MONTREAL — If the Avocado Producers & Exporting Packers Association of Michoacan [Mexico] has its way, Cinco de Mayo will become as big an event in Canada as it has become in the United States — complete with a major spike in avocado consumption.

MONTREAL — Gambles Ontario Produce Inc. was the 2011 recipient of The Produce News Fresh Health Award, presented April 14 during the Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s 86th annual convention, held here April 13-15.

Misionero Vegetables in Gonzales, CA, announced the addition of LARRY OLIVO to its regional sales team. He joined Misionero April 7 in a newly created regional sales manager position.

Previously, Mr. Olivo was a western regional sales manager at Mann Packing Co.

He has over 25 years of sales experience and will be responsible for strengthening Misionero’s retail and foodservice business.

Numerous factors combined to push some vegetable items to dizzying heights through much of April and some of these items will remain in short supply and at high prices for at least several more weeks.

“There is hardly a red pepper to be found,” said Damon Barkdull, sales representative for Uesugi Farms Inc. in Hollister, CA. “And there is going to be no relief until sometime in late May.”

The first few hours of a recall are the most crucial. There is little time to develop strategies to protect public health and repair a company’s reputation. Yet it is critical that a company demonstrate it can quickly and accurately execute all aspects of a recall. The best way to ensure this is to have a plan.

Under Section 103 of the 2010 Food Safety Modernization Act, mandatory “preventative controls” include a recall plan. But this new food-safety law isn’t the only good reason for having a recall plan.