Testa Produce Inc. has taken steps to become a sustainable and environmental leader in the foodservice industry, and those efforts were recognized when Peter Testa, president, was one of three recipients of the Environmental Leadership Award at the ninth annual Illinois Environmental Council dinner, held Sept. 21.

Fowler, CA-based Simonian Fruit Co.’s first pomegranates of the 2011 season are now available.

Simonian began packing this year’s first fruit with Early Wonderfuls around the first week of October. By Oct. 17, Wonderfuls will be in full production and will continue through March, according to a company press release.

With over 50 years of experience in the produce industry in Central California, the company said in the release that the 2011 crop is even larger and juicier than previous seasons.

Ever since JemD Farms, headquartered in Leamington, ON, and Agricola El Rosal, a technically advanced greenhouse operation in Numaran, Michoacan, Mexico, entered into a partnership in 2008, its growth has been exponential. The companies’ shared commitment is to better service customers on a year-round basis with consistently high-quality hydroponic produce sold under the “Red Sun Produce” and “Golden Sun Produce” labels.

To accommodate the growth, the firms opened a new cross-docking and distribution facility Sept. 1 in Pharr, TX, named El Rosal Cold Storage.

With a rich heritage of offering a full line of fresh fruits and vegetables for over 120 years, San Francisco-based Jacobs, Malcolm & Burtt has expanded its international commodity supply, offering increased availability and helping to serve an expanded market.

Known for its specialty asparagus, JMB has grown to include other popular commodities. In 2008, the company met with an incredible response to its introduction of Ruby Fresh pomegranate arils and followed up with Ruby Fresh whole pomegranates a year later.

The Washington, DC-based United Fresh Foundation, through the Center for Food Safety & Quality, will conduct three installments of its popular Produce Inspection Training Program in 2012. These hands-on training sessions, executed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service, are designed to help produce industry members better understand the breadth of the produce inspection process.

Renaissance Food Group selected Mobishelf, a division of Plastech Specialties Co., to collaborate in the development and implementation of a new mobile marketing initiative for RFG’s “Chef Essentials” product line.

Plastech Specialties manufacturers point-of-purchase materials for supermarkets and food manufacturers across the United States; the company’s Mobishelf division is a means for the company’s clients to expand their marketing efforts by creating, hosting and managing mobile-phone-friendly web sites accessed via QR codes.