WASHINGTON -- State and federal health officials said that the recent E. coli 0157:H7 outbreak tied to fresh spinach was a fine example of quick detective work and good coordination among agencies despite concerns raised at a Senate hearing about the speed in which the public was notified of the outbreak.

John W. McDonald, 71, died Oct. 29 at his home in Salinas, CA. Mr. McDonald was the sole proprietor of Best West Trading in Salinas for the past two decades.

Born in Hot Springs, AR, Mr. McDonald moved during World War II with his family to South San Francisco, CA, where his parents worked in the shipyards. Then the family moved to Salinas, and following graduation from Salinas High School in 1953, Mr. McDonald served in the U.S. Army.

Cameo apple growers will harvest more than 1.25 million boxes this year, making the Cameo variety a key part of the apple category.

"It is important to emphasize Cameo because it generates incremental category growth over the entire season, not just fall or spring," said Kevin Precht of the Cameo Apple Marketing Association, based in Wenatchee, WA.

Timco Worldwide Inc. issued a recall Nov. 14 for nine pallets of Mexican- grown cantaloupes because of the potential of Salmonella contamination, though the company said it was a precautionary move as no illnesses have been reported.

As the spinach crisis nears the two-month mark, retail sales continue to suffer and the produce industry continues to move ahead looking for the root cause of the original contamination and is trying to reduce the risk of something similar happening again.

VISALIA, CA -- The effect of immigration reform (or the lack thereof) on the labor needs of California citrus growers was among several key issues facing the industry that were addressed at the California Citrus Mutual 29th annual meeting, here, Thursday, Nov. 2.