Of all the attributes consumers are looking for today in their food—freshness, organic, local, and sustainable—flavor and quality are still paramount. Growers, shippers, and marketers involved in delivering fruits to consumers should focus on flavor and quality before they do ­anything else, suggests a consumer culture consultant. “Despite the economic concerns in recent years, consumer demands for these type of products (organic, local, sustainable, and flavorful) are not going away, and in fact continue to grow,” said Davey McHenry of the Hartman Group, a Bellevue, Washington, consumer consulting and market research firm. The U.S. food culture is changing, she said, […]