Carbone Adds 5 Pasta Sauces to Its Line
Carbone Fine Food
Following a record-breaking 2024 with over 18 million jars sold, Carbone Fine Food has announced the addition of five pasta sauce flavors: Sweet Pepper & Onion, Mediterranean Marinara, Black Truffle Alfredo, Mac & Cheese Alfredo and Lemon Pepper Alfredo. The new releases are the latest creations by acclaimed chefs Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi as they continue to reinterpret classic Italian-American cuisine through a contemporary culinary lens. The new flavors expand the Carbone sauce portfolio to seventeen flavors.
“Carbone is young, modern-chef driven, and in the zeitgeist,” said CEO Eric Skae. “Our new flavor creations are bold, authentic and uniquely delicious. They reinforce our position as a category innovation driver and the fastest-growing sauce in the nation.”
Crafted with the same care and premium ingredients used in their renowned restaurants, these sauces bring inventive chef-quality dishes to life at home.
- Sweet Pepper & Onion combines the caramelized flavor of roasted peppers and sauteed onions with the sweetness of 100% Italian tomatoes and rosemary.
- Mediterranean Marinara introduces flavors of Southern Italy by bringing together a savory medley of black olives and capers with 100% Italian tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs.
- Black Truffle Alfredo is a rich and creamy blend of Parmesan and Romano Cheeses with Black Truffles.
- Mac & Cheese Alfredo offers a rich blend of aged white cheddar cheese, cream, butter, and spices.
- Lemon Pepper Alfredo combines a creamy blend of Parmesan and Romano cheeses complemented with the perfect balance of cracked black pepper and fresh lemon.
“As always, we’re focused on making it easy for people to enjoy incredible meals at home,” said chef Mario Carbone. “These five new sauces make good on our promise to bring bold, exciting flavors to the table with the same quality and care that’s at the heart of everything we do.”
All five flavors are available nationwide at Whole Foods Market and will roll out at additional retailers in the coming months. Consumers can purchase all Carbone Fine Food products online nationally at both Amazon and https://carbonefinefood.com/.
For more information, visit https://carbonefinefood.com/ or follow on Instagram and TikTok at @carbonefinefood.
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Produce Industry Veteran O’Brien to Step Down at Driscoll’s
Driscoll’s announces the retirement of Tom O’Brien, senior vice president of global human resources & general counsel, who will step down from his leadership role early in the year. A pivotal figure in the produce industry with a career spanning more than 30 years, O’Brien leaves behind a remarkable legacy of innovation, advocacy and leadership.
O’Brien’s relationship with Driscoll’s began nearly 25 years ago when he represented the company as an attorney in Washington, D.C. In 2014, he became Driscoll’s first General Counsel, and his role steadily expanded over the years to include oversight of Global Human Resources and Public Affairs.
“Tom has been a friend, colleague and partner for over two decades. We have navigated many issues together, challenges and opportunities that continually arise in our fresh berry business,” said J. Miles Reiter, executive chairman of the board for Driscoll’s. “He is remarkably adept at seeing around the corner and articulating concepts in ways that drive clarity. While we are fully aligned on core values and goals, Tom is also the person with whom I most enjoy a healthy disagreement, something we both expect to continue to value highly.”
Before his tenure at Driscoll’s, O’Brien’s influence was already well-established at the intersection of law, policy, and agriculture. His policy work spanned issues as diverse as the development of the first federal organic standards, passage of food safety legislation, the unfinished work of immigration reform, and a host of plant pests and quarantines. From 1993 to 1999, he served as a political appointee at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He then moved from the federal to the state level, where he was a policy advisor to California Governor Gray Davis in the Governor’s Washington D.C. office.
After leaving government service until joining Driscoll’s, O’Brien was in private practice in Washington, where clients included Produce Marketing Association, California nurseries and dairies, the promotion boards for mangos and avocadoes, and Driscoll’s.
