Sunsweet Fresh announced the launch of its ready-to-eat gourmet Anjou pears packed in unique modified-atmosphere packaging.

After rigorous testing, Sunsweet Fresh was able to select what it has found to be the best MAP technology currently available, allowing for the ripening of pears to their peak of flavor.

Edward S. Campion Sr., former chairman of the board of the Salinas, CA-based Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, died Monday, Jan. 10 in Salinas. He was 89 years old.

Mr. Campion was born in Chicago and lived in Salinas for the past 64 years. He began his career in produce with the A&P Co. before joining the Lewis Tervin Co. in 1946.

After several years, he and six other employees purchased the company and renamed the firm Merit Packing Co. After 40 years in the produce business, he sold the company and retired in 1979.

JEFFERSON CITY, MO -- Retailers, chefs, foodservice providers and media from across Missouri were awarded AgriMissouri Excellence Awards Dec. 10 at the Missouri Governor-s Conference on Agriculture at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, MO.

These awards recognize individuals and organizations whose promotion of Missouri grown or processed products has been exemplary.

Melissa?s/World Variety Produce, the world-renowned specialty produce distributor based in Los Angeles, has a new employee in its ranks.

The employee is not unlike other recent college grads in that she has the youthful exuberance and drive that companies look for when taking a chance on new hires. But what sets this candidate apart is that she happens to be the namesake of the company which now employs her.

OVIEDO, FL " A. Duda & Sons, a major grower, shipper and marketer of fresh produce, announced that it will begin shipping iceless broccoli using a new patented system developed by StePac USA, an agri-tech company that specializes in providing post-harvest solutions for the fresh produce industry.

Encouraged by the prospects of an exceptional table grape harvest, Chile?s fresh fruit industry is expecting another record-setting export season.

Unexpected rains in early November that drenched many cherry and early apricot export plans and set back harvest times for most crops by seven to 10 days, are seen as only temporary setbacks, according to a December 2004 press release from the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association in Sacramento, CA.