SunFed, a grower, packer, shipper and distributor based in Rio Rico, AZ, has hired Jorge Ruiz, previously with Farmer's Best International, in the newly created position of chief financial officer.

Danny Mandel, president of SunFed, made the announcement Oct. 3. Mr. Mandel told The Produce News that Mr. Ruiz "is going to be a great asset to our team."

Produce Marketing Association research shows that overall, 43 percent of consumers said that they purchase prepared meals from their supermarket.

Moreover, 30 percent of consumers say they make more of those purchases today than they did a year ago, replacing what they would have traditionally purchased at a restaurant.

Arkansas Tomato Shippers announced the opening of its new 26,000-square-foot warehouse in Nogales, AZ.

Outgrowing its previous location, the company sought a facility in a more convenient location that offered increased truck parking, cooler space, dry storage and dock doors for ease of loading and unloading.

No sooner had the potato industry emerged  victorious and vindicated  from the attack of the now-discredited anti-carb diets than it came under attack from yet another quarter: this time a lawsuit filed by California Attorney General Bill Lockyer against nine manufacturers of potato chips and french fries.

Dan Gaspar has joined Domex in Yakima, WA, as its new head of quality assurance and safety.

He brings more than 27 years of experience and a wealth of knowledge to the Domex team as it continues to evolve.

In his new role, Mr. Gaspar will be charged with keeping Domex on the forefront of such food-safety programs as Eurogap, SQF, HACCP and global traceability.

CORAL GABLES, FL  Uniban SA, a top banana and plantain export company in Colombia, and Fyffes PLC, a leading fruit and vegetable distributing company in Europe, have entered into a strategic alliance under which Fyffes will assume a 50 percent ownership in Turbana Corp., the Coral Gables, FL-based marketing subsidiary of Uniban SA.