As one of the leading importers of fresh produce, dried fruits and nuts from around the world, A.J. Trucco has been a mainstay at the Hunts Point Terminal Market since the Bronx market first opened its doors 56 years ago. Trucco offers three powerful brands—KiwiStar, TruStar and Fresco—providing both conventional and organic produce delivered across the country.
The company’s retailers and partners are serviced by its sister company, Trucco Inc. in Vineland, where there is a dedicated 75,000 square-foot state-of-the-art refrigeration and packaging facility. Thanks to its 2,500 pallet positions, superior environmental, high-efficiency tech and brand-new advanced packing machinery, the facility is one of the most advanced on the East Coast.
“We have been known for the nuts for the last half-century, and also the dried fruit category as well here at Hunts Point,” said Nick Pacia, CEO of Trucco.
One of its big products is fresh chestnuts out of Italy, which will start around the second week of October this year and extend through Christmas. The TruStar Organic Italian Chestnuts are harvested in the Campania Region of Italy and are certified organic by both the European Union and the USDA.
Year-round, the company also offers organic chestnuts in a pouch.
“They are ready-to-eat, and can be a snack item or for culinary purposes as well,” Pacia said. “It eliminates all the work that needs to be done. You just open the pouch and consume.”
When it comes to dried fruit, the company works with mostly domestic dates and figs from California, though it also imports from Greece and Turkey.
“The Greek figs were an item that was really, really big in the past, but it’s getting smaller every year, probably 50 percent of what we used to do in the past,” Pacia said. “The Turkish figs are still stable. More folks are also interested in organic figs, and we are slowly trying to build an organic line.”
The crops from Greece will be a little late for 2023 as the country has been experiencing heavy temperatures and rain this summer. Turkey’s figs will be early this year and a strong crop is expected.
This content was excerpted from The Produce News.
