WASHINGTON -- One of the more visible food safety officials at the U.S. Food & Drug Administration - former Associate Commissioner for Foods David Acheson - started a new venture in August advising companies on food safety and trade issues at the consulting firm Leavitt Partners.

With experience in infectious diseases and seven years as a food safety regulator, Dr. Acheson was asked by former Health & Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt to join a new consulting firm that focuses on trade, health and environmental issues.

On Monday afternoon, Aug. 31, Mexican officials upgraded Hurricane Jimena to a category 4 storm, and some were predicting that it would become a category 5 storm before it reaches land sometime Tuesday, Sept. 1 or Wednesday, Sept. 2.

Because of much-below-standard housing and buildings in rural Baja California, experts are predicting that Hurricane Jimena will deliver a devastating blow to the underprivileged who live in shantytown and makeshift housing near the resort communities that dot the southern Baja California peninsula.

Topics such as food safety, immigration reform and the overhaul of the national healthcare system rightfully took center stage when the Texas Produce Association held its annual convention Aug. 19-21 in Austin.

Scenario No. 1:
Customers were moving along quickly in a local supermarket, eager to get home. Hostile weather was beginning to threaten the area with a massive thunderstorm and high winds predicted. Meanwhile, the produce department was loaded with product on all displays and ready for a big sales weekend. Later that evening, several inches of rain caused flooding and crippled the town. In the ensuing week, the produce department lost a substantial amount of sales and experienced a huge shrink in product.


Scenario No. 2: :

The Produce News has learned that Rick Eastes, who was named vice president of sales and marketing for Fruit Patch Sales LLC in Dinuba, CA, Dec. 8, 2008, the exclusive sales agent for Fruit Patch Inc., is no longer with the company.

It is the third change in management at the Fruit Patch sales organization in two years.

The pear harvest is officially underway in Washington state, and Stemilt Growers is enthusiastic about the high-quality pears that will fill store shelves this season.

In addition to consumer favorites, like Bartlett and d'Anjou, Stemilt expects specialty varieties, like Asian pears, to provide retailers with a boost in sales this fall.