For food companies, now is the time to be there for the consumers you’ve worked to earn relationships with while they are at home, cooking and spending a significant amount of time on their phones.

Wholesalers and foodservice distributors are selling to consumers as they scramble to replace millions in lost sales to restaurants because of COVID-19 restrictions in place since mid-March.

With plummeting foodservice sales across the country, Pro*Act’s distributors and their restaurant customers are delivering boxes containing a week’s worth of produce directly to consumers.

The Packer’s Tom Karst spoke on March 30 with Craig Carlson, CEO of Chicago-based Carlson Produce Consulting, LLC.

The National Watermelon Promotion Board has launched an updated website, watermelon.org, featuring more content that promotes return visits for consumers looking for recipes, nutrition information and more.

Ohio, where I live and work, has issued an order for everyone in the state to shelter in place. Restaurants and schools have been closed, large gatherings are prohibited — and the world of produce has suddenly changed.

To help alleviate the backlog of foodservice produce inventory and the strain on local retailers and community, the Southeast Produce Council distributed free produce to people in the Jenkins County area of Georgia. 

The Packer’s Tom Karst talks on March 26 with Jason Resnick, vice president and general counsel for Western Growers, about the current foodservice crisis tied to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak.

The fresh produce industry is facing unprecedented losses with the COVID-19 pandemic according to Western Growers, which is asking the USDA to cover all PACA claims to ensure produce sellers are fully protected.

The National Grocers Association and the United Fresh Produce Association are working together to connect produce distributors and independent supermarkets.