Los Angeles County health officials implicated lettuce in a hepatitis A outbreak on a movie set late last year, and now the law firm Marler Clark has filed lawsuits against a caterer and a lettuce distributor on behalf of sickened film crew members.

Workers on the set of "The Good German," a film starring George Clooney and Cate Blanchett, filed a lawsuit against Silver Grill Location Catering and Soleil Produce Inc., said the Seattle-based law firm. According to the suit, Soleil Produce supplied the pre-packaged baby greens on the California film set.

Produce industry veteran Loren Queen, who was most recently the product manager for Tart Is Smart cherry juice company, has been named manager of marketing and communications for Yakima, WA-based fruit grower-shipper Domex.

He replaces Eric Patrick, who recently joined the Grant J. Hunt Co. as marketing director.

Mr. Queen's first day on the job was March 13, and he told The Produce News March 20 that it had been a "busy week."

Monterey, CA-based Colorful Harvest LLC has announced an exclusive relationship with W.E. Schlechter & Sons of Belle Glade, FL, that will market Colorful Harvest's "Scarlet Sweet Red Corn" grown in Florida.

W.E. Schlechter, a third-generation corn and vegetable grower and a member of the Pioneer Growers Cooperative, will be the exclusive grower of the corn in Florida. The partnership marks the first time Colorful Harvest has grown the product outside California.

The California Avocado Commission and Frieda's Inc. are combining forces in a consumer recipe promotion for Fresh California Avocado Crepe-Wraps. The promotion is scheduled to run from April 1 through Sept. 4.

Dominic Francis DiMare, founder of the DiMare Co., died March 19 of respiratory failure in Miami, FL. He was 94.

Born Jan. 4, 1912, Mr. DiMare started selling produce from a pushcart when he was 13 years old. He and his brothers, Anthony DiMare and Joseph DiMare, built a produce company that is now among the leading fresh tomato companies, with farming operations in California, Florida and South Carolina, and repacking and sales operations in seven states.

The Produce Marketing Association's International Council met in Shanghai, China, from Feb. 26 through March 1 with Rabobank North East Asia representative Patrick Vizzone to explore the opportunities and challenges in the global produce supply chain and, more specifically, on China's current and future role as a significant exporter and importer of fruits and vegetables.

The findings from the collaboration are being incorporated into a white paper PMA will make available May 15.