Food-safety bill sails through House subcommittee
WASHINGTON -- New legislation that would give the Food & Drug Administration authority to write federal produce-safety standards and set up sweeping traceability regulations cleared its first hurdle when a subcommittee approved the bill on June 10.
The House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee approved the Food Safety Enhancement Act (H.R. 2749), a bill that is likely to "have a lot of impact on the produce industry," Robert Guenther of the United Fresh Produce Association told The Produce News at the Capitol Hill hearing.
Federal leafy greens marketing agreement moves forward
WASHINGTON -- Two years after launching new standards in California for growing and handling leafy greens, a coalition of produce groups has petitioned the federal government to establish a national marketing agreement for leafy greens.
In a June 9 petition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the groups asked the federal government to set up a national marketing agreement based on best practices and a verification program designed to reduce the potential for another crippling outbreak like the 2006 E. Coli episode associated with fresh spinach.
Melissa's introduces 'hottest dried chili pepper'
LOS ANGELES -- Melissa's/World Variety Produce Inc., here, has just introduced a new dried chili product that is "definitely the hottest dried chili" currently in distribution in the United States, according to Robert Schueller, director of public relations for the firm.
Red Zoo in receivership
The Fruit & Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corp., based in Ottawa, ON, issued a notice to its members June 9 advising that Deloitte & Touche Inc. in Windsor, ON, has been appointed receiver of Red Zoo Marketing, headquartered in Kingsville, ON.
Fred Webber, vice president of trading assistance at the DRC, told The Produce News that under Canadian law, receivership is much like a bankruptcy in the United States.
FreshXperts and Innovative Fresh join forces
Innovative Fresh, a Netherlands-based company that provides strategy consulting services and market intelligence programs to fresh produce companies and retailers in Europe and Latin America, has joined FreshXperts, a consortium of consultants with expertise in business development, management, marketing, distribution and retail merchandising needs to produce companies, their distributors and retailers.
Retailers doing their part to move large mango crop
With weekly Mexican mango shipments to the United States in the voluminous 1.7 million-carton to 2.3 million-carton range for a six-week period in April and May, the situation pointed to a potential marketing disaster. But it did not happen.
Importers indicated that retail movement was very good and they received a lot of promotional support during that time period to help move the large crop.
Z&S Fresh liquidating assets to pay creditors
Z&S Fresh Inc., with offices in Fresno, CA, and Nogales, AZ, has ceased its operations as a shipper and is attempting to collect its accounts receivables and sell assets to pay more than $4.6 million in debts to potential PACA creditors.
Retirement beckons longtime produce retail executive
After a 47-year career, Don Basso said that he does not need any help planning his retirement.
Mr. Basso spent 41 years with A&P in Indiana and elsewhere, then another six with B&W Quality Growers, a Fellsmere, FL-based firm that specializes in watercress, before announcing his retirement recently.
Setton resumes pistachio shipments
After a major March recall involving millions of pounds of its pistachios, Setton Pistachios of Terra Bella Inc. in Terra Bella, CA, has begun roasting and shipping pistachios once again.
Mia Cohen, chief operating officer, told The Produce News June 2 that the firm has "just this week resumed roasting and shipping pistachios after completing a series of important steps, with the knowledge of [the Food & Drug Administration]. We're shipping to our very loyal customers that have really supported us through this whole process, and we're focused on that right now."
Arkansas crops are delayed slightly due to wet weather
Tim Ellison, director of the Arkansas Agriculture Department Plant Board in Little Rock, said that crop reports had not come into the office as of late May. "But the state did have a wet and cooler-than-normal spring, so word is that most vegetable and fruit crops will be somewhat stalled this season," he said.