WASHINGTON -- With the new Congress reporting for duty in Washington, DC, this week, comprehensive immigration reform will be one of United Fresh Produce Association's top priorities.

"There is a window of opportunity in 2007 as both President Bush and the new Democratic leadership in the House and Senate are more aligned on the need for immigration reform than ever before," Robert Guenther, United Fresh's senior vice president for public policy, said in a message to United members.

TRENTON, NJ -- The New Jersey Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health & Senior Services announced the formation of a Produce Safety Task Force to protect New Jersey consumers and help local producers adapt to anticipated new produce-safety standards in the wake of several recent outbreaks of foodborne illnesses.

The task force includes representation from the two departments, produce and food industry leaders and Rutgers University's Food Policy Institute & Extension Service.

Maggie Bezart, founder of Maggie Bezart Marketing Services in Aptos, CA, has been named director of marketing for the Chilean Avocado Importers Association, according to Phil Henry of Henry Avocado Corp. in Escondido, CA, and vice chairman of the association. She started Jan. 1.

"The Chilean industry has made a commitment to have a full-time marketing director," said Mr. Henry. Ms. Bezart "is, of course, very experienced and very knowledgeable in the produce business. She has experience in marketing and in sales, so she is a terrific & choice for the avocado industry."

Top officials with the Western Growers Association plan to meet with leafy green businesses in early January to explain the proposed California marketing agreement and to urge them to strongly support it at the Jan. 12 public meeting in Salinas.

A new Gallup poll released earlier this month shows that Americans are more vigilant about food safety warnings but still have confidence in foods sold in grocery stores and restaurants.

The Dec. 8-10 telephone poll of 1,004 adults showed that Americans maintain a high level of confidence in the safety of foods they eat, despite news in recent months of contaminated bagged spinach sold in grocery stores and the Taco Bell incident.

WASHINGTON -- The farm bill and food safety issues are just two of the issues on the agenda for the Jan. 23-24 meeting of the USDA's Fruit & Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee here.

Originally chartered in 2001, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns named 25 produce industry members to serve two-year terms on the committee earlier this year. Committee members represent fresh fruit and vegetable growers-shippers, wholesalers, retailers, industry trade associations, importers, processors, foodservice suppliers, brokers and state departments of agriculture.