January/February 2022 - 26

THE PULSE
INDUSTRY
INSIDER
Duncan Family Farms acquires Pederson Farms
Duncan Family Farms - a multi-regional grower of certified
organic and sustainably grown produce, specializing in baby
lettuces, greens, kale and herb - has acquired Pedersen
Farms, a grower of certified organic vegetables and grain in
upstate New York.
With additional varieties and a prime location, Pedersen
Farms will help to increase the range of products Duncan offers
as well as help to mitigate potential supply chain challenges.
Pedersen Farms has over 900 acres of certified organic land,
which produces organic vegetables and grain. Pedersen Farms
uses sustainable farming techniques throughout their acreage
and is Global G.A.P. certified.
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" This acquisition will enhance our commitment to assured
supply for our customers with the addition of a sixth Taylor
Farms source-based production facility, this one located in the
fertile Santa Maria Valley, " said Bruce Taylor, chairman and CEO
of Taylor Farms. " We look forward to a smooth transition for
associates and customer partners. "
Mark Campion, president of Taylor Farms Retail, will have
leadership responsibility for the facilities and business integration.
Curation Foods was founded by five California growers in 1979
as Apio Inc. Landec acquired the business in 1999.
New leafy greens washing method studied
Since 2019, Gartenfrisch Jung GmbH, Kronen and the Leibniz
Institute have been working on a new process to wash fresh-cut
lettuce.
During a project meeting at Kronen's head office, a washing
PMMI announces partnership with F4SS
F4SS, the Foundation for Supply Chain Solutions, has formed
a strategic partnership with PMMI, the Association for Packaging
and Processing Technologies.
The partnership will allow F4SS to provide additional value to
its members and expand its reach. F4SS maintains its vital role
providing a forum for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies,
external manufacturers and secondary packagers to share best
practices, benchmark, network and help companies find solutions
to challenges they are facing across the supply chain.
Effective January 2022, PMMI will provide management
support for F4SS adding to its portfolio of association partners
that includes the Cold Pressure Council, CPA, the Association
of Contract Packagers and Manufacturers, the Institute of
Packaging Professionals (IoPP) and OMAC, the Organization for
Machine Automation and Control.
The next F4SS Conference is scheduled for March 7-9, 2022,
in Las Vegas. The theme is " Supply Chain Saving the Planet. "
Visit f4ss.org to learn more.
machine specially adapted for this decontamination process was
tested. The next step is an extensive testing phase actually in a
Gartenfrisch Jung production line.
The initial point of the research project is to prevent the risk
of microorganisms from contaminating packed cut lettuce.
Commonly, cell sap released from fresh-cut lettuce combined
with humidity - unavoidable in plastic packaging - provides a
breeding ground for microorganisms.
The main aim of the project is to create a resource-saving
washing process for fresh-cut lettuce using a non-thermal
plasma procedure. Hygienic treatment of the lettuce prevents
premature spoilage therefore increasing consumer safety, and it
is especially gentle on the product.
Tests carried out during the Project Meeting in Kehl were very
successful. The washing machine specially adapted using the
decontamination washing process was tested with cut iceberg lettuce
(and put into operation live onsite) by the project members. During
the one-day workshop the project partners from both institutes and
the manufacturer of fresh-convenience exchanged ideas with the
Kronen team regarding further results and next steps in the project.
Following the successful workshop, the washing machine
Taylor Farms adds Curation Foods
Taylor Farms has acquired Curation Foods, a producer of
packaged salads, green beans and fresh-cut vegetables.
The announcement came Dec. 13 that Taylor Farms is
taking over ownership of the operation from Landec Corp.
Assets include the Eat Smart brand and production facilities in
Guadalupe, California, and Bowling Green, Ohio.
Taylor Farms eyes the growing demand for chopped salads and
fresh-cut vegetables with the move, the company said through a
press release.
26 JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2 02 2
will now undergo a test phase installed in the production at
Gartenfrisch Jung and further data will be collected on the washing
procedure. Here the focus is on the study of the disinfection
efficiency in the wash water, the conservation of resources and the
optimization of transport and shelf life of the products.
The project sponsor is the German Federal Agency for Food and
Agriculture. Funding is provided as part of the program to promote
innovation of the Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture.
Kronen and its partners' products cover fruit, vegetable and
salad processing solutions for preparing, cutting, washing, dewatering,
peeling, disinfecting and packaging.
http://www.produceprocessing.net http://www.f4ss.org
January/February 2022

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