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Kingsville, ON (Aug 10th) – Food & Beverage Executive Magazine recently announced its 2009 Innovation Award Winners with Mastronardi Produce/SUNSET® taking top honors in the tomato category with an emphasis on packaging and merchandising.
“We continue our worldwide research & development each year of unique, flavorful, gourmet tomatoes,” said Paul Mastronardi, Executive Vice-President. “It is with great pleasure that we accept this Innovation Award as the leading innovator for 2009 for the tomato category,” said Mastronardi.
“Each year, Food & Beverage Executive Magazine honors the leaders in their respective industries as innovators, said Gerard Vander Schauw, Publisher of Food & Beverage Executive. “We are pleased to award Mastronardi for their innovation in the tomato category,” concluded Vander Schauw. A panel of judges within Food & Beverage Executive dedicated a month to research products, features and designs that have gone above and beyond expectations in innovation within their category in the past year.
Among some of the nationally recognized tomatoes grown and marketed by Mastronardi under its SUNSET® brand include the Campari® Tomato, Splendido™ Grape Tomato, Champagne™ Cherry Tomato, Kumato™, ONE SWEET™ Tomatoes, and gourmet MEDLEY™ tomatoes to name a few.
“To grow the tomato category, we need to educate consumers on how to use specialty tomatoes, it’s more than just chopping them and putting them in to salads”, stated Mastronardi. “For example, the SUNSET® Kumato™ tomato is a unique tomato experience, its deep color nurtures intense flavor and aroma that I have yet to see in any other specialty variety, it’s a beautiful piece of fruit. Innovation begins with bringing the right tomato to market after conducting extensive trials and market testing, we appreciate being recognized as a tomato innovator”, concluded Paul Mastronardi.
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