By
Kimberly Warren
Managing Editor
The newest item on McDonald’s
menu may just be the biggest thing since sliced bread – at least
for the apple industry.
Sliced apples, marketed as Apple Dippers, have taken the stage on
McDonald’s menu as part of the company’s commitment to
healthful foods – and it has growers smiling.
“Michigan apple shippers and processors have toyed with fresh-cut
in big and small ways for probably eight years now,” said Denise
Yockey, executive director of the Michigan Apple Committee. “To
see it finally break out in this big way is very exciting. It helps
having a big name like McDonald’s lead the pack.”
Peterson Farms Fresh, Inc., a Michigan fresh-cut processor, recently
completed a 30,000 square-foot facility to accommodate its apple slicing
line. They also package fresh-cut grapes in the plant.
“The key to this whole project is getting the highest quality
of apples,” said Sarah Schlukebir, vice president of sales and
marketing for Peterson Farms Fresh. “We’re excited because
McDonald’s is very open to looking at the widest range of apples
to always offer the freshest, highest quality fresh sliced apples
throughout the year.”
Peterson Farms will be supplying fresh-cut apples to McDonald’s
on a year-round basis. Schlukebir said Peterson Farms Fresh will primarily
source apples from Michigan, but at times will have to supplement
Michigan apples with apples grown in other states.
“The goal is to use all Michigan apples, but logistically, we
can’t,” Schlukebir said.
In mid-May, Peterson Farms Fresh was slicing Empires from Michigan,
but numerous varieties have been approved for use depending on the
time of the year.
Processors from all over the country have already been buying Empires
for fresh-cut. And Yockey said that has helped Michigan’s growers.
“Already this year, I think all of our over supply has been
cleaned up by fresh-cut,” she said. “Our consumer taste
tests show Empire is one of the favorite apples.”
Wherever the apples come from, Schlukebir said Peterson Farms Fresh
believes that fresh-cut apples are a major new market for apple growers.
“If you look at fresh-cut fruit, they’re saying fresh-cut
fruit is the next avenue because it’s new, it’s convenient,”
Schlukebir said. “And apples are the focus because there’s
12-month availability.”
Yockey said Michigan apple growers, as well as growers across the
country, are eager to see where the fresh-cut wave takes them.
“It’s exciting to see it finally happen,” she said.
“It is going to be very good for us because that process requires
a high quality apple. All the people who are the leaders in fresh-cut
fruit are saying that the fresh-cut apple could be the biggest of
all the fresh-cut fruit.
“There are so many pieces out there that are all coming together
nicely – you have the coating treatments; you have the technology;
you have the whole country in an increased awareness about anti-obesity.”
With those new coating technologies and processing technologies, apples
are kept at a high quality throughout the slicing process. Peterson
Farms Fresh dips the apples in a Vitamin C solution, which slows the
browning of the apples. They also keep the apples at 35° F through
the whole process.
Peterson Farms Fresh packs the apples in 2.4-ounce modified atmosphere
bags that act like a miniature controlled atmosphere, Schlukebir said.
“Between the packaging and keeping the apples at ideal temperatures,
the apples remain fresh-tasting and crisp,” she said.
Each bag of apples has a shelf life of 18 days. But so far, many restaurants
have had such great demand that they sell out within the first day
they are at each store, Schlukebir said.
Right now, Peterson Farms Fresh is only supplying fresh-cut apples
to McDonald’s. And so far, the demand from McDonald’s
has kept the processor busy for two shifts per day, six days a week.
In fact, Peterson Farms is so busy with fresh-cut apples that they
may have to look into expanding the facility’s size within the
next year.
There are some 13,000 McDonald’s restaurants in the United States.
And though Apple Dippers are not in all of the restaurants yet, they
will be by summer.
“We started the market test in the U.S. last year in three markets,”
said Bill Whitman, McDonald’s spokesman. “The consumer
response was very positive and very encouraging. The decision was
made to roll them out nationally – we’re very excited
about that.”
Whitman said the demand for apples from growers will depend on the
consumer demand for Apple Dippers. But he said McDonald’s is
expecting that they will be able to meet the customer demand –
whatever it may be.
So far, Peterson Farms has been using some of its existing apple growers
to provide apples for slicing, but in the future, they may add more
apple growers to their roster. Peterson Farms believes that the growth
of fresh-cut apples will encourage growers to plant additional acreage.
Yockey said apple growers in Michigan are ready for the changes.
“We’re pursuing it on two levels,” she said. “We
will do whatever we can to support value-added and the fresh-cut apple
in Michigan. We are also approaching those people who are already
experts in the fresh-cut fruit and vegetable industry about the virtues
of the Michigan apple.”
Peterson Farms Fresh is one of a few plants providing apples for Apple
Dippers, Schlukebir said. Whitman was unable to comment on who the
other processors are.
Apple Dippers are available at some of the restaurants on the Dollar
Menu. Each bag comes with a low fat caramel dip.
On Assignment
Walking into Peterson Farms Fresh, I had no idea what to expect. I’m
the kind of person who really prefers not to see what happens to my
food before I eat it. That is, unless I’ve grown it or I know
the person who grew it. Let me tell you, I was pleasantly surprised
by what I saw at the plant.
This has to be one of the cleanest processing lines I have ever seen.
Everyone was covered – pretty much head-to-toe – in hairnets,
hoods, facemasks, smocks, and multiple pairs of gloves. You name it,
and they were probably wearing it.
Imagine my surprise when I got to don the outfit myself (sorry folks,
there are no pictures of this). I felt like some creature from outer
space. It may not have been the most stylish outfit, but I’d
pick that any day over knowing someone walked into the plant without
gloves or a hair net on.
Besides being clean, the whole line from beginning to end seemed almost
seamless. I was impressed with how smooth the process was. It’s
obvious that quality is of the utmost importance.
Needless to say, I stopped at McDonald’s on the way to my parents’
house to pick up some Dippers to share.
