jan-2018

156 157 PACKAGING COSTS WEIGHING YOU DOWN? LIGHTER I STRONGER I SUSTAINABLE containerboard.kruger.com Ask your box provider for packaging made with , our exclusive next-generation linerboard delivering superior strength and performance using less fibre. NATURE’S TOUCH FROZEN FOODS source fruit,I’malways on the pursuit to find that spe- cial fruit that makes it different and better.There are cases wherewe found vegetables that wayandwe’ve decided tomarket those items.Anything that’s hard to source-we like that becausewe can add value.Again, our international presence,our boots on the ground, looking at areas of quality in the food sector,we have found that,on the organicvegetable side,if we can safelyand securely source product like that,thenwe will do it andwe’ve added it to our brand.We’ve found some phenomenal vegetables like broccoli fromEcua- dor that is impressive.It has the rigidityand structure of a fresh broccoli–it’s not mushy frozen broccoli,even after you put it in themicrowave,it tastes like you steamed fresh broccoli.Sowhen I see the ability to source vegetables that are trulydifferent thanwhat’s in themarketplace,then,byall means,wewill promote those.We are not a vegetable company,though; we are primarilya fruit company that works with some vege- tables that we feel are different in themarketplace.” Going forward,Tentomas says that expanding the company’s geographic reach in the United States is next on the agenda.“We feel theAmerican customer needs to knowmore about frozen fruit and howit can be used,”he relates.“As amatter of fact,I’ll bemoving to the U.S.to spearhead that effort.It’s a huge opportu- nity.” Another growing itemof concern toTentomas is food safety.“There’s been amajor shift change in both regulatoryas well as consumer behavior in howwe eat these products,”he states.“Consumers todayare eating rawand frozen fruits and vegetables,putting them in their smoothies and putting them in their salads,and there have been somemajor recalls in 2016 for both frozen fruits and amassive one in frozen vegetables. So,the food safety landscape has changed significantly. Andwhat you’re seeing is the industry looking at their product as truly‘ready-to-eat.’Therefore,we need to establish the food safetyparameters that comewith a ready-to-eat product.Andwe seemore significant change coming in enforcing the guidelines.That’s going to be onemajor change that will be positive for consumers because it will result in dramaticdecreases in potential contamination of frozen fruits and vegeta-