Philadelphia produce distributor Mark Stout died Jan. 15 while skiing in Steamboat Springs, CO. He was 45 and was the owner of Eckert's Produce Co. on the Philadelphia Regional Produce Market.

This winter, Mann's "Broccoli Wokly" is getting a new partner: Kraft grated parmesan cheese.

Watsonville, CA-based California Giant Inc. has officially changed its name to California Giant Berry Farms.

The name shift provides a much broader umbrella and descriptive image of the company. "California Giant Berry Farms" has served as a marketing tag line for the last two seasons, but until now was not incorporated into the company's complete business. The new logo and name will be integrated into all company media during 2008, including product packaging, the company web site, brochures and letterhead.

An association of avocado growers in Mexico best known by its acronym APEAM has filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Food & Agriculture, claiming that the department impeded the marketing of Mexican avocados in California. The suit was filed Jan. 11 in Sacramento County Superior Court.

Demand for Hass avocados in the United States has more than doubled over the last seven years and now stands at around 1 billion pounds annually. Most of that volume comes from three sources: California, Mexico and Chile.

A year ago, California avocados were hit hard by a freeze, which reduced an already smaller crop than the previous year's bumper harvest. As a result, the 2007 California shipping season ended early.

The board of managers at Sun World International LLC, which is headquartered in Bakersfield, CA, has named Allen Vangelos, who is a member of the company's board of managers, "to the additional positions of president and chief executive officer on an interim basis." He will oversee all company operations. The announcement was made in a Jan. 18 company press release.