Produce and floral suppliers from across the United States and around the world donated an estimated 266,330 pounds of fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida following the close of the 2010 Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition, held Oct. 15-18 in Orlando, FL.

ORLANDO, FL — Whether traceability comes from a government mandate or a competitive market, there is much motivation for the produce industry to pursue it, Thomas Eckschmidt of Brazil's PariPassu told attendees of a workshop during the 2010 Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit, held here Oct. 15-18.

"Traceability allows us to tell our story first," Mr. Eckschmidt said. “Some people out there are just waiting to tell stories about how bad our food can be.”

ORLANDO, FL — The Argentinean Blueberry Committee was created this spring in a cooperative effort by the country's five leading exporters.

Ines Pelaez, manager of the new committee, was a guest speaker at the Oct 15 Chilean fruit meeting that was held here in conjunction with the 2010 PMA Fresh Summit. Ms. Pelaez and Chilean interests both emphasized that the Argentine and Chilean blueberry interests are complementary because Argentina precedes Chile into the market each fall.

National Apple Month's 2010 retail display contest is in full swing, but there is still time for retailers across the country to take advantage of the contest and boost their apple sales.

The contest began Sept. 1 and runs until Nov. 30, and retailers can submit entries until Nov. 30. Full details are available on-line at www.usapple.org/industry/apple month or by calling NAM Director Kay Rentzel at 717/432-0090.

The Canadian International Trade Tribunal issued a final decision Oct. 19 that upheld a complaint filed by the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers Association alleging the injurious dumping of greenhouse Bell peppers from the Netherlands.

The complaint, which the Leamington, ON-based association filed Dec. 24, 2009, alleged that imports of greenhouse Bell peppers originating in or exported from the Netherlands were being dumped in Canada, and that the dumping of these goods was causing injury to the Canadian industry.

NEW YORK — Martha Stewart joined Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. to fight childhood hunger and host a pre-Thanksgiving meal inside Ocean Spray's Big Apple Bog event held here Oct. 19 in front of the General Electric Building in Rockefeller Center.