Extreme flavors becoming mainstream, says new report

Excerpts from an article in FoodNavigator.com by Caroline Scott-Thomas, 25-Mar-2011

‘Extreme and edgy’ flavors are increasingly moving into the mainstream, according to a new trend report from the Center for Culinary Development (CCD) and market research organization Packaged Facts.

This new report, “Extreme & Edgy Flavors: Culinary Trend Mapping Report”, claims that Americans are always interested in new flavors as long as they are not “too far out”, and will pay attention to edgy flavor combinations as long as they taste as good as they sound interesting.

CCD’s collaborative reports with Packaged Facts are based on trend mapping, which it says is guided by the premise that new flavor trends often go through five distinct phases on their way to becoming mainstream.

New trends tend to emerge at upmarket dining establishments, it says, passing into specialist consumer food magazines and television programs, before being picked up by mainstream chain restaurants, then begin to appear in family-oriented consumer magazines, and finally appear in grocery stores and/or quick service restaurants.

Young men are in it for a big kick, women for a possible health benefit on the side, Latinos and Asian for familiar flavors in new places and everyone for the rounder, more balanced flavors all of these trends offer.”

Brooks Tropicals names former Coca-Cola executive as its new CEO

Click here to view this Produce News article written by Christina DiMartino.

Ejecutivos

Excerpts from a 3/21/11 article in portafruticola.com Brooks Tropicals LLC Greg Smith asumió el pasado 14 de marzo como CEO de la empresa Brooks Tropicals LLC, en reemplazo de Craig Wheeling. Previamente se desempeñó por 37 años en Coca Cola. Las labores iniciales de Greg Smith estarán centradas en el area financiera de la empresa, que entre otras cosas comercializa papayas. Cuenta también con amplios conocimientos en auditorías y adquisiciones

Greg Smith joins Brooks Tropicals

Excerpts from an FruitNet article of 3/17/11 by Gill McShane

Florida-based tropical fruit importer-distributor welcomes new chief executive officer

Brooks Tropicals has announced in a press release the appointment of a new CEO with the addition of Greg Smith to the premier tropical produce team.

Mr Smith, who comes to Brooks Tropicals after 37 years at Coca-Cola, said he sees ‘tremendous opportunities” for the firm.

“We’re not far from being 100 years old and I think we’ll hit that benchmark with a widening footprint in papayas, Florida avocados, starfruit and more,” he explained.

“Our quality will make our brands – Caribbean Red papayas, SlimCado avocados and Caribbean Sunrise papayas – hard to beat.”

According to Mr Smith, Brooks Tropicals is a great operation with great people.

“I see myself getting passionate about both the business and the industry, but that will not be hard to do considering the Brooks name, the people and our position in the industry.”

With a background in operations, finance, auditing and procurement, Mr Smith hopes to support the team by initially focusing most of his efforts on the financial side of the house, while the Brooks team gets him up to speed on the field and packing operations along with the sales and marketing side of the firm.

“It’s invigorating,” said Neal “Pal” Brooks, president of Brooks Tropicals. “The company’s past has laid the foundation for a promising future. I believe Greg Smith can lead the company there.”

“Brooks Tropicals has the right people and the right products in place,” Mr Smith added. “Although the bar has been set high, I plan on making this a better company and a better place to work.”

Brooks taps Coca Cola exec as new CEO

Excerpts from a 3/17/11 The Packer article by Doug Ohlemeier.

Brooks Tropicals LLC has brought in a beverage industry veteran as its new chief executive officier.

Smith

Greg Smith succeeds Craig Wheeling, who retired Feb. 4 after serving as the Homestead, Fla.-based Brooks’ chief executive officer and later president since 1994.

Smith, who worked 37 years at Coca-Cola franchise bottlers in Austin, Texas, Houston and Shreveport, La., has been a longtime friend of Neal Palmer "Pal" Brooks, Brooks’ owner, and has served on Brooks’ board of directors.

Brooks said Smith should provide his company that grows, ships and markets papayas, avocadoes and tropicals a needed balance.

“I get excited when I talk about marketing, selling and growing,” Brooks said. “He complements me because he brings administrative skills to handle all the organization requires between the things I’m not good at and the things he’s good at.”

