Northeast Grocery Inc., the parent company of Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops Friendly Markets, is expanding its partnership with Instacart. The two chains will leverage the Instacart Platform to introduce new e-commerce capabilities and launch a new retail media network using Instacart’s Carrot Ads solution.

Calavo Growers Inc. is anticipating excellent supplies of avocados from Peru this summer, peaking in July and August with arrivals lasting well into September. The September arrivals are expected to allow for distribution of Peruvian avocados in the U.S. market into October.

“We have seen some arrivals already,” said Peter Shore, vice president, product management for Calavo Grown Sales, which is based in Santa Paula, CA. “We have programs set up for the season for retail and foodservice customers.”

Seattle, WA-based Strella BioTechnology is not in the business of wasting time — or food for that matter. In fact, the startling statistics surrounding food waste inspired 26-year-old Katherine Sizov to start the company five years ago while she was still in college.

“There’s no guardian angel to watch over produce,” Sizov told The Produce News. “It’s like a hot potato — passed from one person to the next. There’s no one saying, ‘are we making the best decision on behalf of the apple?’”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture filed an administrative complaint against American Fruit & Produce Corp. for alleged violations of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. The company, operating from Florida, allegedly failed to make payment promptly to eighteen produce sellers in the amount of $1.03 million from March 2018 through October 2022.

SpartanNash has received Great Place to Work certification. This recognition is the result of a detailed company culture analysis and independent feedback from current associates about their experience at SpartanNash. Notably, 81 percent of associate respondents stated they feel proud to work for the company, and 84 percent said they were made to feel welcome.

Great Place to Work, a leading expert in workplace culture, employee experience and leadership behaviors, requires seven out of 10 employees to report a positive experience with the organization to earn certification.

Raquel Mello, a 12-year sales veteran at Hapco Farms, based in Westhampton Beach, NY, has taken on a new role as client and grower relations manager. In this role, Mello will continue to foster Hapco’s relationships with its growers and bring that information to its customers.