NEWARK, DE " With the U.S. government and the agriculture industry grappling with the issue of acceptable perchlorate levels in agricultural products, the produce industry is keeping an eye on developments as they pertain to the products produced by the nation?s fruit and vegetable growers.

Building on the consumer-focused programs it developed throughout 2004, the Produce Marketing Association is continuing that theme into 2005 starting with its Retail Produce Solutions Conference in Monterey, CA. The conference will be held June 2-4; previously announced dates were June 4-6.

It appears that there is close to universal agreement that inconsistent quality plagues mango exports to the United States and what is truly needed is some type of grade standard. Currently, there are no grade standards for mangos.

However, that situation appears to be headed toward resolution as a spokesman for the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service?s Fruit & Vegetable Programs told The Produce News March 2 that a proposed grade standard for mangos would be published in the Federal Register within a matter of days.

The Pride of New York program, the state?s branding program to promote and support agricultural products grown and food products processed within New York state, has launched a newly designed web site to better serve consumers, program members and anyone interested in New York state foods.

The Pride of New York Program?s redesigned web site, www.prideofny.com, now lists more than 1,200 members and offers easy-to-access, searchable information about members and their products. It also provides downloadable membership criteria and marketing information.

PORTLAND, OR " Eating just one juicy fresh pear with the skin is a good way to obtain a good portion of the recommended daily fiber requirements, according to the newly released Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

At about the size of a tennis ball, one medium-sized pear has nearly five grams of fiber or about 17 percent of the recommended daily intake for most adults.

What looks a heck-of-a-lot like a four-leaf clover? Epic Roots m?che rosettes.

Traditional St. Patrick?s Day cooking is heavy on meat and potatoes. Epic Roots has developed a recipe that is among the first to offer a healthy greens option. The recipe for lucky m?che salad features Epic Roots? m?che, asparagus, blue cheese and red cabbage with light vinaigrette, giving the retailer the option to cross-merchandise three produce items.