Most experts who track sales of a product after a food-safety scare, expected sales of fresh spinach to rebound within six months of last year's E. coli outbreak linked to fresh spinach.

But about a year later, sales are still down by 16-18 percent, and while there are signs that recovery continues, it is happening at a slow pace.

When Sundia Corp. debuted in 2005, industry heavyweights paid little attention. Two years later, the San Francisco Bay area company has one of the faster-growing produce brands in the United States, successfully challenging established names in produce departments across the country and Canada.

At the recent Produce Marketing Association show, Sundia unveiled "True Fruit Lite" and "True Fruit Organic," which are perfectly ripened fruit products in Sundia's proprietary "Grab n' Go" packaging that features a spork for on- the-go consumers.

WASHINGTON -- A congressional hearing raised serious questions about the adequacy of border security from foreign pests and diseases, prompting one congressman to say that the Agricultural Quarantine Inspection program was "in shambles."

"Stopping foreign pests and prohibited agricultural products from entering the U.S. might not be as sexy as stopping terrorists, weapons or drugs, but it is certainly just as important," said Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture, who called the Oct. 3 hearing.

HOUSTON -- Since 2002, the Produce for Kids retail-supplier fundraising partnership has raised $1,187,707 for Children's Miracle Network, benefiting and saving the lives of countless children, John Shuman, president of Reidsville, GA-based sweet onion handler Shuman Produce Inc. and founder of PFK, told the audience gathered here to celebrate the success of the program.

Well Pict Inc. in Watsonville, CA, has several new developments in both its organic and conventional lines, which it featured at this year's PMA Fresh Summit convention Oct. 12-15 in Houston.

In response to the changes and demands of today's marketplace, Well Pict said that it is continuing to expand packaging, product options and availability for its premium proprietary variety berries.

At last year's Produce Marketing Association convention in San Diego, the spinach recall was top of mind and was the major topic of conversation throughout the convention -- both in organized seminar sessions and on the exposition floor.