BALTIMORE -- A record crowd attended the International Fresh-cut Produce Association's conference here April 26-29 to hear speakers discuss food safety, packaging innovations and other trends facing the fresh-cut industry.

Some 108 of the industry's top suppliers and nearly 1,500 attendees registered for the meeting, which was called the biggest audience ever for the Fresh Cut Expo.

"We were thrilled to see so many industry members come out to support this year's show," said IFPA President Jerry Welcome. "I think our big turnout this year just reaffirms the strong need for a show dedicated to the value-added produce sector. The show has always served as a catalyst for new ideas and innovation, and we look forward to continuing to build value in this important program." But two issues dominated the talk in Baltimore: a potentially damaging expos? on the safety of fresh-cut lettuce that was due to be aired April 30 on NBC's "Dateline" news magazine television program, and the soon-to-be-finalized merger between the United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association and IFPA.

The Dateline news segment, "Unseen Danger in Bagged Salads," focused on an 11-year-old's life-threatening battle with E. coli poisoning and interviews with health officials who linked the outbreak to Dole's bagged salads.

Dole recalled the bagged lettuce, but not before 26 people in three states reported their illnesses, said Dateline consumer reporter Lea Thompson.

United's Jim Gorny defended the industry on camera, saying that his heart went out to the people caught in the outbreak and that the fresh-cut industry was still perplexed by how this could happen. There are no data supporting the theory that the lettuce became contaminated by flooded fields, he said, and the outbreak could have been caused by harmful bacteria smeared on the outside of the bags during handling.

"It wasn't the most positive piece," said Kathy Means of the Produce Marketing Association, which plans to conduct market research to gauge the impact of the story on consumer attitudes. PMA also plans to monitor customer pricing and demand to pinpoint whether the television show affected sales.

Ms. Means said that the Dateline report was silent on the produce industry's response to the Food & Drug Administration's heightened concern about food poisonings, such as the newly distributed industry guidelines for safe handling of lettuce and leafy greens.

Margaret D'Arrigo of D'Arrigo Bros. of California in Salinas, herself a mother, was interviewed by "Dateline" producers and was said to have done an excellent job of communicating the industry's view, but her segment was cut from the show, Ms. Means said.

Vic Smith, a Yuma, AZ, grower, explained in the segment how lettuce is harvested and the procedures farmers follow to maintain the safety of the product.

"In all honesty, it was better than expected," said Mr. Welcome, who credited the many produce associations in educating the Dateline producers. "All in all, it was a balanced story. It shouldn't scare people."

It's always troubling to be the focus of a "Dateline" show, Dr. Gorny said in an interview after the April 30 broadcast. But he said he had not heard of any "run on the bank" from buyers since the airing of the program.

With 6 million bags sold each day, the chances of an illness are remote, Dr. Gorny added. "We're working hard to reduce the risk even further."

"But there was no E. coli found in any sealed bags," Dr. Gorny said. "It's really a mystery, and we don't want to jump to assumptions that it came from the farm or a processing plant." The "Dateline" segment advised consumers to wash the pre- washed salad bags if they are concerned about the safety of the product.

Consumers also should check the expiration date and keep bagged lettuce refrigerated, but they don't have to wash it again, said Ms. Means. If they do, it's important to keep the kitchen surfaces and hands clean to prevent cross contamination.

IFPA had been preparing for any potential fallout from the story, sending regular updates to its members on the Dateline piece before it aired and distributing talking points to be used with the media and customers.

The repeated outbreaks associated with fresh-cut salads was the top issue at IFPA's Baltimore show, where members attended several food-safety sessions, said David Gombas, IFPA's vice president of technical services.

He said that a panel of 12 experts convened in California last month to look at the issue of whether the industry should advise consumers to wash packaged ready-to-eat lettuce. Additional washing by the end-user is not likely to enhance safety, because there are too many variables and potential opportunities for cross- contamination in the kitchen, said Dr. Gombas.

Trevor Suslow of the University of California spoke about research underway at UC-Davis on the role flooding may play in spreading E. coli contamination in growing fields. Dr. Suslow said that his group has been sampling in rain-soaked Salinas fields for the harmful bacteria.

The other topic at the top of the agenda was IFPA's vote to approve the newly created United Fresh Produce Association, the merger between IFPA and United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association. IFPA's members voted 160-7 as of press time to approve the merger. Each member company was sent a ballot and was asked to vote electronically by May 1, thereby making the business deal official.

"Everyone worries a bit when they hear the word 'merger,' but it's not a bad word. In fact, in our case, it's a very good one," said Mark Miller, president of Fresh from Texas and IFPA's chairman of the board.

At an April 28 breakfast session, Mr. Miller spoke about the merger to conference attendees. "The processing community is vital to the overall produce industry - and no one recognizes this more than the leadership of United does," he said.

Mr. Miller reassured the group that the Fresh Cut Expo would continue despite concerns raised about whether the two trade shows could survive. "As you can see from the record attendance and excitement here in Baltimore, this is a robust and vital event - one that will continue to flourish under the new organization."

Mr. Miller added, "We have less than 5 percent crossover among other exhibitors, and the business attendees who come to the shows represent very different functional segments of the industry."

The group plans to hold its next two shows in California, with the 2007 show in Palm Springs and the 2008 show in Sacramento. Mr. Welcome said that he would listen to the marketplace in deciding whether to continue a trade show focused on equipment and packaging needs. With the combined groups representing 1,100 companies, the Fresh Cut Expo has an opportunity to grow, he said.

The groups acknowledged that there were still details to iron out in creating one board of directors and one professional staff to run the new United Fresh Produce Association.

In the meantime, two other food associations announced April 28 their move to merge operations.

The Food Products Association and the Grocery Manufacturers Association will merge to provide a greater voice for food, beverage and consumer products companies, starting in January, according to the groups.

The combined organization, which would represent 300 processors, would be named GMA/FPA for the first year, after which it would be known as GMA.