Foodservice Show Exudes Industry's Confidence

Excerpts from an article in The Packer
by Greg Johnson

Over 1,500 attended this conference and 150 companies exhibited, a record number for both categories during PMA's Foodservice conference held earlier in July.

A highlight of the July 13-15 show for many was a chef cook-off starring celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and former White House chef Walter Scheib.

A panel of three Italian restaurateurs and two chain restaurant chefs noted a restaurant trend pointing to Asian cuisine. A trend that bodes well for fresh produce.

Food safety was the topic for three out of the six seminars. Presenters noted the need for third party audits of field operations and packing facilities.

Successfully completing a third safety audit on their papaya packing facility, Brooks Tropicals' booth was focused on their Caribbean Sunrise and Caribbean Red papayas. The company has recently introduced a new Chef's Corner on their web site that focuses on foodservice needs.

Chef's Corner features papaya recipes, care and handling and storage information and will highlight a success story of a chef each quarter. An upcoming Chef's Corner will focus on SlimCado avocados.