SONOMA, CA -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced approval of a long-awaited protocol that permits the shipment of sweet oranges and grapefruits from Chile to the United States. The final rule was published April 7 in the Federal Register.

WASHINGTON -- Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc. in Terra Bella, CA, has expanded its recall of pistachios after the Food & Drug Administration found Salmonella in its California processing plant.

The new recall includes all roasted shelled pistachios and roasted in-shell pistachios from its 2008 crop, and raw shelled pistachios that are not subsequently roasted prior to retail sale, the California company said in an April 6 press release. But the recall also includes nearly 250 candies, ice cream and other processed food items that contain Setton pistachios.

Columbia Marketing International in Wenatchee, WA, is poised to bring the trademarked Kiku apple to the American marketplace.

The grower base was solidified April 2 following the announcement that Applewood Orchards Inc., located in Deerfield, MI, was granted a sub-license to produce the variety. The company joins Columbia Fruit Packers Inc. and Rice Fruit Co. in Gardners, PA, in the Kiku grower-packer triad.

WASHINGTON -- The California Leafy Green Product Handler Marketing Agreement is being exported to other states and other commodities, but it should be adopted nationally and set as a standard for importers to follow, Scott Horsfall, the marketing agreement's chief executive director, said at an April 7 meeting on food safety.

Mr. Horsfall told The Produce News that the industry hopes to have a draft federal marketing agreement available this summer to start the lengthy process of establishing food-safety standards for leafy greens grown throughout the country.

A national fruit and vegetable promotion program that would utilize mandatory industry assessments is being explored by industry leaders with the Produce for Better Health Foundation taking the lead role.

The concept was scheduled to be presented to the full PBH board on the afternoon of Friday, April 3, but prior to that meeting, PBH President Elizabeth Pivonka shared it with some industry leaders, and The Produce News.

This is the year that New Jersey's agricultural community planned to celebrate 25 years of Jersey Fresh, what has become one of the nation's better agricultural branding programs. Instead, the Garden State's farmers and fishermen are watching Gov. Jon Corzine abandon the popular branding program by severing the state's funding.