“Tom’s career has been a testament to the power of collaboration and thoughtful leadership in agriculture,” said Karen Ross, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “He exemplifies the qualities of exceptional leadership: intelligence, strategic vision, and an unwavering commitment to partnership. His work has not only strengthened Driscoll’s but also elevated the entire produce industry. For the 25 years I’ve known him, I have valued his counsel and insight on complex challenges, but most of all, I have cherished his steadfast friendship.”
O’Brien will step down from the HR and legal responsibilities early in the year. During the transition, he will remain as Driscoll’s corporate secretary and counsel to the board.
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Factor: Americans Would Ditch Social Media to Escape Meal Planning
Social media may dominate our lives, but dinner decisions hold an even stronger grip. A new nationwide survey from Factor, a leading ready-to-eat delivery service, reveals how mealtime stress is reshaping priorities for couples and families.
From relationship dynamics to daily decision fatigue, Factor’s findings spotlight just how much emotional and mental energy is spent answering the dreaded question, “What’s for dinner?” Forty-six percent of Americans admitted they would willingly ditch social media forever just to escape the hassle of planning meals.
“A stress-free dinner is the ultimate love language,” said Leonard Hollander, Senior Principal of Culinary Innovation at Factor. “Whether you’re dining in on Valentine’s Day or enjoying a family dinner, Factor is taking the pressure off planning and putting the focus back on connection. Nothing kills the mood faster than ‘What’s for dinner?’ With our delicious, chef-crafted meals, we’re making it easy to serve up romance and family time without the hassle.”
Americans Are Ready to Sacrifice for Stress-Free Meals
Factor’s survey, conducted by Wakefield Research, found that dinner planning is one of the most stressful daily decisions for many adults. In fact, an impressive number of respondents (68%) say deciding what to eat is their biggest meal time challenge, with nearly half of couples (44%) struggling to come up with a plan most nights.
To escape this daily headache, Americans are willing to give up their most beloved habits and destination dreams or submit to their most dreaded chores:
- Cutting the Crutches: Almost half (46%) would delete social media forever, a quarter (25%) would give up their morning coffee, while a smaller number of respondents (21%) would cancel their streaming subscriptions.
- Bon Voyage, Vacay: Nearly half (44%) would rather have dinner planned, prepared, and served every night by someone else than take a dream vacay!
- DMV Over Dinnertime: Some adults (15%) even said they’d rather brave the DMV than plan a week’s worth of meals.
Dinner Decisions Are Also Breaking Relationships
- Food Fight!: The survey also uncovered how mealtime stress impacts relationships, with a quarter of couples (25%) getting in “food fights,” arguing about dinner one to two times per week.
- Step Aside, Flowers. Dinner Wins Valentine’s Day: It’s not just about saving time; it’s about shifting priorities. When asked about the perfect Valentine’s Day gift, over half of adults (53%) would rather have dinner covered for a month than receive flowers or chocolates.
- Snacks For Dinner? Been There: And when there’s no plan, couples are left frustrated, with women (62%) most likely to cobble together a meal from fridge leftovers, while men (55%) are more likely to order takeout.
- Foreplay? More Like “Four-Course Play”: Eliminating mealtime stress may just be the key to a healthy relationship—in the kitchen and the bedroom. In fact, more than half of respondents (53%) think that the hottest form of foreplay is not having to plan and cook dinner, and nearly half of adults (44%) —and over half of parents (55%) —admitted they would get intimate more often if their partner handled dinner.
Factor: The Ultimate Meal Planning Solution
Factor was created to eliminate the dinner decision dilemma altogether, so you don’t have to part with the things you love like your morning coffee, your nightly binge-watch—and your romantic partner. By delivering ready-made, chef-prepared meals in just two minutes, Factor takes care of the planning, shopping and cooking, so you don’t have to. With a rotating menu of dietitian-approved options, Factor allows busy individuals and couples to spend more time doing what they love and less time arguing over dinner.
For couples opting to stay in this Valentine’s Day, treat yourself to Factor’s decadent 2-course meal featuring Grilled Filet Mignon with Asiago Butter, White Cheddar-Scallion Mashed Potatoes with Broccolini & Toasted Garlic Butter and Vanilla Almond Cheesecake with Chocolate & Cherry Sauces. For more information, visit www.factormeals.com.
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