exciting fresh produce like Baby Kiwifruits, Rambutans, Starfruits, Kumquats, Purple Snow Peas, Mini Sweet Peppers, and Jicama.

Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s for promotional ideas, a product list, and marketing tools. Also available from Frieda’s are extensive product information, high resolution images, and a recipe database to assist with any marketing needs.

About Frieda’s

Ring in a prosperous Year of the Sheep with Asian specialties to boost sales during the 15-day celebration

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (January 2015) – Authentic Asian flavors are among the top food trends of 2015, and there’s no better time to introduce Asian specialties to shoppers and diners than during the Chinese New Year celebration.

One of the biggest food holidays of the year, Chinese New Year (or Lunar New Year) begins on February 19 and ends on March 5. During this 15-day celebration to welcome the Year of the Sheep—a year of friendship and creativity—families and friends will gather over special feasts with foods that symbolize good tidings and blessings for the coming year.

Wealth and Fortune: Kumquats, Mandarinquats, Buddha’s Hand Citron, Daikon, and Gai Choy Mustard Green. Also representing wealth are Won Tons and Egg Rolls.
Good Luck: Napa Cabbage, and Zululand Queen Baby Pineapple.
Abundance and Prosperity: Pummelo, Oroblanco, and Yu Choy Sum.
Family Unity: Chinese Eggplant, Snow Peas (and Purple Snow Peas), Water Chestnuts, and Young Coconut.
Good Health and Longevity: Opo Squash, Chinese Long Beans, and long noodles like Chow Mein.

“Eastern and Southeastern Asian cuisines are vegetable-centric with bold flavors, and that resonates with shoppers and diners who are seeking authenticity as well as healthy food choices,” said Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce.

A leader in the specialty Asian produce category since 1973, Frieda’s is working with many clients to build festive in-store promotions during the first weeks of February. In addition to educational resources for produce staff, Frieda’s provides key merchandising recommendations, as well as artwork for Chinese New Year POS signage. Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can contact Frieda’s for promotional ideas, a product list, and marketing tools. Also available from Frieda’s are extensive product information, high resolution images, and a recipe database to assist with any marketing needs.

About Frieda’s

The venerable newspaper takes a look at how specialty produce breaks in store by store

Baby bananas, center, at Key Food in Brooklyn. Image source: Barry Newman for The Wall Street Journal

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (January 2015) – The produce industry is starting 2015 with a big bang in the form of an article about exotic bananas published by the Wall Street Journal.

“Is the Time Right for Baby Bananas?” by Barry Newman follows the trail of the small bananas from test to staple at a Key Food store in Brooklyn. The article posted to the newspaper’s website on Saturday.

When the store’s produce manager, Mario Marabello, first brought “babies,” as they are known, into the store, they were bought mainly by people who’d had them in another country. Then he hit upon over-wrapping them in trays, and newbies began trying them. He told Newman the size of babies is “terrific.”

William Goldfield, a spokesman for Dole at the New York Produce Show in December, told Newman that the Cavendish—the big banana in the U.S. market—is the “only banana consumers are comfortable with.”

For another perspective, Newman spoke to Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s Inc., who asked him, “Did people ask Chrysler for the minivan?” She also told him that the banana market in the U.S. needs a “disruption.” Karen had given a presentation for the produce press when she was approached by Newman. Frieda’s is an importer of baby bananas.

The Wall Street Journal article is the result of an effort by the New York Produce Show to solicit coverage of the produce industry in the mainstream press.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Inc. celebrates more than 50 years of innovation in fresh produce. Founded in 1962 by Dr. Frieda Caplan, Frieda’s was the first wholesale produce company in the U.S. to be founded, owned, and operated by a woman, and is still a family- and women-owned business today. With the mission of changing the way America eats fruits and vegetables, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 specialty items to U.S. produce departments, including Kiwifruit, Spaghetti Squash, Habanero Peppers, Black Garlic, Sunchokes®, Stokes Purple® Sweet Potato, and many more. Frieda’s programs for 2014 included Power of Purple, with a focus on the nutritional value of purple; Frieda’s Flavor Essentials, highlighting and promoting specialty ingredients for everyday cooking; and Eat One Fruit a Day That Scares You, which encourages everyone to #FearNoFruit. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce, and Friedas.com.