Bill Marler of the Seattle-based law firm Marler Clark has identified Mission Organics -- a company with direct partnership ties to Natural Selection Foods -- as a grower that grew spinach involved in last year's E. coli 0157:H7 outbreak that sickened more than 200 people and killed at least three -- and possibly five -- others.

Mission Organics is a partnership among Mission Ranches; Drew and Myra Goodman as Earthbound Farm Inc.; and Otto Kramm. Mission Ranches, Earthbound Farm Inc. and Tanimura & Antle are partners in Natural Selection Foods.

ASHEVILLE, NC -- It is said that records are made to be broken, and true to the old clich?, several records were set at the National Watermelon Association's 93rd annual convention, held Feb. 21-25, here, at the Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa.

"For the past two years we have set records around the board," said Bob Morrissey, the association's executive director. "We had over 440 people at our banquet this year and that is a record crowd. We had the largest attendance, auction, sponsorship and exhibitors in our 93-year history."

TAMPA, FL -- The Southeast Produce Council attracted a record attendance to its fourth annual retail and foodservice conference and expo, held here Feb. 22-24, as participants enjoyed the golf tournament, field tours, workshops, trade show and receptions that comprised the event.

Add the perfect Florida weather during all three days of what the council calls Southern Exposure 2007, and it is not surprising that SPC executives, exhibitors and attendees all gave it high marks.

Two laboratories have confirmed that mushrooms recalled by BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. were not contaminated with E. coli, the retailer said Feb. 23.

On Feb 20, BJ's recalled mushrooms packaged under the "Wellsley Farms" brand that were purchased between Feb. 11 and Feb. 19. The retailer took the precautionary measure when preliminary test results showed the possible presence of trace amounts of E. coli from one lot code of the sliced mushrooms, said the warehouse retailer.

The assets of McCartney Produce Co. Inc. in Paris, TN, were acquired by an affiliated company of Indianapolis Fruit Co. Inc. and Piazza Produce Inc.

McCartney, originally a family business founded in 1947, distributes fresh produce and related items to both the retail and foodservice sectors in several states. The company will continue to operate in Paris under the McCartney Produce name. Jerry Bowden will continue as chief operating officer, and the management team and all other employees will remain in place.