WASHINGTON -- The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act by a vote of 264 to 157 the afternoon of Dec. 2, clearing the way for the government to increase the availability of fruits and vegetables in schools servicing more than 31 million children.

The Florida Department of Citrus is finding ever more creative ways to promote the leading star in the state's produce lineup. Florida citrus is a $9 billion business annually; the department is always looking for ways to spur sales to new heights.

In late November at the 2010 Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Show in Bartow, FL, chefs from around the world competed at the second annual USA Culinary Cup Challenge for prizes and medals. The FDOC sponsored Florida citrus juices and fresh Florida citrus as featured ingredients in all recipe submissions.

Avocados are fast becoming a star performer in the produce department, but consistent double-digit annual retail volume growth is just one reason why the Vancouver, BC-based Oppenheimer Group inked a partnership with Mexican avocado grower Mevi Avocados Inc. in mid-October.

By securing a year-round supply of Mexican avocados, the full-service marketing and distribution company significantly enhanced its emerging avocado category, which includes fruit from Peru and Chile. Mevi, based in Pharr, TX, produces in Michoacán, Mexico.

In a Nov. 29 press release, WeightWatchers, headquartered in New York City, announced that it is introducing a successor to its popular Points weight-loss system. The new PointsPlus program categorizes all fruits and most vegetables as zero-point foods, meaning dieters can consume as much as they want of these items without subtracting from their daily point allocation.

Nathel & Nathel Inc., a wholesaler on New York City's Hunts Point Market, has for a number of years been a direct importer of Chilean and Peruvian produce.

Sheldon Nathel, president of the company, told The Produce News Dec. 1 that his firm opened a separate import company Sept. 1, Nathel International, which is located near the ports of the Delaware River within the Pittsgrove, NJ, warehouse and office complex of Bifulco’s Four Seasons Cold Storage Inc.

Though temperatures dipped into the high 20s for several hours during the two nights surrounding Thanksgiving day, the California citrus crop emerged unscathed and even improved, according to California Citrus Mutual President Joel Nelsen.