The Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, headquartered in the state's capital of Tallahassee, is the largest state agriculture department in the United States. Craig Meyer, deputy commissioner of the department, said that the status of the Florida crop this year is very good quality, but the volume is still down from prehurricane damage the state suffered over the past couple of years.

The Food & Drug Administration is assisting in the investigation of an outbreak of E. coli O157 infection in consumers associated with eating food from several Taco Bell restaurants in northeastern states.

FDA is actively working with state and local health officials, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the firm, suppliers and distributors to determine the cause of the sicknesses and prevent additional infections.

Following an announcement from Taco Bell Corp. of a preliminary and inconclusive test for E.coli O157:H7 on green onions, Ready Pac announced that it has taken immediate precautionary measures to protect public health.

GUATEMALA CITY -- Guatemalan foliage grower-exporter Alfredo Miron may be best known in the U.S. produce and floral industries for being, in the 1990s, the first international member on the board of the Newark, DE-based Produce Marketing Association.

Mr. Miron is also known as one of Central America's larger grower-exporters of leather leaf through his firm Corporaci?n Tak S.A.

But by the end of next year, Mr. Miron may also be known as the vice president of Guatemala.

On Nov. 24, for the first time ever, a container of greenhouse tomatoes was exported from Central America to the United States, according to Francisco Viteri, president of Agropecuaria Popoy?n S.A. and La Carreta in Guatemala City.

The first container was produced at Chirioj Farm in San Raymundo, Guatemala, and packed at La Carreta Farm's packing facility in El Jocotillo, Guatemala. The receiving importer in the United States was Del Monte Fresh Produce in Coral Gables, FL, according to Mr. Viteri.

The Florida Strawberry Growers Association issued a press release Nov. 29 to the trade advising that Charles F. (Chip) Hinton's employment as executive director of the association was to be discontinued effective Nov. 30.