SALINAS, CA -- Fresh Express, a leading producer of value-added salads in North America based here, announced Wednesday, Jan. 17 that it would provide up to $2 million to fund multidisciplinary research to help the fresh- cut produce industry prevent contamination by the deadly E. coli 0157:H7 pathogen.

Several successive nights of prolonged sub-freezing temperatures across much of California Jan. 10-14 have caused extensive damage to the state's Navel orange crop, which was already lighter than last year, and to other citrus varieties as well, with early estimates of losses in the range of 70-80 percent of the unharvested crop and dollar losses expected to top $750 million.

International citrus suppliers have managed to gain a strong foothold in the U.S. market, and the devastating freeze that hit the California citrus industry the second week of January immediately created a demand for global citrus sources.

Bill Weyland, director of imports for Seald Sweet International LLC in Vero Beach, FL, said Jan. 17, "Obviously, marketers here are looking toward the overseas markets for potential supply," he said, adding that citrus marketers are now looking to Spain, Morocco or both for sourcing.

With Chinese New Year just around the corner - starting this year on Feb. 18 and celebrated for 15 days - Tottori 20th Century pears are a good pick for retail promotion, according to David Nelley, pipfruit category director for The Oppenheimer Group.

Oppenheimer is North America's exclusive marketer of the unique Tottori fruit.

"Tottori 20th Century pears are a favorite among discerning customers who appreciate the meticulous care involved in producing this fruit," Mr. Nelley.

OsoSweet is introducing new packaging for its 19th season of sweet onions from Chile, but it will keep the same program pricing that the brand has maintained for the past 15 years.

"The last time we updated our brand logo and graphics was in 1995," said Rodger Helwig, marketing director for OsoSweet. "After conducting a focus group to gain consumer feedback about OsoSweets, we decided that it was time to update our graphics to deliver a more identifiable brand message to the consumer."

Carcione's Fresh Produce Co. Inc. on the Golden Gate Produce Terminal in South San Francisco has long carried Asian produce items to service mostly small- and medium-sized retail markets and restaurants in the San Francisco Bay area. But that dynamic has changed over the years, said Pete Carcione, president of Carcione's Fresh Produce.

He said that it used to be more common that the Golden Gate Produce Terminal serviced retail markets and restaurants whose customers were exclusively Chinese. But now "maybe only 50 percent of the business is Chinese," he said.