FOOD MARKET REPORT - Food for Thought

Market Report - Food for Thought

July 29, 2014

Fruitful Practices and Emerging Issues

It’s summer in North America and Europe where one can enjoy the plentiful selection of tropical fruits at your local supermarket or fruit market.  Whether you enjoy trendy fruit salads, refreshing smoothies or a “fruit cocktail”, there are numerous selections of the world’s highest quality tropical and exotic fruits to choose from.

At BRANDAID Food we have just completed the procurement program to launch Costa Rican and/or Ivory Coast Pineapples into the European marketplace and the decision is not an easy one.  We have steep competition from lower priced Ecuadorian pineapples that also have great features besides price point. 

Both suppliers have the following “best practices”:

·        Quality systems to assure ripeness, defect tolerances, cleanliness, color, appearance, size

·        Food safety programs that incorporate HACCP systems (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points)

·        Logistics in freight are equal in terms of timelines to reach the wholesaler so shelf life of the fruit remains the same at 2 weeks after delivery

·        Landed costs referred to as CIF (Customs/Insurance/Freight) are the same

·        Annual plant audits by third party independent auditors and customers are excellent!

·        Global Gap certified growers.  GlobalGap (EuropGap) stands for the requirements that are made on a worldwide level of agricultural and market gardening businesses in terms of food safety, shelf life and quality.  There are universal standards, requiring a lot or paperwork and annual re-certifications.

·        Programs that support their artisanal growers…this satisfies BRANDAID Food’s mission statement.  Check out our website at www.brandaidfood.com for all the details.

·        Good working conditions for all involved

So our decision is not an easy one.  Have a closer look and you vote! Send me an email with your comments to: bmacdonald@brandaidfood.com

Pitaya: The Exotic Fruit with Health Benefits

Pitaya: 

The Exotic 

Fruit with Health

Benefits

Yellow Pitaya is available to fruit wholesalers by BRANDAID Food Inc. on a fly-in program out of Bogata, Columbia.  Contact bmacdonald@brandaidfood.com

Written by: Kimberly Snyder

Whenever I hear someone refer to superfoods as only rare and expensive items, often available in powders and tinctures, I always roll my eyes. Please. To me, superfoods are abundant everywhere. My definition of superfoods are that they are whole plant foods that have numerous health benefits, and include a whole array of phytonutrients, including vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. “Superfoods” have powerful healing qualities and should be a core staple of our daily diet… but once again, they are abundant everywhere. To me, spinach is a superfood. So are kale, lemons, sunflower seeds, etc. They do not have to come from across the world.

All that being said, I still like to talk about “exotic” fruits as well, which too can fall into the superfoods category. By exotic, they may grow in some far off places resides the US, but I guess it mostly means that they look a whole lot different than typical oranges and apples. It can be fun to mix different plant foods into your diet, and it is also good to get a wide range. I was thinking about this one in particular, Pitaya, aka dragon fruit, because I saw it here in Los Angeles. Seeing it reminded me of also eating it in Thailand, where I would get it (along with a bounty of other Asian fruit) at the street markets practically every day I was there.

It is one weird looking and oddly beautiful fruit. On the outside, Pitaya has a deep pinkish red color (although one variety of the fruit is golden yellow) with green scaly leaves. On the inside (the part you eat) you will find flesh ranging from white to deep red spotted with small seeds.

Dragon Fruit Nutrition

Grown in California, Central and South America, and Southeast Asia, Pitaya is the fruit of a cactus plant. Nutrition for the dragon fruit includes:

• 60 calories per 100 gram serving
• 1 gram of fiber per serving
• 9 grams of carbohydrates per serving
• The fruit’s edible seeds contain heart healthy monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids.
• Studies show dragon fruit is a significant source of antioxidants, which can prevent free radical damage that can lead to premature aging and disease.
• The fruit is high in many important micronutrients such as vitamin C, calcium, and vitamin A.

Pitaya Health Benefits

There are interesting studies featuring this exotic fruit, which show that  pitaya may have other health benefits, as well.

• One study showed that dragon fruit had a notable impact on oxidative stress and aortic stiffness in diabetic rats, suggesting the fruit may be beneficial at preventing complications associated with diabetes.
• The same study indicates regular consumption of dragon fruit may lower the risks of developing heart disease and developing high blood pressure.
• Dragon fruit is high in antioxidants. Studies show that antioxidants may be effective at lowering risk of certain types of cancer.
• The seeds contain omega-3 fats. A great deal of research shows that omega-3 fatty acids can fight inflammation and autoimmune diseases.
• Because of its nutritional makeup, including antioxidants, monounsaturated fats, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and fiber, pitaya is a beauty-enhancing fruit.

Eating Pitaya

Because pitaya is a fruit, it moves very rapidly through your digestive system. In The Beauty Detox Solution, I recommend eating fruit first thing in the day or on an empty stomach so your body can make the most of the beneficial nutrients and enzymes. You don’t want fruit to get stuck beyond a heavier food, where it can begin to ferment in your system and create toxins. This same rule goes for dragon fruit.

You can eat pitaya alone, or you can include it in delicious smoothies.

