SALINAS, CA -- Acknowledging that it isn't possible to give "zero tolerance" assurance that fresh produce always will be safe to eat, Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) told assembled reporters that farming and processing practices in the Salinas Valley and surrounding areas will be the most extensive in the industry following the recent E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in spinach.

When new protocols are initiated, the area will have the "best protocol for spinach and green leafy vegetables," Mr. Farr said. It's up to the industry -- not the federal government -- to craft new protocols, he said.

San Juan Bautista, CA-based Natural Selection Foods has decided not to buy neighbor Pride of San Juan's manufacturing operations after running PSJ's processing plant for the past six months. That plant has been identified recently as the facility where Natural Selection Foods had packed bags of spinach under the "Dole" label that were found to have contained E. coli O157:H7.

Once considered seasonal items, berries of just about all types are now in demand year-round in the United States in both retail and foodservice.

Larry G. Noble, former president of the T. Marzetti Co., best known as a marketer of a wide variety of salad dressings and sauces, died Sept. 28 at age 70. He was a resident of Dublin, OH.

Mr. Noble started his long-standing career in the food industry in 1958 with the Campbell Soup Co. In 1962, he joined T. Marzetti as a salesman and became president in 1974. He remained president until his retirement in 2003. In 1985, he was promoted to vice president of Lancaster Colony Corp., parent company of T. Marzetti.

SAN JUAN BAUTISTA, CA -- In the wake of the national outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in spinach that has been linked to Natural Selection Foods LLC, the company will take its food-safety program from "fork to fields," company Chief Operating Officer Charles Sweat told the media at a press conference held here Sept. 28.

YOUNG HARRIS, GA -- Escaping into the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, here, at the Brasstown Valley Resort, attendees of the Southeast Produce Council's seventh annual fall conference enjoyed a weekend that featured an informative business improvement session conducted by industry expert Ron Pelger, an update on the California contaminated spinach issue, a memorial golf tournament, a fishing tournament, the election of a new SPC board, and plenty of socializing and opportunities for business development.