The Southeast Produce Council has chosen Joe McGee, a 50-year veteran of the fresh produce industry and founder of L&M Cos. in Raleigh, NC, to be the inaugural recipient of its Lifetime Achievement Award.

The award will be presented Saturday, Feb. 23 at the council's annual conference and trade show, known as Southern Exposure 2008, set for Feb. 21-23 at the Caribe Royale Resort & Conference Center in Orlando, FL. The Produce News, a co-sponsor of the new award, will make the presentation during the keynote lunch.

Heading into its U.S. marketing program's second year, Mexico Calidad Suprema is shifting focus to hands-on, in-store pilot activities, according to Lizeth Quintero, executive director of the organization.

From her Mexico City office, Ms. Quintero said, "Last season we had unexpected positive reaction and support for our efforts. Importantly, we recently received EurepGAP certification, and Wal-Mart USA Global Procurement has accepted MCS as an approved food-safety program for their vendors. Now we want to see how the shoppers react to our efforts."

A Jan. 15 story from the Associated Press reported that Burger King may stop buying tomatoes from southwestern Florida because of pressure put on the company by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. The coalition has campaigned for the past year to try to get Burger King to join Yum Brands (Taco Bell) and McDonald's in paying a premium on tomatoes from state growers.

The Center for Produce Safety at the University of California-Davis has named Tim York, president of Salinas, CA-based Markon Cooperative, as chairman of the center's new board of advisors.

With 30 industry, academic and regulatory members named to the advisory board of the center, UC Davis is poised to further advance its research and education partnerships on foodborne illnesses like E. coli.

PACIFIC GROVE, CA -- Food safety and what is viewed as a set of good agricultural practices that was imposed on the industry by the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement carried the discussions Tuesday, Jan. 22 at the California Certified Organic Farmers conference held here at the Asilomar Conference Center.

Philadelphia produce distributor Mark Stout died Jan. 15 while skiing in Steamboat Springs, CO. He was 45 and was the owner of Eckert's Produce Co. on the Philadelphia Regional Produce Market.