BUSINESS SHOWCASE MMeessoaoamérmériiccaa F Fooododss C Coorrpp.. i innttrrododuucceess By Violeta Montes de Oca esoamérica Foods Corp. a company that distinguishes itself by creating products elotito, chile piquín, onions, squash blossom, huitlacoche, for Latinos living in the United States, nopalitos, romeritos, habanero peppers, roasted poblanos, launched ¡LISTTO! green mango, 昀椀gs, peaches in syrup and hearts of palm, among 吀栀e company is known for the ¡YAESTÁ! many others. MBrand, which was born in 1973, targeted the ¡LISTTO!'s frozen foods include pupusas, corn tamales, green Central American market. sauce tamales, rajas, mole and sweet tamales. Guava, mamey, ¡LISTTO! is designed for other communities, such as jocote, passion fruit, soursop, and banana leaves are other Mexicans, Venezuelans, Salvadorans, and Caribbeans, who examples of products. are looking for typical foods that are easy to prepare. 吀栀e beans include di昀昀erent types, such as black, white, red silk, and bull's blood. And to accompany chipotle, green, And ¡LISTTO! taquera, or pico de gallo sauce bottles. 吀栀e new brand, which for the time being is accompanied by the logo New Plant to Build ¡YAESTÁ! It comprises a catalog of n November, the group to which Mesoamérica Foods Corp. around 100 products, including dried, belongs will inaugurate frozen, and dehydrated products. a new plant in San José Some of them are already on the Pinula, 25 kilometers market, such as the breading of from Guatemala's milanesa, chicken, and seafood. capital. "We use the word ready (or listo Menéndez explained in Spanish), which is very in our to Abasto that this vocabulary and means it's ready, it's 昀椀nished. It is easy to project began three prepare," explained Francisco Menéndez, CEO of Mesoamérica years ago and consists Foods Corp, in an interview with Abasto. of a plant where all the Menéndez continued that the idea is that it takes processes are straight so homemakers a couple of minutes to prepare a punch or cook that the company will for the whole family. double its production capacity. "It's the kind of food we miss and homesick for It will consist of 10,000 square meters roofed and another when we leave our countries," he said about ¡LISTTO! 10,000 square meters of yards. 吀栀is brand was launched in March of this year and is already "Here we will process canned fruits and vegetables, and distributed in the United States and Canada. frozen fruits and vegetables, which includes whole fruits and 吀栀e products range from preserves such as pacayas, nance, pulps in the frozen area and the canning area, product in glass and canned product," Menéndez explained.. 7272 JJUULLYY//AAUUGGUUSST 2T 200224 4 AABBAASSTOTO..CCOOMM