WASHINGTON -- The potato industry hailed the Senate Oct. 18 for voting to bar the U.S. Department of Agriculture from limiting starchy vegetable servings in school lunches.

An amendment sponsored by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) would overturn the USDA’s decision to limit servings of starchy vegetables, such as white potatoes, green peas, lima beans and corn, to one cup per week in the National School Lunch Program.

ATLANTA -- The packaging of produce has been elevated to an art form, according to a panel of experts who addressed the subject during a workshop session held here during the Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit convention.

It was not very long ago that produce packaging consisted of a bag or a clamshell picked for its size and shape, and not much else. But those days are gone -- at least for the sophisticated marketer.