With providing food-safety expertise and business solutions as one of its strategic commitments, the International Fresh Produce Association recently welcomed the fourth cohort from a variety of IFPA member companies to its Produce Safety Immersion Program.

Sponsored by Calavo Growers and EcoLab, the six-month program consists of a mix of virtual and in-person education opportunities designed to develop the technical capacity, critical thinking skills and leadership attributes of the next generation of produce safety professionals.

The second annual South American Blueberry Convention will be held at the Monticello Conference Center in San Francisco de Mostazal, Chile, on April 18. The event is organized by the International Blueberry Organization and sponsored by ProArandanos from Peru, ABC from Argentina, Upefruy from Uruguay and Aneberries from Mexico and seeks to contribute to collaboration and innovation in the face of the challenges of a complex market but full of opportunities and learnings.

Side Delights delivers the delicious, nutritious and sustainable meat alternatives shoppers seek. Meatless Mondays are making a return 20 years after the international movement was founded in 2003 to encourage people to increase the number of plant-based meals for their health and that of the planet.  

Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. has acquired two independently owned stores in Chula Vista, CA, operating under the Sprouts Farmers Market name pursuant to a legacy trademark license arrangement.

Acquiring these stores will allow complete control of the Sprouts brand and open further expansion possibilities in Southern California.

Sprouts licensed the Sprouts Farmers Market trademark to a third-party operator many years ago in a one-of-a-kind operating structure. No other licensed Sprouts stores exist.

Cathy Burns, CEO of the International Fresh Produce Association, recently discussed food as medicine and produce prescriptions.

Fresh from the Start, a fourth-generation family-owned produce company with operations that span the East Coast, is expanding its potato portfolio this year with increased production of its mini potato program. The expansion follows a successful first year in 2022.