Bruce Taylor, CEO of Taylor Farms and chair of the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) Board of Directors has provided his outlook on the Foodservice Conference coming up in Monterey, California July 28-29.
“Americans are hurtling toward a diet-induced disaster of obesity and chronic disease. Fresh fruits and vegetables are the solution,” said Taylor. “Currently only one in 10 US consumers enjoy the recommended amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables each day. The 2022 Foodservice Conference will be a key opportunity for fresh produce suppliers to interact with restaurant, hotel, school, health care and workplace buyers, menu developers and chefs from over 700 companies to discuss solutions to this complex challenge. Success will benefit everyone. If I had to identify a theme this year for the education, it would be - new channels of opportunity.”
Taylor will be a featured panelist in the Monterey Bay Live! session taking place Friday, July 29. The session, which will be hosted by award-winning author and television host, Leslie Sbrocco, will also feature guests Michel Nischan, the founder and chairman of Wholesome Wave and Vincent Huynh, culinary director at Agricole Hospitality. The speakers will share their experiences on how they’re changing menus and growing appetites for produce at foodservice. Each of these speakers and their companies are dedicated to reinventing the way we see produce, removing barriers between consumers and fruits and vegetables.
“IFPA and its Foundation for Fresh Produce believe in produce without barriers because barriers to produce are also barriers to wellness, nutritional security and a vibrant life,” said Taylor. “While some of these barriers are self-imposed and can be addressed with marketing that truly taps into the drivers that motivate eating, many barriers require more than messaging. In addition to speakers and suppliers who will share their innovative solutions for increasing access and preference for produce, we will also welcome a contingent of K-12 foodservice professionals and IFPA partner Brighter Bites.”
With the addition of the K-12 Foodservice Forum, this year’s conference will welcome local and national participants from some of the largest school districts in the country to attend the conference and expo in addition to field tours at local farms. This group of professionals provides daily breakfasts, lunches, snacks and more to the youngest of our consumer population. Research has found building healthy habits at young ages contributes to healthy eating later in life, which is reinforced in Brighter Bites’ program evaluation. Brighter Bites is an organization dedicated to delivering fresh fruits and vegetables to families along with nutritional education and a fun food experience. The IFPA Foodservice Conference will culminate in a closing reception and “Wine for a Cause” auction benefiting Brighter Bites.
Conference registration is open and those looking to attend can find more information here.
For more information:
Siobhan May
IFPA
+1 (302) 781-5855
SMay@freshproduce.com
www.freshproduce.com