Pitaya Smoothie

• Flesh of one dragon fruit
• 1 cup banana
• 1 cup coconut water
• 1″ ginger nub water

You can also eat the pitaya by itself. To prepare a pitaya:

1. Cut the fruit in half, lengthwise.
2. Using a large spoon, scoop out the pitaya’s flesh.
3. Trim away any extra inedible skin.
4. Cut into cubes and eat or use in smoothies or fruit salads.

Taste and Texture

Dragon fruit has a pretty mild taste, especially in contrast to its rather extreme looks! It is similar to melon in its taste and texture, and it’s not too sweet. The flavor is quite delicate with pear-like notes. If you buy a pink-fleshed pitaya, your smoothies will have a vibrant, beautiful color.

Where to Buy

I’ve seen dragon fruit in the produce aisle at many grocery stores. You can also find it at Whole Foods, in produce stands, or in its dried form at many natural food stores. I recommend buying organic dragon fruit and reading dried fruit labels to ensure no sugar or chemicals have been added.

MARKET ENTRY STRATEGY: BRANDAID Food Inc.launches Consulting Services for Retail, Wholesale & Food Service listings

CONSULTING SERVICES OVERVIEW

Want your product listed in Canada?

PROJECT REVIEW, PLAN DEVELOPMENT AND ADMINISTRATION

1. CLIENT PRE-ENGAGEMENT REVIEW

·         Listing Fees

·         Promotional Funding, Trade, Promo & Deduction Management

·         HACCP, Global Gap, etc.

·         Warehousing, Storage, Handling

·         Pallet and Returnable Container Tracking

·         Budgets – Branding, Marketing ,  Supply/Logistics

            In all cases, strategies for dealing with deficiencies will be developed.

2. MARKETING PLAN PREPARATION AND DELIVERY

·         Store checks - product and shelf facings

·         Competitor Analyses

·         SWOT analyses, pricing, features, conclusions

·         Store checks for product and shelf facings

·         EDI setup

·         GS1 listing

·         Branding strategy

·         Package design

·         Sales strategy

·         Promotional program

·         Test marketing

·         Launch strategy

3. BROKER PLAN

·         Interview suitable brokers

·         Sign where required

4. SUPPLY AND LOGISTICS STRATEGY

5. CLIENT PRESENTATIONS

·         Presentation of SKU

·         Purchasing department dealings

Contact:

Bruce MacDonald

President & CEO

BRANDAID Food

bmacdonald@brandaidfood.com

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Check out my new e-book entitled: Social Media Marketing in Agri-foods - Endless Profit and Painless Gain

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Thanks for taking the time

BRANDAID Food launches new video. Check it out.

INTRODUCTION

BRANDAID Food Inc. is a privately held company based in Toronto, Canada. Our mission is to source and brand food products from around the world and sell these products into global markets under unique “Branding” programs.  Check out our new BRANDAID Food video.

BRANDAID Food (www.brandaidfood.com) develops the retail, wholesale and food service channels capitalizing on already established market relationships. The Branding programs are designed to develop a loyal customer base combined with extensive sales, marketing and technical support from the artisanal grower through to the end consumer.

Fruit is processed through HACCP and Global Gap certified facilities in Brazil.  We have NDA Non Compete Agreements with our suppliers.  BRANDAID completes plant audits on a regular basis to guarantee our product quality.  BRANDAID has product and quality liability insurance.

World Class Certified Suppliers of Brazilian Tropical Fruits

Contact: Bruce MacDonald, President & CEO, bmacdonald@brandaidfood.com; 

cell: 647-244-1063

www.brandaidfood.com

_________________________________________________________________________________

                          Brazilian Tropical Fruit Program

Selected for Optimum Flavor, Texture and Aoma

"Palmer" Mangos, "Formosa" Papayas, "Golden" Papayas, "Pink" Guava, "Yellow" Guava, Avocados

QUALITY at its Best

Farmed in Brazil on >5,000 Ha (30 + years)

Multiple farms and plants for Guaranteed Supply year round

  

Packaging / Processing

 Global Gap, HACCP, Audited by BRANDAID Food

Exclusive Banding for BRANDAID Food Inc.

Packaged with Optimum Degree of Freshness

Pricing

Terms:        Order Prepaid 7 days in advance of Shipping (wire transfer) in $US

Freight:      Supply Logistics Optimized through Hapag-Lloyd or Kuehne + nagel Ltd.

                        World-class Supply Chain Expertise & Customs Clearance

                        Order Tracking & JIT Door-to-Door Delivery

Products

CONTAINER PROGRAM
PALMER MANGO 4.0 kg Size 6 - 12 ex Salvador, Brazil	22 Skids
FLY-IN PROGRAM
PALMER MANGO 4.0 Kg Size 6 - 9 ex Sao Paulo, Brazil	1-14 Skids
FORMOSA PAPAYA 4.5 Size 3 - 4 Kg ex Sao Paulo, Brazil	1-14 Skids
GOLDEN PAPAYA 3.5 Kg Size 6 - 12 ex Sao Paulo, Brazil	1-14 Skids
Pink GUAVA 3.3 Kg Size 20 - 28 ex Sao Paulo, Brazil	1-14 Skids
Yellow GUAVA 3.3 Size 20 - 28 Kg ex Sao Paulo, Brazil	1-14 Skids
AVOCADO 10.3 Kg Size 16 - 20 ex Sao Paulo, Brazil	1-14 Skids