ANAHEIM, CA - More than 165 produce and floral exhibitors showed off their products and services at the annual Fresh Produce & Floral Council expo, held here July 14 at the Disneyland Hotel.

Despite the tough economy, nearly 1,300 produce professionals, including scores of retail produce, foodservice and floral buyers, attended the event. Store-level personnel, along with regional, store and department managers, meandered through the aisles to get an up-close glimpse of the latest trends in the produce and floral industry.

Eurofresh Inc., a leader in greenhouse tomato production, has submitted a reorganization plan to the courts and expects to emerge from bankruptcy protection in September, according to Brian McLaughlin, the firm's chief financial officer.

Mr. McLaughlin said that the vast majority of the firm's major bondholders have agreed to a restructuring plan that will require an additional investment by at least two key players, including original owner and founder Johan van den Berg, who still owns about one-third of the company.

WASHINGTON -- Congress is trying to overturn the Obama administration's latest decision to rescind the controversial "no match" rule, but produce groups believe the rule may stay buried for now.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced July 8 that the agency planned to ditch the current Social Security Administration rule, which has been blocked by a court order, in favor of a regulation that would award federal contracts only to employers who use E-Verify to check employee work authorization.

Papayas are not one of those items that are often promoted at retail. After all, there is no generic promotion board, the crop is not seasonal, the United States has limited production with most of the U.S. output consumed in Hawaii where it is produced, and the volume is in just enough hands that there is no one dominant player in the marketplace.

The United Fresh Produce Association has firmly reiterated its opposition to passage of the Employee Free Choice Act and looks to bolster member involvement in the fight against this volatile bill in the weeks and months to come.

As part of a coordinated effort against the legislation, United is mobilizing its Card Check Grassroots network as well as encouraging industry members to attend September's Washington Public Policy Conference.

The Vidalia Onion Committee in Vidalia, GA, is targeting certain regions of the United States this year with the specific goals of increasing brand awareness and increasing rings at the retail cash registers.

Wendy Brannen, executive director of the committee, visited Louisiana in early June as part of a partnership featuring a series of cooking demonstrations at Rouses Markets in the state. On Saturday, June 13, Ms. Brannen was at the Rouses Market store at 400 N. Carrollton Avenue in New Orleans, where she met consumers and educated them about Vidalia sweet onions.