July/August 2023 - 4

THE PROCESS
MEL INDA WALDROP
Vol. 9, No. 4
Beating the heat
Summer is upon us, and the heat has a way of
bringing the natural world into sharper focus. It's
fitting, then, that this issue of Produce Processing
takes a look at one of the most important, if
somewhat nebulous, issues facing the industry
and the planet: sustainability.
Beginning on page 10, readers can learn how
Melinda Waldrop
Managing Editor
several packaging companies, from long-time
industry leaders to up-and-coming game changers,
define sustainability, and what steps they are
taking to achieve it. It's a fascinating discussion,
from the details of material choices and equipment innovation to
overarching themes of transparency and stewardship.
Sustainability is also an underlying factor in our look at a sticky
subject on page 6. Impending European Union directives requiring
home-compostable PLU (price look up) stickers on fresh fruit and
vegetables have the potential to impact hundreds of millions of
dollars in international trade. Currently, while stickers affixed to
produce in the U.S. are biodegradable, the adhesive used in the
process is not. Learn how a USDA research scientist is leading the
charge to change that - and to play a part in making the world a
better place along the way.
This issue also explores how automation is reducing labor and
energy costs and thereby improving efficiency. Specifically, readers
can take a deep dive into cherries, page 14, a particularly fragile fruit
whose required careful handling will benefit from a new partnership
between two industry giants.
Also explore how one New York apple grower and packer is benefiting
from advanced technology with on-site controlled atmosphere storage,
page 18, and learn how sustainability is driving the latest packaging
trends on page 24.
We hope the stories in these pages provide useful information that
may play into your own choices going forward - or at least take
your mind off the soaring temperatures.
Office 616-887-9008
Editorial
Managing Editor Melinda Waldrop, 616-520-2158
mwaldrop@greatamericanpublish.com
Editorial Director Debbie Eisele, 616-520-2160
deisele@greatamericanpublish.com
Advertising Sales
Associate Publisher Andrea Schafer, 616-520-2139
prosales@produceprocessing.net
Account Specialist Kim Meyers, 616-520-2137
kmeyers@greatamericanpublish.com
Production
Senior Graphic Greg Ryan, 616-520-2145
Designer proproduction@produceprocessing.net
Associate Amanda Mackey, 616-520-2157
Creative Director amackey@greatamericanpublish.com
Creative Director Allison McKenzie, 616-520-2142
amckenzie@greatamericanpublish.com
Circulation
Circulation Becky Stovall, 616-520-2138
circulation@produceprocessing.net
Corporate
CEO & Publisher Matt McCallum, 616-520-2133
publisher@produceprocessing.net
COO & CMO Kim Baker, 616-520-2135
kbaker@greatamericanpublish.com
CFO Deb Carnes, 616-520-2169
dcarnes@greatamericanpublish.com
Editorial Advisory Board
Adrienne Seiling, American Frozen Food Institute
Rudi Groppe, Heinzen Manufacturing International
Lou Cooperhouse, Rutgers Food Innovation Center
Sherrie Rosenblatt, Can Manufacturers Institute
Leonard Batti, Taylor Farms, Salinas, California
ISSN 2375-3447
Editorial and advertising offices at Great American Media Services,
a division of Great American Publishing, P.O. Box 128, Sparta, MI 49345
Phone: 616-887-9008
Printed six times a year in the U.S.A. Copyright 2023
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Email me at:
mwaldrop@greatamericanpublish.com
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July/August 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July/August 2023
