Crunch Pak, maker of sliced fresh apples, will introduce additions to its "Apple Snackers" line at the United Fresh Produce Association show, which was scheduled for April 21-22 in Las Vegas.

"Apple Snackers" are nutritious snacks that contain interesting combinations of fruits and other sides, such as dips and cheese, in a mini-tray. Crunch Pak now makes fresh "Apple Snackers" choices that include apples, cheese and grapes; apples, cheese and pretzels; and apples, cheese and caramel.

Pete Aiello is looking forward to late April.

Mr. Aiello, general manager of Uesugi Farms Inc., said that this is when the Gilroy, CA-based grower-packer-shipper will kick off its Bell pepper deal, and he expected this to be when the "high green and red Bell pepper market will come back down to earth."

"Markets should normalize when California really gets going with some volume," Mr. Aiello told The Produce News April 7. "We'll have red Bell peppers by the end of May in Coachella [CA]."

Coastline Produce in Salinas, CA, is now the exclusive shipper of the "American Classic" label. The label joins the company's "Coastline" and "Greenettes" labels, and current offerings include celery, lettuce and Romaine with additional products to come.

Earthcycle Packaging Ltd., a leader in the sustainable packaging industry, is set to deliver and lead one of the more highly anticipated speeches and discussions at United Fresh's 2010 inaugural Global Conference on Produce Sustainability.

The conference, set to take place Friday, April 23, at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, is designed to educate attendees not only about the importance of working toward long-term sustainability to protect the environment but also about how making the right choices can actually help increase market sales.

As the Specialty Potato Alliance approaches its first anniversary of operation, the organization continues to see sales increases for its retail and foodservice fingerling and specialty potato lines, and has recently introduced a new packaging option for its family of products, which are available nationwide.

Mark Pittenger, vice president of sales and marketing for the alliance, told The Produce News April 7 that "we are integrating our two new proprietary varieties, the Red Rebel and the Rockey Rose, more and more into our lineup."

Ruiz Sales, an Edinburg, TX, distributor of tropical fruits, has long tried to be ahead of the curve when it comes to adopting new technology. This year, it has continued that tradition with the addition of traceable GTIN on most of its limes, at both the case level and the item level.