An initiative that started in early 2006 as a project among the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors, the Canadian Horticultural Council and the Canadian Produce Marketing Association to promote food safety by establishing comparability of Canadian industry-led food-safety programs at the primary production and packer-wholesaler levels of the supply chain with those in place in other countries has resulted in a detailed, 125-page comparison report on 15 non-Canadian programs from around the world.

HOUSTON -- It's an innovation that may just set the produce industry on its ear.

AAAbco LLC, the marketing arm of Feasterville, PA-based seed company Abbott & Cobb, unveiled its new microwaveable, easy-open single ear of premium corn at the Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit, held here Oct. 12-15.

A merger north of the border has brought together two highly regarded greenhouse growers known for their quality products.

Jem-D International and Flavour Pict Produce, which are both based in Leamington, ON, merged operations effective Oct. 1. According to Jim DiMenna, president of Jem-D International, the deal is in the transition phase and should be finalized by Feb. 1.

WASHINGTON -- A Senate committee approved its version of the 2007 farm bill with an estimated $3 billion for specialty crop programs, nearly doubling the funding amount approved in the House.

The farm bill, which is expected to reach the Senate floor in the next two weeks, also contains the House-passed compromise agreement that paves the way for country-of-origin labeling for meats, nuts, fruits and vegetables.

Numerous wildfires throughout a wide area of Southern California, but primarily in various locations of northern San Diego County, were still raging out of control Oct. 23, but the hot, dry easterly Santa Ana winds that had driven the blazes finally began to shift and a cooler, more humid on-shore flow began moving into the area.

It is harvest time, and the best apples from across the country are heading to market. Once the apples are off the trees, the next big challenge is to find the best way to let consumers know that they are ready for purchase. The majority of consumers do not decide what they are going to buy until they are actually standing in the supermarket aisle, so it makes sense to reach consumers with information about apples when they are ready to make the decision to purchase: in the store.