SAN ANTONIO, TX - By now I'm sure you've seen our coverage of the 2016 Viva Fresh Produce Expo, but there's still more to show! As our reporter Melissa revealed the showcases that caught her eye at the show earlier this week, here are five more offerings that left an impression on me even after the hectic show floor subsided.

Pure Flavor's Living Lettuce

I don’t know about you, but the idea that we live in an era where you can have a living salad on your counter at all times still gets me pretty excited. While the idea you can have living at-home lettuce isn’t brand new, this offering from Pure Flavor features its own growing medium for ease-of-use and doesn't need to be refrigerated to keep it fresh to last bite. That way you can even have a beautiful table centerpiece that's totally edible!

Calavo’s Homeboy Industries Line

Talk about an eye-catching packaging with the story to match. Calavo Foods and its Homeboy Industries line showcased an array of guacamoles, salsas, and even a hummus at Viva Fresh this year. And then you hear the cause behind it. With every Homeboy product purchased, Calavo gives back to support formerly gang-involved and recently incarcerated men and women, helping them to redirect their lives. As Calavo keeps growing its dips and food lines with the new Homeboy brand, I predict a lot of eyes will be drawn to the simple color-blocked packaging and the inspiring cause behind it. 

Potandon’s Boil-in-Bag Packaging 

Ahh, there’s nothing like convenience. With Potandon’s latest offering you can actually cut the step of even taking the potatoes out of the bag! Using Boil-In-Bag packaging saves you the trouble of choosing a serving size, wrestling the potatoes out of the packaging, and fishing the potatoes out of the water. Nothing like saving some precious time and ending up with a delicious plate of potatoes in a matter of minutes. 

London Fruit’s Lime Boxes

London Fruit came to Viva Fresh with the same great products its had for some time now, but it did show off the latest look for the company in its new lime boxes. Soon to spread through the company to pack the company’s Mexican-grown mangos and avocados as well, the company’s newly designed boxes show just how much of a difference beautiful coloring and complementary design make when drawing your eye to a product. 

Fresh Express Salad Kits

I’m always on the look out for a new and easy salad kit, and these new flavor combinations from Fresh Express are no exception. The company was at the conference showing off its Sunflower Crisp, Chipotle Cheddar, BBQ Ranch, and my two personal favorites—Bacon & Bleu and Southwest (both featuring greek yogurt dressing). Consumers have been trending towards Greek yogurt for a while now, and seeing it complimented so well in a greek yogurt bleu cheese dressing and the Greek yogurt jalapeño ranch for the salads was exciting to see.

There you have it! Whether you weren't able to make it out to the show or got too caught up to see all the new innovations on the floor, there are five things that made their mark on me after this year's Viva Fresh. See you all again in Austin next year! 

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