PRESS RELEASE Mission, Texas: April 11, 2019 The second annual Viva Fresh Innovation Showcase is proud to announce the 22 finalists who will feature a broad range of innovative products at the expo on April 27th.
Industry members were encouraged to submit any and all new advances from field to fork. Innovations were not limited and could include advances in: new seed varieties, products, packaging, advances in production, machinery, packing facilities and greenhouses; technology or application software, food safety, traceability, sustainability efforts and more.
“We’re excited about the large number of entries we received this year! It is a powerful reflection on this region; an area that built its reputation on timeless innovations such as the Rio Star Red Grapefruit and the Texas 1015 Sweet Onion,” remarked Dante Galeazzi, President and CEO of TIPA. “Our vision for this showcase has been to recognize excellence and celebrate the creative, unique and industry-changing technologies that are both shaping and improving every aspect of the fresh produce supply chain.”
A panel of judges comprised of retail, foodservice, and produce industry veterans chose the following finalists based on a strict set of strict criteria.
Allen Lund Company AlchemyTMS- Spot Bid tool
Apeel Sciences- Apeel: plant-derived shelf life extension technology
Coast Tropical- Organic Wrap Around Mango
Del Monte Fresh Produce- Del Monte® Honeyglow® Pineapple
Del Monte Fresh Produce/Mann Packing- Caulilini® Baby Cauliflower
Fox Packaging- Fox Stand-Up Combo® Bag
Frontera Produce/Sostena- Golden Crush Cantaloupe/ Ground Site/ Produce Plan
GoodFarms and Equitable Food Initiative- Andrew & Williamson’s EFI Continuous Improvement Teams
IFCO Systems- MyIFCO™ Recollect App
International Paper- International Paper – Stakor™
Ippolito International- Royal Brussels SproutsTM
Kingdom Fresh Farms- Solar Panel System
Magic Sun Farms- CEICKOR University
Mastronardi Produce- ALOHA™ peppers
Mr. Lucky- Mr. Lucky Garlic Blister Pack
Mucci Farms- CuteCumber™ Poppers
National Mango Board- In-store Mango Display
Pure Flavor- Mini Munchies Tomato Snack Pack
SunFed- SunFed Sweet Melon Machine
Triple H Produce- Triple H Grower’s App
Ventura Foods/Marie’s- Refrigerated Salad Dressing Marie’s Market Reserve Refrigerated Dressings
Village Farms- Village Farms Texas Grown
The finalists will be displayed before and during the Expo on Saturday, April 27. All expo attendees will be encouraged to vote live from the show floor via mobile device for their favorite innovation. The innovation with the most votes will receive the Best of Show Award, along with the second and third runners up. The award winners will be announced during the Expo.
For more information, visit www.VivaFreshExpo.com.
About the Viva Fresh Produce Expo: The Viva Fresh Produce Expo was established in 2015 by the Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) in order to create meaningful networking and educational opportunities for its members while shining a light on the importance of the Rio Grande Valley as an emerging trade corridor and production zone for healthy and nutritious fruits and vegetables available all year long. In just four years, the Viva Fresh Produce Expo has catered to sold out crowds and increased buyer attendance by over 110%.
