DHS to ask court to lift no-match rule injunction
WASHINGTON -- According to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, its Oct. 23 revisions to the final no-match rule will persuade the courts to lift an injunction and allow the government to begin enforcing the controversial law.
But Western Growers Association says not so fast.
The government issued yet another version of the so-called no-match rule earlier this month that requires employers to correct errors that occur when an employee's name and Social Security number do not agree with government records.
Fresh Summit panel relates risk management to profitability
ORLANDO, FL -- A panel of three speakers at the Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit addressed a discussion of the formula that "Food Safety + Risk Management = Profitability."
The panelists were Bob Whitaker, chief science officer of the Newark, DE- based PMA; Rick Broderick, director of risk management for Harris Corp., based in Melbourne, FL; and Devon Zagory, senior vice president of food- safety and quality programs for NSF Davis Fresh, which is part of NSF International, headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI.
New Jersey secretary of agriculture to step down in December
New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Charles M. Kuperus is stepping down. He submitted his resignation Oct. 24 to Gov. Jon S. Corzine, effective Dec. 31, and plans to return to his family's farm in Sussex County, NJ.
Garlic industry talks about drilling home message to customers
ORLANDO, FL -- The garlic industry continues to work toward a unified message in its efforts to compete against Chinese garlic. On Saturday, Oct. 25, garlic industry representatives from the United States and Mexico gathered here for its annual breakfast at the Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit.
The overriding message primarily was one of convincing customers of the attributes of garlic grown in California as well as in other countries other than China. It is not a new message but one that the breakfast participants said bears repeating with customers.
GreenLine Foods chief turning over company reins
Jeff Twyman, founder, president and chief executive officer of GreenLine Foods in Bowling Green, OH, has announced that he will retire at the end of this year.
Mr. Twyman will continue in the role of chairman of the board but will be handing off daily management responsibilities to Jeffrey D. Rettig, who has been named president of the company. Mr. Rettig has been with the company for approximately eight years and most recently served as executive vice president and chief operating officer.
FDA to open office in China by year's end
WASHINGTON -- The Food & Drug Administration will open its first China office in Beijing before the end of the year, and other FDA offices in India, Europe and Latin America will follow before next year, according to Health & Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt.
"We're making steady progress to better safeguard our supply of food and medicines," Mr. Leavitt said in an Oct. 16 press release. "In the past year, we've upgraded labs and equipment, hired additional staff and begun implementing product-safety agreements with key trading partners, including China."
Initiative aims for case-level traceability field to fork in 2012
ORLANDO, FL -- In January, three produce trade groups sat down with the goal of designing and implementing a plan to realize full field-to-fork traceability at the case level for the entire produce industry. When they were finished, a seven-step plan that aims for industrywide implementation in 2012 had been designed.
Details of the plan and an update on its progress toward implementation were discussed Oct. 25 at the Finding Your Place in Whole Chain Traceability session at the Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit Convention & Exposition, here.
Chile kicks off 2008-09 promotion season
ORLANDO, FL -- The 2008 Chilean Fresh Fruit Association North American importers meeting was held here Oct. 24. The meeting, held in conjunction with the Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit, included a look at the recent and coming Chilean fruit export season as well as the Chilean association's promotional plans for the 2008-09 marketing season.
Tom Tjerandsen, managing director of the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association USA in Sonoma, CA, described his group's 2009 North American marketing plans as having the four following objectives:
* Increase awareness.
Economic woes cast aside for weekend in the Sunshine State
ORLANDO, FL -- The 59th annual Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit, held Oct. 24-27 at the Orange County Convention Center, here, drew 17,502 attendees, more than 1,000 shy of the 18,630 record attendance set in San Diego in 2006 but some 1,600 more than last year's event in Houston.
"We couldn't be more pleased," said Lorna Christie, PMA's senior vice president of industry products and services. "We market to the economy."
FPAA to host seminar on food safety and food security
The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas is hosting a seminar titled "Importing, Food Safety & Food Security: What to Expect for 2009 and Beyond" to help the importing community have direct interaction with the Food & Drug Administration, U.S. Customs & Border Protection and the U.S. Department of Agriculture -- three government agencies that play significant roles in overseeing the importation of fresh fruits and vegetables.