May 8, 2019

United Fresh announces ‘best new vegetable product’ finalists

Dozens of new products this week were announced as finalists for the United Fresh Produce Association’s 2019 Innovation Awards.

This year’s finalists will compete in seven categories for the title of Best New Product at United Fresh 2019, June 10-12 in Chicago, where attendees will be able to vote for those winners during the trade show.

“The fresh produce community is constantly adopting new strategies for growth at an innovative pace,” United Fresh President & CEO Tom Stenzel said in a press release.

Here are the  2019 United Fresh Innovation Awards finalists in the Best New Vegetable Product” category:

Apeel Asparagus
Apeel Sciences – Booth # 12031
Apeel extends the lifespan of asparagus by slowing the rate of water loss, bringing a new wave of benefits to growers, packers, distributors, and retailers in the category. With Apeel, asparagus that is normally shipped via air freight can now be shipped via sea freight – even without controlled atmosphere.

BrightFarms Happy Beet
BrightFarms – Booth # 6005
They are called beet greens, and they are delightfully sweet and juicy at baby size! Beet greens are one of the healthiest greens – packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. BrightFarms Happy Beet mixes beet greens with sweet baby spinach for a delicate balance of flavor and nutrition.

Cece’s Veggie Co. Organic Butternut Shells & Cheese
Cece’s Veggie Co. – Booth # 10015
Cece’s Butternut Shells & Cheese offers 100% organic, fresh-cut butternut squash paired with an organic cheese sauce packet for a heat-and-eat meal ready in minutes. Delivering a full serving of veggie nutrition in every bowl, this is a game-changer for busy families looking for healthy, organic, and delicious meal solutions.

Dole Bountiful Kits
Dole Food Company – Booth # 8000
Dole Bountiful Kits™ introduces a more satiating salad that delivers the fresh ingredient experience of grains & vegetables currently only available at a deli counter or restaurant. Features plant-based proteins in a Dole Bountiful Blend™ Fresh Pouch. Four flavors include: Sweet Thai, Lentil Cucumber, Fiesta Ranch and Triple Quinoa.

Garden Highway Chef Essentials Fresh Slaws
Renaissance Food Group– Booth # 8040
Garden Highway Chef Essentials Fresh Slaws provide a fresh convenient solution for consumers, while presenting the produce industry with an innovative new product line. Recognizing a consumer demand for healthy convenience, our chef team created a lineup of Fresh Slaw products highlighting the current Southwestern flavor trend.

LivingCube – Microgreens: Basil
Del Fresco Produce Ltd.– Booth # 12027
With 12 times the nutrients of mature leaves, LivingCube microgreens are a small way you can add health benefits to food! We offer varieties and customized packaging combinations. Our packaging comes in 2 sizes (50g, 100g) making them easy to buy, store and use. No need to chop, just sprinkle!

Nourish Bowls Breakfast
Mann Packing – Booth # 2000
Mann Packing has added two new flavors to its award-winning Nourish Bowls product line, this time tackling the most important meal of the day. Nourish Bowls Breakfast Denver Scramble and Fiesta Scramble are chock-full of fresh vegetables and flavor, and high in protein with the addition of 1-2 eggs.

Plant Based Dips
Good Foods Group – Booth # 6029
Good Foods developed a cold pressure plant based dip product line for consumers striving to find better-for-you foods that are vegan, low calorie, low carb, no sugar added, gluten free, and Paleo friendly… all with clean simple natural ingredients and no preservatives.

Raw Wraps Kale Tacos
Green Leaf Foods – Booth # 3044
Kale tacos blend together kale, apples, onion, celery to create a dehydrated bread that is soft, pliable and flexible. Ready to eat. Shelf stable for one year, preservative free. Non-GMO verified, grain free, paleo, vegan, raw, keto and only 25 calories with very low sodium. Retail and food service.

Ready Pac Foods Fresh Picked Protein Snacks
Ready Pac Foods Fresh Picked Protein Snacks
Bonduelle Fresh Americas – Booth # 12006
Power-packed snack with vanilla Greek yogurt, sweet red grapes, crisp apple slices, Monterey jack cheese, and crunchy trail mix made with banana chips, cashews, raisins, and almonds. They’re an excellent source of protein with ½ cup of fruit per serving to help tide you over until your next meal!

Southwestern Tortilla Vegetable Meal Bowl, Korean BBQ Vegetable Meal Bowl
Growers Express – Booth # 5015
Perfect for the time-starved consumer, Green Giant™ Fresh Vegetable Meal Bowls are satisfying as packaged or customizable. Each plant-based bowl is made with the company’s first-to-market Cauliflower Crumbles® or Vegetable Noodles, and paired with flavorful sauces. Two new flavors are coming soon – Korean BBQ and Southwestern Tortilla.

SUGAR BOMBS
Mastronardi Produce Ltd. – Booth # 10040
Following the fame of SUNSET Flavor Bombs, these bright red grape tomatoes are taking their turn in the spotlight. Ripened and packed on the vine for optimal flavor and freshness, these beauties rock the flavor charts with their sweet taste, pleasant aroma, and crunchy texture.

Sweetpops Tomatoes
Red Sun Farms – Booth # 10011
A combination of refreshing sweetness and perfect snack size. This bite sized tomato will release an explosion of juicy flavor that you just can’t stop snacking on! The intense flavor is best enjoyed as a snack, but will deliver a sweet tomato pop to any recipe.

Taylor Farms Avocado Ranch Chopped Salad Kit
Taylor Farms, Inc.– Booth # 4031
Our clean Taylor Farms Avocado Ranch Chopped Salad Kit is free from artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors. Delicious bright veggies including romaine, cabbage, carrots, cilantro, and green onion come together in this mouthwatering salad. Complete this meal with our creamy avocado ranch dressing, crispy corn, and taco seasoned cheese.