Congratulations to the top-five winners in our 2021 Best New Refrigerated Retail Products Contest! These five companies pulled away from the other 25 nominated foods in online voting from August 3 to September 3, and will be honored with individual Q&As in our December magazine.

Mann's, a subsidiary of Del Monte Fresh Produce and one of the largest suppliers of packaged vegetables in North America, announces the addition of three new products – MANN Veggie Sides, Steakhouse Style and Better Pasta. Available now at select retailers nationwide, these new meal companions will be sure to make even the pickiest eater ask for more vegetables.

Bolthouse Farms, a leader in growing and distributing carrots, branded beverages and dressings, today announced its new Bolthouse Farms Wunderoots innovative platform of plant-powered, carrot-based meal solutions are now available regionally where consumers buy groceries. The lineup features Carrot Dogs, Noodled Carrot kits and Riced Carrot kits, providing consumers simple, easy to prepare and delicious ways to eat more vegetables.

Houweling’s Group has moved to its new Nogales, Arizona, distribution and packing services center. Having outgrown the 18,000-square-foot facility the company operated the last few years, the new 30,000-square-foot facility has 50% more receiving bays, six coolers with the ability to manage three separate climate zones and a cooled packing area.

Fresh From Texas, a San Antonio-based business, has acquired the manufacturing plant of CeCe’s Veggie Co., located in Austin, Texas. The purchase of the manufacturing facility increases Fresh From Texas’ production capacity enabling continued expansion into new avenues for growth in the refrigerated, premium product lines of high-quality, hand-crafted plant-based meal solutions.  As part of the agreement, Fresh From Texas will continue to produce the CeCe’s varieties of spiralized vegetables in the Austin facility. 

The makers of the WHOLLY brand, home of WHOLLY AVOCADO and WHOLLY GUACAMOLE, America’s #1 refrigerated guacamole, are making it more convenient than ever for people to get their daily dose of avocado with the launch of WHOLLY AVOCADO Diced Avocado and single-serve Smashed Avocado products. These innovations are paving the way for a new category of ready-to-eat avocado under the WHOLLY AVOCADO brand. Avocado lovers can now enjoy perfectly ripe and preservative free, pre-diced and smashed avocado anytime.