Mar 29, 2023

IFPA mourns past PMA chair Peter Goulet

The International Fresh Produce Association is mourning the passing of Peter Goulet, a past chair of the Produce Marketing Association, an IFPA predecessor.

Goulet, 64, of Saco, Maine, died March 24, surrounded by his family.

A 47 year food industry veteran, Goulet was remembered as a longtime member and contributor to the fresh produce community. Goulet began his produce industry career at Hannaford Bros. supermarkets, advancing to corporate as director of produce merchandising.

In 2006, Goulet founded Pinnacle Sales and Marketing, which he ran for 15 years before retiring in 2020. Goulet was active in the global fresh produce industry, serving on a number of task forces and boards. In 2000, Goulet was named the North American Produce Marketer of the Year.

As PMA chair, Goulet led the organization forward in the aftermath of the 2006 E. coli outbreak linked to spinach that changed how PMA and the industry addressed food safety.

“You can safely say that Peter played a large role in taking PMA’s role to a much higher level than it had ever been before,” former PMA CEO Bryan Silbermann said in a news release. “What flowed from his year as chair was not only the hiring of our first food safety expert a year later, but also the support PMA provided in the creation of the Center for Produce Safety.”

Born in Berlin, New Hampshire, in 1959, Goulet was the youngest of five children to Lawrence and Claire Goulet. He grew up in Gorham, New Hampshire, graduating from the University of New Hampshire in 1981. In 2007, Goulet met Catherine Blunt, and later married her.

Prior to becoming chair of PMA’s board in 2006, Goulet was a consummate volunteer for PMA, where he previously served as Fresh Summit chair, the Retail Division board chair, and member of the Retail Division board of directors, the Food Safety Task Force, and Returnable Packaging Task Force.

Goulet also provided his time and expertise to retail advisory boards of the Washington Apple Commission and Ready Pac Produce, as well as on the New England Produce Council’s board of directors.

IFPA CEO Cathy Burns worked alongside Goulet in her time at Hannaford Bros. “Peter was a true produce professional who always had an eye on giving shoppers the absolute best fresh fruits and vegetables and in-store experience,” Burns said in the release. “But, most importantly, he was a friend and someone who wanted to do right by everyone he met. I will miss him dearly and the IFPA team extends our condolences and sympathies to Cathy and the whole Goulet family.”

Goulet is survived by his wife, three children, six grandchildren, stepdaughters, siblings and their spouses and others.

Services are scheduled for April 2-3 at Cote Funeral Home in Saco, Maine. In lieu of flower, the family requests donations be made in Peter’s name to the Dempsey Center or the Foundation for Fresh Produce, which promotes healthy eating for children and families.

Goulet’s obituary is here.