Produce News Facebook  Produce News Twitter  Produce News LinkedIn  Produce News Instagram

Food-safety seminar kicks off NWA convention

ORANGE BEACH, AL -- One of the more important facets of any food-safety or traceability program is documenting what has been done and then keeping accurate records of it, points which were stressed by speakers at the National Watermelon Association's second annual food-safety seminar, which kicked off its 94th annual convention, held here Feb. 20 at the Perdido Beach Resort.

Oppenheimer recognized as one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies

At the venerable age of 150, The Oppenheimer Group, based in Vancouver, BC, holds a number of distinctions, including its designation by the Vancouver Historical Society as British Columbia's oldest currently operating company as well as its recent elevation to Platinum Club status as one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies.

Challenges and opportunities explored at FPFC gathering

PLEASANTON, CA -- United Fresh Produce Association President Tom Stenzel said that the industry is facing many challenges, but it also has numerous opportunities that can make this a golden age for fruits and vegetables.

Ocean Spray 'absolutely committed to fresh'

Although it recently lost one of its larger fresh cranberry growers, Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. is "absolutely committed to fresh and is very much in a growth mindset, and we plan for that to continue," Chris Phillips, a spokesperson for the Lakeville-Middleboro, MA-based cooperative, told The Produce News Feb. 20.

James J. Jardina Jr. dies at age 82

James J. Jardina Jr., former president and chief executive officer of J.J. Jardina Co. Inc. in Atlanta, died Feb. 13 from complications from pneumonia.

'End of an era' -- Snokist ends fresh pack to focus on processing

While some fresh apple and cherry growers have lost a longtime packer, the processing side of Northwest fruit is retaining one of its top-five pear canners.

Snokist Growers, a Yakima, WA-based cooperative that has packed fresh apples, apricots, prunes, plums, cherries and pears for more than a century, announced in mid-February that it has ended that side of its operations, and company President Jim Davis told The Produce News that the decision affects 100 growers.

Copyright © 2025 The Produce News • Covering Fresh Produce Around the Globe Since 1897