Organic products have become increasingly popular in the retail marketplace. In response to our customers’ demand for these products, Morning Star has begun construction on a dedicated organic processing line within our Liberty Packing facility in Santa Nella, CA.
The organic line will begin production in 2015 with a total processing capacity of 150 tons per hour. This system will have a virtually unlimited paste production capacity and an organic bulk diced capacity of over 100 million pounds.
This new line will be capable of producing organic paste, diced, concentrates, formulated products, and our unique fire-roasted tomatoes in a variety of packaging that includes bulk bins, drums, cans (all sizes), and pouches.
By creating a dedicated specialty products line, we will have the ability to process organic tomatoes all season long, rather than only at the start of the season. This will result in higher quality and more reliable organic tomato products at competitive prices. With tomatoes in the south having higher levels of color and sugars, we will produce more colorful, flavorful organic tomato products.
While our San Joaquin Valley facility will be undergoing changes, our Northern Sacramento Valley processing plant in Colusa County will be expanding as well, as it is an ideal location for processing tomatoes given the water issues brought on by this season’s drought. Groundwater availability is higher in the Sacramento Valley. With greater access to water, our Williams plant will increase its processing throughput by 65% and add an additional capacity of 300 million pounds of paste per year.
Morning Star Newsletter now distributed electronically
As a reminder, Morning Star is now distributing our newsletters electronically using an email distribution vendor called Mailchimp. Your e-version will now include informative Morning Star videos and highlights. Depending on your company's firewall, these emails may initially be directed to you spam folder.