News

Sun-Maid Becomes First Food Brand to Collaborate with the National School Boards Association

FRESNO - With nearly 13 million students in the United States regularly attending school hungry, one in six children can't perform at their full potential in the classroom because they lack consistent access to affordable, nutritious foods*. Recognizing the need to bring attention to food insecurity, Sun-Maid® is working with the National School Boards Association (NSBA), the leading advocate for public education, to help nutrition become a more important focus in schools and among educators.

As a leading better-for-you snacking company and the first food brand to join forces with the national association, Sun-Maid will work collaboratively with the NSBA toward providing all students access to the same nutritional resources that can help establish a more uniform foundation for equity in the learning environment.

Hemp Education & Marketing Pavilion to debut at 2020 World Ag Expo

TULARE – Used in more than 25,000 products globally, industrial hemp was reintroduced to US agriculture thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill. Interest in hemp has grown nationwide, and according to a December 2018 Forbes magazine article, is a “potential economic dynamo for American farmers.”

World Ag Expo®, one of the largest ag trade shows in the world, is taking on the hemp conversation in cooperation with Plant Growth Group, a consultancy in the hemp marketplace. A 9,400 square foot tent will house thirty 10’x10’ exhibitor spaces, and a seminar stage, on the south east side of the grounds at the February show.

California Dairy Families Celebrate American Cheese Month by Declaring State "Cheese & Wine Country"

TRACY - October is American Cheese Month and California's dairy farmers are renaming the state "Cheese and Wine Country" in recognition of the award-winning cheesemaking heritage that grew alongside its wine industry and pairing the state's most noteworthy specialties formally together in a new way.

While California is widely known for its winemaking roots, its history as a top cheesemaker is just as strong. The state's rich cheese history started 250 years ago when Friar Junipero Serra introduced cheesemaking to the missions in 1769. Today, California is the nation's number one producer of fluid milk, butter, ice cream and Hispanic-style cheeses and is the second largest producer of all cheese.

Study Finds American Grown Pistachios Contain Melatonin

FRESNO - An analysis conducted by researchers Dr. Jack Losso and Millicent Yeboah-Awudzi at Louisiana State University in partnership with American Pistachio Growers found that American pistachios contain significant amounts of melatonin, much higher than most fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes and seeds.

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland to regulate the body's internal biological clock and control daily sleep cycles. Melatonin supplements are commonly used by people with insomnia or with irregular sleep patterns which may arise from frequent travel or irregular work schedules, among other causes.

Beef, It's What's For Dinner. Keeps Sizzlin' with New TV Ads

DENVER - The iconic Beef. It's What's For Dinner. brand keeps consumers craving beef with the release of its latest drool-worthy creative digital advertisement collection – "Keep Sizzlin'". The new "Keep Sizzlin'" collection is inspired by the success of the original "Sizzle" video, which caught the attention of consumers by stimulating their eyes and ears with the satisfying look and sound of a juicy strip steak crackling and popping as it cooked to perfection in a cast iron skillet.

The video, originally thought to be a fun "extra" on the Beef. It's What's For Dinner. YouTube page has been viewed more than 2 million times and become a fan favorite. Lasting just longer than three minutes, viewers are mesmerized, watching the video an average of two minutes and 21 seconds. More than 500,000 viewers have watched the video in its entirety.

The Wonderful Company Announces The Launch Of Wonderful Seedless Lemons

LOS ANGELES - The Wonderful Company, known for its dedication to harvesting health and happiness around the world through its iconic consumer brands today announced the introduction of a new produce brand, Wonderful Seedless Lemons, a naturally seedless, Non-GMO Project Verified variety of lemon that will debut this fall 2019. The Wonderful Company owns the exclusive rights to this new, premium quality seedless lemon variety available in North America.

"As the leading grower, shipper, packer, and distributor of citrus in North America, Wonderful is uniquely positioned to offer this new and innovative variety of seedless lemons," said Adam Cooper, senior vice president of marketing at The Wonderful Company. "As consumers' appetite for seedless varieties in produce continues to grow, Wonderful Seedless Lemons will disrupt the industry and become a top category driver for branded produce."

Consumer Spending on Cannabis Keeps Growing With New Regions Setting up Shop

NEW YORK - The cannabis marketplace has continued to trend in the eyes of consumers all around the globe, as over the past decade, many countries have moved to adopt cannabis into their legislation. Meanwhile, other countries which have yet to take that larger step have begun to decriminalize the plant as well as study its potential benefits.

Despite this growing international movement, the U.S. still dominates the overall industry, with states such as California and Colorado recognized as the main drivers. Specifically, California and Colorado collectively delivered over USD 3 Billion in revenue in 2017 as these two states are among the most mature marketplaces in the world. California became the first state to legalize medical cannabis back in the 1990's with the approval of Proposition 215, while Colorado legalized medicinal use in 2000.