November/December 2019 - 4

THE PROCESS
ZEKE JENNINGS
Office 616-887-9008
Can't beet that
It really doesn't matter what a business
produces, market trends are going to affect
sales. People are always on the lookout for the
next big thing.
In recent years, the produce industry has seen
Zeke Jennings
Managing Editor
the demand for avocado, kale and cauliflower
take off. The reason being for all three are
the health benefits they provide. Kale and
avocado for being marketed as " superfoods, "
and cauliflower as a healthier substitute for
flour-based dough and other products.
What is next? Well, it could very well be beets.
Red beets, or table beets, are not the same as sugarbeets,
which are grown almost exclusively for processing to make
sugar. Red beets, however, have long been peeled and cooked
for consumption, although haven't been one of the more popular
fresh produce vegetables in terms of sales. (The leaves also are
edible and healthy). Also, red beets are processed to make juice
and powder and can be pickled.
The health benefits of red beets are gaining the vegetable a
reputation as a superfood. Beets are a good source of fiber, folate,
manganese, potassium, iron and vitamin C. Beets also are low
in fat and have been associated with reducing blood pressure.
One company getting in on the growing beet-as-a-superfood
wave is Love Beets, which is examined in our look at food
trends on Page 6. Love Beets was founded in the UK by Guy
and Katherine Stropshire, who began by producing marinated
beets and have since expanded to juice and powder.
In
2016, the company expanded to the U.S. with a Rochester,
New York-based facility.
LaJoie Growers, a longtime potato farming operation in
Aroostook County, Maine, saw the potential of beets and added
60 acres of beets to its operation. It wasn't on a whim, however.
Owner Dominic LaJoie said he didn't add beets until buyers were
secured. LaJoie did use the opportunity to add processing to his
operation in the form a beet powder. The product is currently
sold on Amazon.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture doesn't differentiate between
sugarbeets and table beets in statistical tracking, so it's hard to
know for sure how much beet growing is increasing in the U.S.
Beets are certainly one to watch, however.
Managing Editor Zeke Jennings, 616-520-2159
zjennings@greatamericanpublish.com
Advertising Andrea Schafer, 616-520-2139
prosales@produceprocessing.net
Editorial Director Tim Hodson, 616-520-2161
thodson@greatamericanpublish.com
Creative Director Kristina Howell, 616-520-2168
khowell@greatamericanpublish.com
Multimedia Designer Greg Ryan, 616-520-2145
proproduction@produceprocessing.net
Production Assistant Samantha Orsi, 616-520-2148
sorsi@greatamericanpublish.com
Group Marketing Melissa Gray, 616-520-2153
Director mgray@greatamericanpublish.com
Digital Content Ana Olvera, 616-520-2171
Director aolvera@greatamericanpublish.com
Custom Content Jess Schmidt, 616-520-2141
Manager jschmidt@greatamericanpublish.com
Circulation Becky Stovall, 616-520-2138
circulation@produceprocessing.net
Billing Accounts Receivable, 616-520-2136
accounting@produceprocessing.net
Contributing Editors Gary Pullano, 616-520-2144
Stephen Kloosterman, 616-520-2152
COO & Director of Kimberly Baker, 616-520-2135
Custom Media kbaker@greatamericanpublish.com
CFO & Director of Deb Carnes, 616-520-2169
Human Resources dcarnes@greatamericanpublish.com
CEO Matt McCallum, 616-520-2133
publisher@produceprocessing.net
Editorial Advisory Board
Adrienne Seiling, American Frozen Food Institute
Bob Swartwout, Direct Advantage
Rudi Groppe, Heinzen Manufacturing International
Lou Cooperhouse, Rutgers Food Innovation Center
Sherrie Rosenblatt, Can Manufacturers Institute
ISSN 2375-3447
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November/December 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November/December 2019
