Produce companies are gearing up for Super Bowl promotions, with avocados, mangoes and sweet potatoes expected to be particularly popular, and grocers are encouraged to explore cross-merchandising strategies to boost avocado sales. Mission Produce's Brooke Becker notes that a third of football fans call guacamole a top snack, and the Colombia Avocado Board's Manuel Michel highlights the consistent quality of Colombian avocados. Green Life Farms and North Carolina's SweetPotato Commission also are promoting vegetables for game-day recipes.

Retailers are highlighting premium apple varieties such as Cosmic Crisp and Pink Lady amid a 26% decline in Washington's Honeycrisp crop this season. Stemilt Growers and Superfresh Growers are encouraging promotions of these alternatives to maintain sales and satisfy consumer demand.

Sushi Noz, a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City, offers Miyazaki mango as a dessert in its omakase menu. The mangoes, known for their intense flavor and large size, are meticulously cultivated in Miyazaki, Japan, and can sell for over $2,000 each. Sushi Noz serves the mango in simple slices, highlighting its natural sweetness and texture.

Pomelos are the largest citrus fruits, native to Southeast Asia, and are available from late October to February. They come in various colors and sizes, with names like shaddock and Chinese grapefruit, and the scientific name, Citrus maxima, reflects their size, which can be as large as a volleyball.

Ramps, or wild leeks, are gaining popularity on restaurant menus due to their unique garlicky-onion flavor and short growing season. According to Datassential, ramps have appeared on 0.8% of US menus, a 32% increase over the past four years, and are primarily found in fine-dining and independent restaurants.

United Natural Foods is undergoing a significant restructuring of its commercial wholesale organization and emphasizing value-added services in a move that will create two divisions: Conventional Grocery Products and Natural, Organic, Specialty & Fresh Products -- each of which will have dedicated sales teams and support from experts in merchandising, operations and procurement. "We want to make sure that our front-facing merchandising and sales focus is very tailored to the strategies of our customers," said UNFI CEO Sandy Douglas.

Ofi has highlighted significant sustainability progress in its 2023 "Nut Trails" report, detailing initiatives across almond, cashew and hazelnut operations. Projects include AI-powered beehives in California, regenerative agriculture practices and extensive training for farmers in Turkey. The company has nearly doubled premium payments to cashew farmers and expanded nutrition programs, reaching over 116,500 people.

CES 2025 highlighted the integration of AI and agritech in sustainable farming, with companies like South Korea's Rowain and Airfarm showcasing vertical farming solutions that use robotics and automation. Urban Ponics from the Netherlands introduced "mist ponics," while Turkey's Nanomik demonstrated biocapsulation technology for natural pesticides. Ukraine's Farm Fleet offers drone rentals for precise pesticide application, emphasizing the global push for innovative farming methods.

An FDA inspection report reveals significant food safety violations at Taylor Farms' Colorado plant, which processed onions used in McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers that were tied to an E. coli outbreak. The report cites inadequate sanitation controls and potential contamination risks, with several areas testing positive for listeria. The outbreak affected 104 people across 14 states, resulting in 38 hospitalizations and one death.