FDA lifts import alert on Agricola Daniella mangos
An import alert levied by the Food & Drug Administration against Agricola Daniella mangos has been lifted, the Los Mochis, Mexico, shipper announced July 5.
Agricola Daniella, which ships fruit under the "Daniella" brand, was linked to a Salmonella outbreak last year, prompting the FDA action, which prevented Agricola Daniella from shipping mangos to the United States. The company said it improved its HACCP plan and good manufacturing practices program, which resulted in the lifting of the import alert and resumption of U.S. shipments.
Jeff Gargiulo joins Lipman board of directors
Lipman, a leading open field tomato grower, has elected Jeff Gargiulo to its board of directors. A produce industry veteran, Gargiulo currently owns and operates Gargiulo Vineyards, a Napa Valley winery, and is the chairman of Greenleaf Produce, a produce foodservice distributor in San Francisco.
Del Monte's 'Find Your Inner Chef' competition
MIAMI — Kara Adanalian of Fresno, CA, took top honors in the Del Monte Fresh "Find Your Inner Chef" competition, besting runner-up Karen Gulkin of Greeley, CO, in a cook off held at the Miami Culinary Institute, here.
Fresh From the Start gearing up for Maine broccoli deal
With the Maine broccoli deal set to kick off in mid-July, Fresh From the Start is touting the advantages it offers to retail and wholesale clients looking for top-quality product.
Zuhlke gearing up for new packaging rollout
A new three-compartment tomato container marketed by Zuhlke & Associates will be available to retailers soon. Kurt Zuhlke Jr., the company’s president, said the packaging will allow consumers to one-stop shop tomato purchases, as the container will be packed with a trio of tomatoes.
“We will introduce it at the end of July,” Zuhlke told The Produce News.
Mastronardi Produce and U.S. greenhouses now in full production
Mastronardi Produce/Sunset, headquartered in Leamington, Ontario, has various greenhouses growing gourmet tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers throughout North America, with distribution facilities in strategic locations.
Nancy Pickersgill, events and communication manager for the company said that currently the company’s Canadian and U.S. greenhouses are in full production.
Avocado market strengthens as Mexican shipments wane and California fruit sizes
The California avocado deal has been hampered by a plethora of small-sized fruit, with Mexican producers providing most of the larger fruit for the past couple of months. But the avocado market is on an uptick as Mexico moves into a typical lag period and California fruit begins to have a more diverse size portfolio.
Rob Wedin, vice president of fresh sales for Calavo Growers Inc. in Santa Paula, CA, told The Produce News that "Mexico is barely importing any small fruit at all, while packers in California are getting better sizing every day."
Chinese garlic crop is largest in four years with lower prices expected
Prices for Chinese garlic have reached historic highs in recent years due to light crops, but this year's crop is expected to be up in volume by about 35 percent with a corresponding drop in price, according to Jim Provost, managing partner of I Love Produce in West Grove, PA.
For the past three years, prices for Chinese garlic have been "stronger than they have ever been" previously, said Mr. Provost, who had just returned from a three-week visit to China when he spoke with The Produce News in late June.
Nash Finch promotes Tom Swanson to senior VP of retail operations
Nash Finch Co., a Minneapolis-based food distributor, promoted Tom Swanson to senior vice president of retail operations.
Since joining Nash Finch in 2012, Swanson has successfully led corporate retail through several key growth initiatives, including new store openings, implementation of innovative retail marketing and merchandising programs, execution of a focused family fresh market remodel strategy, and the integration of Bag ‘N Save and No Frills stores into Nash Finch.
USA Onions teams with Boise State football for grilling extravaganza
Following the precedence set by its 2012 onion grilling campaign, USA Onions/Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee is launching an all-new program this football season in conjunction with Boise State Bronco Football home games.
As part of the tailgate-themed promotion, Idaho Gov. Butch Otter will compete at the grill against a surprise "opponent" during the Broncos' match up with University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at Boise State on Sept. 28.