Peterson Brands LLC,  a leading provider of high-quality fruit and vegetable beverages, part of the Peterson Farms Family of Cos., acquires Country Pure Foods. This acquisition strengthens Peterson Brands’ position in key beverage categories and expands its presence across both retail and foodservice markets.

Headquartered in Akron, OH, Country Pure Foods operates multiple manufacturing facilities across the United States, including locations in Akron, OH; Howey-In-The-Hills, FL; Ellington, CT; and DeLand, FL. The company brings a broad portfolio of trusted brands — such as Ardmore Farms

What Chefs Want is under contract to acquire Puzycki’s Produce and Specialty Foods, a respected supplier of fresh produce and specialty food items based in St. Petersburg, FL. The transaction is scheduled to close on Jan. 12.

Puzycki’s Produce, owned and led by Brian Puzycki, has served restaurants, schools and foodservice operations across a wide stretch of central Florida for many years. The company operates from its primary St. Petersburg location and an additional warehouse in Vero Beach, allowing the team to support customers from Tampa Bay through Daytona and along the eastern corridor

Natural Grocers has released its Top Trends for 2026. Now in its 10th year, the forecast outlines emerging practices and products expected to influence four core categories: health and wellness, body care and beauty, food and beverage and ecologically thoughtful living.

Guided by insights from the company’s Nutrition Education team — including registered dietitians, nutrition therapists and certified natural foods chefs — along with Natural Grocers’ marketing and analytics professionals, the 2026 predictions combine research, consumer behavior and hands-on expertise. The result is a practical

Albertsons announced a major milestone in its digital transformation journey — the launch of the Albertsons AI shopping assistant, an industry-leading web browser experience designed to make grocery shopping faster, smarter and more personalized. 

As the industry leans into agentic commerce, the Albertsons AI shopping assistant moves beyond search to execute complex end‑to‑end grocery tasks helping customers complete shopping, from recipe to cart, in minutes. Building on the success of the company’s Ask AI tool introduced earlier this year, the agentic shopping assistant is a customer-friendly

Lipman Family Farms is deepening its generational commitment to fighting hunger. Its latest $2 million investment will help to build a new facility for the Harry Chapin Food Bank of southwest Florida in Fort Myers.

The center — set to break ground this November and completion by the end of next year — will expand the food bank’s ability to sort, pack and distribute fresh, nutritious food to thousands of families facing hunger.

For Lipman, the gift isn’t just a financial pledge. It’s the next step in a decades-long relationship rooted in shared purpose. Based in Immokalee and still family-owned

The Fresh Produce & Floral Council will close out the year with one of its most anticipated traditions: the FPFC Holiday Reception, set for Dec. 11 at the Sheraton Park Hotel at the Anaheim Resort. Running from 4 to 7 p.m., the reception has long been considered a signature year-end gathering for the West Coast produce and floral industries, and this year’s event leaned even further into community, celebration and a focus on the industry’s future.

Matthew Hayes, the council’s program and events director, said the event stood out because it “brought together the full breadth of the produce and