USA: Earthbound Farm launches fruit division

Source: thepacker.com
By Mike Hornick

OrganicPortal NewsRoom

Earthbound Farm, known for its bagged salads, has a new fruit division, with plans to expand fruit selection through imports.

The San Juan Bautista, Calif.-based organic brand started shipping tommy atkins and kent mangoes in mid-January. Organic avocados, blueberries and cherries were already in the pipeline. South American apples and pears are next, according to a news release.

Besides Peru, Earthbound plans to source fruit from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Mexico and Europe.

Earthbound has been in the organic fruit business since 1999, but is best known for salads and vegetables. The expanded offerings and the formal launch of a fruit division based in Palo Alto, Calif., signal a big push into that market.

Ricardo Sardans, previously president of Purity Organic Produce, joined Earthbound in November and is business development director for the fruit division. Earthbound is staffing field offices in the U.S., Mexico and Argentina.

“We’re taking the model that’s been so successful for us in organic salads and vegetables and applying it in earnest to organic fruit,” Charles Sweat, chief executive officer for Earthbound Farm, said in the release. “(We’re) building a network of certified organic growers who strictly abide by regulated and inspected organic practices while also adhering to our own organic integrity program and rigorous food safety protocols.”

Year-round commodities include organic apples, apricots, avocados, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, figs, assorted table grapes, kiwi, lemons, mangoes, assorted melons, nectarines, oranges, papaya, peaches, pears, pineapple, plums, pomegranate, pomelo, raspberries, strawberries and tangelos.

More information: http://www.ebfarm.com/

Tip: OrganicPortal USA - Organic Food

OrganicPortal NewsRoom

28.01.2012

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