LONG BEACH, CA -- The Fresh Produce & Floral Council introduced its new slate of officers, including Chairman Patty Knoll of Temkin International, at its annual dinner dance held Saturday night, Jan. 30, at the Westin Long Beach, here. This marked the first time the event was held at this venue.

Border Cold Storage recently installed and commissioned an Ensure-FS ozone fumigation system manufactured by Guardian Manufacturing located in Cocoa, FL. This installation marks the first Ensure-FS system to be installed in the Rio Grande Valley of southern Texas, according to the company.

REIDSVILLE, GA -- Shuman Produce will share details about its new food safety program along with new packaging at the company's booth at the Southeast Produce Council's expo Saturday, March 6, in Tampa, FL, part of the council's 2010 Retail & Foodservice Conference & Exposition, known as Southern Exposure.

Homestead, FL-based Brooks Tropicals has introduced a new papaya box for its year-round movement of "Caribbean Red" papayas from Belize.

"It is a display-ready, corner-post box," Mary Ostlund, director of marketing for Brooks Tropicals, told The Produce News Feb. 3, explaining that corner post refers to the small triangle that fits into the corner and acts as a post in the box to provide more rigidity and stability.

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ -- A wide mix of imported fruit continues to grow wider for Fisher Capespan USA LLC, based here.

The company announced Jan. 20 that it was making an immediate, solid move into a year-round international avocado program. But that's just part of the firm's story, according to Marc Solomon, president and chief executive officer, and Mark Greenberg, chief operating officer and senior vice president of procurement, who met with The Produce News Jan. 20 in Mr. Solomon's office.

It is unanimous: Foodservice operators nationwide were happy to bid farewell to 2009.

Across the board, foodservice establishments were especially hard hit by the recession. It was a wake-up call for the industry -- with food and labor costs facing tough scrutiny. Today, many agree that the return of the back-to- basics operating principles are here for the long haul. With more modest business management mechanisms in place, operators have continued to examine the essentials, and the news is good for Idaho potatoes.