Irradiation may be effective in ridding fresh produce of pathogens, but it may not be so easy to bring irradiated fresh produce to the marketplace.

It is no secret that foodborne outbreaks are causing the industry to take a closer look at the technology, especially after the U.S. Food & Drug Administration gave its approval last August to use irradiation for killing pathogens on Iceberg lettuce and spinach. But is the technology a good fit for various commodities? And how effective is it?

Stop & Shop and Giant, two sister retailers under the Ahold umbrella, are the latest grocery store chains to help their customers find nutritious alternatives through an in-store labeling system.

In early January, more than 550 of these stores up and down the East Coast rolled out the Healthy Ideas campaign, which identifies more than 3,000 food choices that are designed to give consumers a healthy alternative.

The Hass Avocado Board in Irvine, CA, estimated that Super Bowl fans will consume 46.3 million pounds of Hass avocados "during this year's Big Game Day parties." That is a lot of guacamole, and it makes Super Bowl weekend a strong contender for the biggest weekend of the year for avocado consumption in the United States.

It also comes during the peak of the season for Mexican avocados, and Mexican fruit represents a significant share of the market in the weeks leading up to the Feb. 1 Super Bowl festivities.

Florida produce growers were taking precautionary measures to try to protect their crops as a cold snap descended upon the Sunshine State the week of Jan. 19.

At the Florida Strawberry Association's office in Dover, FL, the temperature at 7:30 in the morning Jan. 21 was recorded at just under 27 degrees.

MAITLAND, FL -- Fruit and vegetable producers on Thursday, Jan. 22 were assessing damages from overnight freezing temperatures across much of the state. Temperatures fell well below 32 for several hours, a situation that could cause severe damage and extensive crop losses, according to the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association.

Whether running for a cause or finding other ways to help, Temecula, CA- based West Pak Avocado Inc. is contributing to charitable efforts.

The company's first foray into the charitable realm was its participation in an annual five-kilometer road race in Temecula last fall on behalf of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, an organization that bills itself as "the largest source of non-profit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world."