FoodLink, an on-line network for fresh food retailers, wholesalers and suppliers, announced its status as a certified partner to Giant Eagle Inc. and its produce team.

With 228 supermarket locations, Giant Eagle is one of the larger produce buyers in the country, offering selections from regional growers to global suppliers with a focus on the highest quality and freshness standards.

The Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League presented Fernando Aguirre, chairman and chief executive officer of Chiquita Brands International, with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award for 2011 during the team’s game Sept. 25.

The NFL and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation have partnered to launch the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Awards during the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The awards honor notable Hispanics in each NFL market who have distinguished themselves and made an impact on America and globally.

The Walt Disney Co. and Ocean Spray — two iconic American brands that have captured families’ imaginations and appetites for more than 80 years each — announced the debut of the first cranberry bog exhibit at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, FL, during the 2011 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, which is being held Sept. 30 to Nov. 13.

Reidsville, GA-based Shuman Produce has partnered with Susan G. Komen for the Cure this October by donating $20,000 to the fight against breast cancer. Now in its second year of partnership, Shuman’s “RealSweet” packaging will bear the familiar pink ribbon and colors of the campaign on newly designed consumer bags, bins, 40-pound cartons and PLU stickers.

Already among industry leaders in pears, Stemilt Growers has elevated its pear program with the debut of Thermal Tech Tarpless ripening rooms at its Miller Street facility in Wenatchee, WA. The new rooms will enhance the company’s “RipeRite” pear-ripening program, which has been a feature for Stemilt pears for nearly a decade.

With an understanding that everyone from customers and consumers to employees and job-seekers are looking to connect on-line and in real time, Sun World International has launched a new web site that will look to enhance users’ on-line experiences.

Sun World will officially launch the new site (www.sun-world.com) at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit convention in Atlanta.