Food safety is such a top-of-mind issue for San Antonio, TX-based Murphy Tomatoes that it provided the impetus for the construction of a brand new 32,400-square-foot facility off the decades-old market.

Chief Operating Officer Bill Kellner said that the new facility gives the tomato repacker and distributor plenty of space to work the fruit, place it in storage and ripen it when necessary. "We have two ripening rooms where I can set the temperature for 34 degrees to whatever we need," he said.

A new portable pressure cooling system designed to expand forced-air cooling capabilities has moved past the development stage and is now available for tunnel cooling fruits and vegetables.

Developed by Salinas, CA-based Veg-Tech LLC, the portable cooling system -- called Cool. Anywhere. -- features a patented air-handling technology that provides exceptional cooling uniformity across all pallets.

NEWARK, DE -- Produce Marketing Association staff are hosting local tours of food safety regulators on each U.S. coast just two weeks before the global produce industry will focus on food safety at PMA's 2009 Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition.

Senior Food & Drug Administration officials, including Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, visited small farms in PMA's home state of Delaware Sept. 18 as part of a fact-finding tour to learn more about produce safety, such as traceability. That tour, planned by PMA, included a town hall meeting with area growers.

Ocean Mist Farms will unveil a comprehensive redesign of its packaging for the more than 25 fresh vegetable commodities the company grows and ships at this year's PMA Fresh Summit.

The features of the new packaging design, which will be on display in the company's booth (No. 4138), are based on consumer research and input from retail partners, Kori Tuggle, marketing manager for Ocean Mist, said in a Sept. 14 press release.

Retailers achieved $70 million more in avocado sales during the California avocado season, according to the California Avocado Commission, which plans to provide more details on this analysis of IRI/FreshLook Marketing data at the upcoming Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit in Anaheim, CA.

Wanted: SYPPs (savvy young produce professionals) under 35 seeking to make industry connections with other young professionals.

Have a drink on the Produce Marketing Association's Foundation for Industry Talent at the Young Professionals Reception on Friday Oct. 2 from 5 to 6 p.m. at the association's Fresh Summit convention in Anaheim, CA, and build a network of peers with a short, fun speed-networking activity and lots of time to socialize.