Save-A-Lot, a leading U.S. grocery chain with 1,200 stores nationwide, has announced that Mark Goodman has been appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer.
CIW-McDonald's agreement draws strong reaction from Florida tomato industry
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers and McDonald's USA joined together April 9 at the Carter Center in Atlanta to announce an agreement wherein beginning with the 2007 Florida tomato season production, McDonald's will pay CIW one penny per pound for Florida tomatoes that it purchases for its 13,000 U.S. restaurants. The money will be designated to farmworker needs.
PMA launches on-line produce library, I Know Produce
The Produce Marketing Association's new on-line produce library, I Know Produce, is now available to subscribers.
I Know Produce is a web-based application designed to simplify training and produce ordering for retailers and foodservice buyers, and to help menu developers better understand the nutritional values of produce.
Bees could cause seedy situation in California Mandarin groves
Honeybees are usually considered welcome in fruit orchards. But their presence in Mandarin groves is a serious problem, according to Joel Nelsen, president of California Citrus Mutual in Exeter, CA, a trade association representing the growers of more than 120,000 acres of citrus.
Clementines, Murcotts and other Mandarin varieties, which have been planted in increasing numbers in California in recent years, are popular not only because they are tasty and easy to peel, but also because they are seedless -- that is to say the marketplace expects them to be seedless.
The Hood River Valley is awash with blooming fruit trees, and to celebrate the role that agriculture plays in the region, Genevieve Scholl-Erdmann, marketing director for the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce, said visitors can expect the 53rd annual Hood River Valley Blossom Festival to be spectacular. The event takes place April 21-22.
"[The festival] celebrates the agricultural way of life," she told The Produce News, adding that approximately 18,000 people attended last year's event.
California and Florida legislatures respond to recent outbreaks
State legislatures in California and Florida are considering sweeping new laws for produce in the wake of recent outbreaks, but tomato and leafy green growers are asking for different fixes.
While the produce industry responded to the E. coli outbreaks linked to leafy greens produced in the Salinas Valley with a marketing agreement, California Sen. Dean Florez (D) is pushing for state-enforced food-safety measures through legislation.
