Sweet Like Candy

Sweet Like Candy: Sunset Kidz MiMi Candy Tomatoes are a hit with children

It isn’t common in the fresh-cut produce industry to compare fruits and vegetables to candy – usually produce is set opposed to sugar-filled snack items. But kids like candy, so Mastronardi Produce, Kingsville, Ontario, is marketing its candy tomatoes under its Sunset brand to children with innovative packaging and convenience.

The Sunset Kidz MiMi Candy Tomatoes are bite-sized and super sweet. They make fast, healthy finger food, according to the company, and are convenient for lunches, snacks or on-the-go. The taste will keep kids coming back, but the packaging will draw them in.

“The fact is, it’s the sweetest cherry tomato out there,” said Chris Veillon, marketing manger for Mastronardi Produce. “It’s just a great product.”

The 3-ounce packages are uniquely hourglass-shaped with a clear film on top to show off the product and the label. The package features film that tears away easily, and the label was designed to promote sales to young families, according to the company. Part of the marketing program was the cartoon characters on the label. There are four Sunset Kidz: Alex, Mila, Anni and Nikko – encouraging kids to collect all four. The packs are priced at 99 cents, so they’re cheaper than candy bars, Viellon said.

Sunset Kidz MiMi Candy Tomatoes are washed and ready to eat from the package. They are washed and packed in a newly-expanded facility in Ontario, which now sits at 80,000 square feet after a 20,000 square foot addition to the packing and distribution area. The company has also expanded its distribution capabilities by adding a 20,000 square foot facility in Salinas, Calif., and a nearly 400,000 square foot warehousing and distribution center in Livonia, Mich.

The MiMi Candy Tomatoes are marketed to children, and the company is hoping to build on that success with similar products aimed at adults. Mastronardi also is looking at new markets, including vending machines, to get products into more convenient locations. The company had a prototype vending machine on display at the United Fresh Show in Las Vegas in April, which could be placed in offices or schools.

The production of the new candy tomato pack is done under the watchful eye of the Microbiology Lab, which is staffed by a microbiologist. The lab tests for pathogenic organisms and traces back samples to the source so any corrective action can be taken if necessary. The lab also is responsible for the sanitation of the facilities, including daily sampling of food contact surfaces and non-food contact surfaces with bioluminescence technology. Routine testing is conducted in the manufacturing facility for pathogenic and non-pathogenic organisms, and the air is sample for yeasts and molds, which could negatively affect shelf life. Even packing materials are sampled to ensure that safe product leaves Mastronardi Produce.

The company also has a Shelf-Life Laboratory staffed by a post-harvest specialist. That lab is responsible for test the pH, Brix, weight and pesticide residue of final products, as well as instances of mold or defects.
Mastronardi is able to trace back items to the source, and does so in regular mock recalls. At the greenhouse, produce is labeled on the PLU according to location, date of harvest and commodity. When product comes into the warehouse, the pallet is tagged and the original identification stays with the pallet through packing. The system is all recorded electronically, so if a recall were to occur the company could quickly respond.
The candy tomatoes are grown in Mastonardi’s greenhouses. The company helped found the greenhouse growing industry more than 50 years ago, and is now in its fourth generation of ownership. The company is the largest greenhouse grower in North America, with more than 1,400 acres of greenhouse area, which produce all of the Sunset gourmet tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and organic produce. There are Mastronardi greenhouses in Canada, the United States, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama. Each site has quality control personnel, according to the company. The company also has distribution centers in Kingsville, Ontario, Romulus, Mich., Salinas, Calif., Lakeland, Fla., Maroa, Ill., Brush, Colo., and Irapuato, Mexico.

The advantage to growing in greenhouses is the ability to biologically and environmentally control the plant environment. The company also can grow year-round in climates that wouldn’t support tomatoes and vegetables during the winter. Plus, there’s protection from the elements. In early June, a tornado ripped through Leamington, Ontario, near the company’s operations. Only a small amount of the 1,800 acres of greenhouse area in Ontario was damaged, and the storm missed Mastronardi’s altogether, but wind, rain and hail could have damaged crops if not for the greenhouse protection.

Mastronardi’s greenhouses use state-of-the-art technology for growing its many varieties of tomatoes, including the new candy tomatoes. The plants are either self-pollinating or pollinated with bumblebees. As part of the company’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program, ladybugs and friendly wasps (beneficials) are released as needed to take care of pests. Pesticides and fungicides usually aren’t needed.

“That’s using good bugs to beat bad bugs,” Viellon said.

IPM is considered a sustainable practice in agriculture, and Mastronardi is growing and packing as sustainably as possible. It’s all part of the company’s Green Grass Project, which focuses on three aspects of the business and reducing their environmental impact. Phase 1 is the growing side, which includes vine-ripened and greenhouse-grown produce. Recycled fertilizer is applied, which is made from recycled leech and reusable cocoa peat, rather than other products that generate waste. Waste water from the growing operations is treated and reused, which the company says reduces the amount of water used by 50 percent over field-grown products. The IPM program is also part of Phase 1.

Phase 2 is the packaging. The company uses bleach-free boxes, and clamshells are made using post-consumer recycled plastics or plastics developed from renewable resources – PET and PLA. Reducing the size of packaging and getting more on a pallet, plus using reusable plastic containers, helps to reduce the impact of shipping on the environment.

Phase 3 is focused on the distribution of Sunset products. The company’s warehouses were designed with skylights to let in natural light and reduce the need for additional lighting. What lighting is used utilizes energy efficient bulbs or systems that run only when needed. The final goal of Phase 3 is reduced food miles, so distribution facilities can service customers regionally rather than shipping from one location.

The Sunset Kidz MiMi Candy Tomatoes have been a hit with kids, and this year Mastronardi Produce plans to introduce MiMi Candy Cucumbers. In 2011, the company is planning the launch of a third candy line – MiMi Candy Peppers.

 



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