Mills Family Farms 'Wholeaves®' scoring rave reviews and awards
from The Produce News, July 26, 2004

  Mills Family Farms, headquartered in Salinas, CA, began growing whole-leaf lettuce and leafy green products 48 years ago. Today, the company grows on over 12,000 acres and ships more than 10 million cartons of produce annually. Top-quality high-volume commodities or the next generation of value-added products can be sourced from Mills Family Farms year-round. "Our signature line is whole-leaf lettuce products," said Jim Mills, senior vice president. "These products are very popular in the foodservice industry because of the many benefits, which include freshness and shelf life." Mills ships products under several brand names including "Classy," "Boss" and "King o' Hearts." In most varieties, it ships 24 heads of product in a carton. Its primary customers include both regional and national distributors. In foodservice, Mill's? products are perfect for many quick-serve-type operations such as Arby's, casual dining restaurants like Denny's and white-tablecloth restaurants.
  Jim Mills' brother, Dave, who is also a senior vice president, said that for foodservice, the company's new "Wholeaves®"-branded individual lettuce leafs are very popular.
  "It includes primarily Romaine, red and green leaf varieties," he said. "We have a proprietary, trademarked method of separating the product from the core. Instead of cutting, leaves are torn by hand and then washed, sanitized, separated by size and packed in 10-pound cartons. The produce we ship is 100 percent usable."
  Mr. Mills explained that this method of separating leaves from the core gives the product extended shelf life, which is important to foodservice operators today. The most common application for the product is on sandwiches and burgers. Because it is cleaned and ready to use, it saves a lot of labor in the kitchen -- and that is key to all foodservice operators today, regardless of their size.
  "We are also finding that increasing numbers of restaurants want to promote healthier menu items by offering more fresh fruits and vegetables," said Jim Mills. "Restaurants like Denny's, who recently went through a major menu revamping, are trying to separate themselves from their competition with their menu items. But at the same time, they want the value-added benefit of ready-to-use products like washed lettuce."
  Of the approximately 20 products that Mills grows, many have been added to the company's value-added line since it entered this category about eight years ago. The list of value-added items it offers has grown steadily since. "Besides value-added items, the trends we are seeing currently have to do with healthier eating habits," said Dave Mills. "Green leafy products fit into this category perfectly, and at the same time they help foodservice operators reduce labor costs and give them peace of mind regarding quality assurance. No matter what the current diet trend or fad, leafy greens fit into nearly every type of diet."
  A good example of healthier menu items that include the new lettuce product is in Arby's chicken salad sandwich. Dave Mills said that it includes chicken breast, sliced apple, sliced grapes, nuts and "Wholeaves®" lettuce. This also indicates the trend of even fast-food restaurants beginning to steer away from chopped, out-of-a-bag lettuce products. Recently published diets are also promoting the use of whole lettuce leaves as a replacement for bread. It is being used as the wrap for many sandwich items in dietary cookbooks today, and this use is beginning to surface at the restaurant level.
  Another benefit of the "Wholeaves®" product is the savings on shipping costs. This is because only usable product and no waste materials is shipped. The item also fits into the growing focus on reduced labor costs and increased food safety at the user level.
  Mills Family Farms has received numerous awards over the years for its ongoing and progressive contributions to fresh produce preparation, use and flavor. Among the many awards, the company received the American Culinary Institute award every year from 2002 through the current 2005 award presentation. It also received the National Board of the American Tasting Institute's award for Highest Taste in Foodservice Whole Leaf Lettuce Category for Romaine, Romaine hearts, green leaf and red leaf in 2001, as well as many other prestigious awards.

By Christina DiMartino