Once considered seasonal items, berries of just about all types are now in demand year-round in the United States in both retail and foodservice.

Larry G. Noble, former president of the T. Marzetti Co., best known as a marketer of a wide variety of salad dressings and sauces, died Sept. 28 at age 70. He was a resident of Dublin, OH.

Mr. Noble started his long-standing career in the food industry in 1958 with the Campbell Soup Co. In 1962, he joined T. Marzetti as a salesman and became president in 1974. He remained president until his retirement in 2003. In 1985, he was promoted to vice president of Lancaster Colony Corp., parent company of T. Marzetti.

SAN JUAN BAUTISTA, CA -- In the wake of the national outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in spinach that has been linked to Natural Selection Foods LLC, the company will take its food-safety program from "fork to fields," company Chief Operating Officer Charles Sweat told the media at a press conference held here Sept. 28.

YOUNG HARRIS, GA -- Escaping into the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, here, at the Brasstown Valley Resort, attendees of the Southeast Produce Council's seventh annual fall conference enjoyed a weekend that featured an informative business improvement session conducted by industry expert Ron Pelger, an update on the California contaminated spinach issue, a memorial golf tournament, a fishing tournament, the election of a new SPC board, and plenty of socializing and opportunities for business development.

The Mexican government has taken the unprecedented action of banning all imports of U.S. lettuce, according to alerts issued by the Produce Marketing Association and the United Fresh Produce Association.

The Nunes Co. Inc. announced in an Oct. 9 statement that it has voluntarily recalled its "green leaf lettuce" sold under the "Foxy" brand harvested from one farm, shipped from Tuesday, Oct. 3 through Friday, Oct. 6.

This recall does not involve Iceberg lettuce or Romaine lettuce.