Salinas, Califorina, USA
July 20, 2012
Nunhems, the vegetable seed business of Bayer CropScience, has entered into agreements with Mann Packing and The Produce Exchange allowing the companies to market new specialty seed varieties in the United States.
Two Nunhems innovations – Intense®, the full-flesh tomato, and Green Glace, a new green leaf-iceberg hybrid lettuce – are being marketed to the food service industry as improved ingredients for sandwich or hamburger applications. “These products are demonstrative of Nunhems’ commitment to providing consumers an improved eating experience through our genetic expertise,” Rebecca Catlett, Nunhems’ Produce Chain Manager, explains. “Consumers will notice less sogginess on their sandwich with a tomato that does not leak and lettuce that is not only crisp, but sweet, too.”
Martin Mazzanti, founder of The Produce Exchange, discovered the Intense tomato during a visit to seed trials in Spain in 2006, and began marketing it under the Tesoro brand in 2011. Tesoro means “treasure” in Italian, and pairs well with the variety’s “Food Lover’s Tomato” marketing campaign.
Tesoro is an award-winning tomato that, because of its full flesh and reduced leakage, greatly enhances cooking, slicing and dicing functions. From cooking fresh tomato sauce, preparing salsas or bruschetta, or simply for use in constructing a sandwich, Tesoro tomatoes are perfect for a wide variety of uses. “Tesoro is a tomato that offers a different functionality and a different result than its juicy, conventional cousins,” Mazzanti said. “Its performance, when used in recipes, promises to offer a convenient and delicious option that will bring more sales to fresh tomatoes.”
Mann Packing was introduced to the unique leaf lettuce variety Green Glace during trial visits to England in 2010, and will be launching it under the Better Burger Leaf brand at this week’s PMA Foodservice Conference. “We loved the leaf variety because it filled the shape of sandwich breads and burger buns better than traditional green leaf. It has a tender crunch and a sweet iceberg flavor,” Rick Russo, Director of Foodservice Sales at Mann Packing, said. “We worked closely with Nunhems to make sure we can grow in both the desert and Salinas seasons to ensure seamless sourcing throughout the year.”
Mann Packing will be marketing the leaf lettuce variety Green Glace under the Better Burger Leaf brand
Both Mann Packing (booth 137) and The Produce Exchange (booth 150) will showcase their new products at the PMA Foodservice Conference this week.
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