WASHINGTON -- Taco Bell's rapid test that fingered green onions as the likely cause of the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak came up negative after more thorough testing, leaving health officials to continue probing for other likely sources, the Food & Drug Administration said in a Dec. 11 press conference.

"There's nothing to implicate green onions right now," said David Acheson, chief medical officer for FDA's Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition.

Mission Produce Inc. in Oxnard, CA, announced its entry into the fresh asparagus industry with its agreement to purchase the assets of Lee Pacific Asparagus in Salinas, CA.

The purchase includes a California and Mexican program which will strengthen Mission's strategic relationship with a Peruvian company to enable a year-round, fresh asparagus program.

WEST CHESTER, PA -- Science, education, free enterprise, creativity and opportunity mesh here at Cheyney University.

Michael Derro, a 30-year veteran of the produce industry, created Herban Farms LLC, a privately owned company built on university property. The project, which went into operation in June, is a greenhouse for simultaneously growing fresh basil and raising thousands of tilapia fish.

Mr. Derro told The Produce News that "Herban" is a play on words, explaining that his farm can be used to grow "herbs" in an "urban" environment.

Kim Reddin, director of public and industry relations for the National Onion Association of Greeley, CO, said that 2007 is going to be a year filled with exciting activities and promotions.

Research activities on a new retail guide are coming to a conclusion, and Ms. Reddin said that the publication should be available soon. Photography is expected to be completed in the spring.

Don Talley, owner of Talley Farms and Talley Vineyards in Arroyo Grande, CA, died Dec. 2 at Stanford Medical Center from complications of a heart transplant that he had received Oct. 17. He was 66.

WASHINGTON -- The spinach industry has high hopes for a bill introduced by Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) that would authorize new money for food-safety research and help bail out producers that suffered steep losses in this fall's spinach outbreak.

"Significant research has been done on protecting our meat supply from E. coli outbreaks, but very little has been done on protecting our vegetables," Rep. Farr said when he introduced H.R. 6379, the Spinach Research & Recovery Act of 2006.