Smith said he brings Brooks a background of operations, finance, auditing and procurement. He said the beverage and tropical fruit industries share some commonality in that both are required to operate under food safety standards.

Smith said Brooks has kept him updated on industry issues during the last couple of years. He said he plans to support Brooks’ field packing and sales and marketing operations by at first focusing on the company’s finances.

“Pal has the farming experience but needs the administrative expertise,” Smith said. “He has the farmers but just needs someone to look at it administratively. The sheer science that goes into farming fascinates me. There’s a lot of business and finance associated with that. It’s not just sticking something in the ground and collecting money. This is an industry that’s very interesting.”

Smith said he sees himself becoming passionate about the business and said he envisions large opportunities where he can help the operation that’s 16 years shy of turning 100 hit that benchmark year by expanding its presence in its product offerings.

Smith began working at Brooks on March 14. He entered the business world by working at a Coca Cola bottler after graduating from high school in 1973.

New Brooks Tropicals LLC, CEO Greg Smith joins firm.

Press Release: Homestead, Florida 3/17/11

New Brooks Tropicals, LLC, CEO Greg Smith eagerly joins the premier tropical produce company this week.

“I like to think ahead and plan to make it happen. I’m seeing tremendous opportunities for this firm,” said Smith. “We’re not far from being 100 years old and I think we’ll hit that benchmark with a widening footprint in papayas, Florida avocados, starfruit and more. Our quality will make our brands – Caribbean Red papayas, SlimCado avocados and Caribbean Sunrise papayas – hard to beat.

“Brooks Tropicals is a great operation with great people working for it,” said Smith. “I see myself getting passionate about both the business and the industry, but that will not be hard to do considering the Brooks name, the people and our position in the industry.”

Smith comes to Brooks Tropicals after 37 years at Coca-Cola. With a background in operations, finance, auditing and procurement, Smith hopes to support the team by initially focusing most of his efforts on the financial side of the house, while the Brooks team gets him up to speed on the field and packing operations along with the sales and marketing side of the firm.

“It’s invigorating,” said Neal “Pal” Brooks, president of Brooks Tropicals. “The company’s past has laid the foundation for a promising future. I believe Greg Smith can lead the company there.”

“Brooks Tropicals has the right people and the right products in place,” Smith said. “Although the bar has been set high, I plan on making this a better company and a better place to work.”

Smith has been married for more than 32 years to Debbie. They have one son, Travis.

Ortanique, a restaurant named after the fruit

Excerpts from a 3/10/11 Miami Herald article written by Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley.

Ortanique is a Coral Gables restaurant named for the little-known citrus fruit, a cross between a tangerine and a Seville orange that first appeared in Jamaica.

Cindy Hutson is chef and co-owner of Ortanique. In her orange-trimmed chef’s jacket, she even dresses the part.

She serves dishes under her signature “Cuisine of the Sun,” which lets her “use anything under the sun and gravitate toward the foods of hotter climates.”

Organic avocados a supermarket rip-off

Excerpts taken from a Yahoo Health article written by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding posted 3/4/11

The lowest-priced supermarket in your neighborhood is brimming with complete rip-offs—health foods that aren’t healthy, gourmet foods that aren’t gourmet, specialty items that just aren’t that special.

Organic Avocados
The Environmental Working Group, an organization that studies pesticide contamination, ranks onions and avocados as the most pesticide-free vegetable and fruit, respectively—even when grown conventionally.

In fact, as a general rule, anything you have to peel before you eat (such as bananas or garlic, for example) is relatively low in pesticides.

Team forming for Walk to Cure Diabetes

Brittany Morrow and Karol Leiva are walking to cure diabetes on 3/19.

The walk raises money to help find better treatments and a cure for type 1 diabetes.

To support their efforts or to join the team go to their team page for more information.

Southern Exposure great show for Brooks

The Southeast Produce Council drew record attendance to its eighth annual Retail and Foodservice Conference & Expo. This year it was held March 3-5 in Orlando.

Brooks Tropicals was one of 300 booths at the exposition on Saturday of the event. Over 1,400 people attended.

In the booth was Sam Skogstad, director of sourcing and sales, marketing director Mary Ostlund and account executives Jack Barron, Sandra White and Albert Ramirez