PLEASANTON, CA -- Consumers have never had more choices than they have today regarding where to buy fresh produce, according to research gleaned from scan data, interviews and focus groups.

This is one of the major messages delivered to attendees of a recent Fresh Produce & Floral Council luncheon meeting by keynote speaker Steve Lutz of the Perishables Group. Mr. Lutz was speaking on trends with regard to fresh produce that his company has noted from the material it reviews on a regular basis.

Fact: Nineteen of the 22 E. coli 0157:H7 discoveries associated with leafy greens that have resulted in confirmed illnesses since 1995 took place in late summer or early fall.

SEASIDE, CA -- About 200 people on or near the front lines of spinach science research congregated Sept. 24 for the International Spinach Conference, which was held at the Embassy Suites Hotel Monterey Bay- Seaside, here.

Although discussion of food-safety and E. coli outbreaks in spinach were inevitable, the purpose of the conference was to give plant scientists an opportunity to interact, compare notes and share areas of study and progress.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistical Service, in cooperation with the California Department of Food & Agriculture, has released its estimate for the 2007-08 California Navel crop, and the numbers are good news for the industry.

The estimate calls for a Navel orange crop of 86 million cartons (37.5-pound equivalents), which is 26 percent above last season's freeze-shortened crop of 68 million cartons and is considered to be in the normal range.

WASHINGTON -- With the Senate yet to mark up a farm bill, the resignation of the secretary of agriculture and President Bush threatening a veto, new funding for specialty crop programs in a 2007 farm bill remains uncertain.

Reaction was mixed on the timing of former Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns' departure for the Senate seat in Nebraska vacated by retiring Republican Chuck Hagel.

The Produce Marketing Association and the United Fresh Produce Association have announced that the organizations are ending any further discussion of potential merger at this time, but will continue to cooperate in areas of mutual interest to each association's members.