CMI introduces Pocket Pro for produce managers
With the cherry season just around the corner - and apples and pears not too far behind - Wenatchee, WA-based Columbia Marketing International has introduced the CMI Pocket Pro, a quick-reference tool especially designed for produce managers.
Three different versions of the Pocket Pro are being introduced, Vice President of Marketing Bob Mast told The Produce News. The Pocket Pro, small enough to be worn in a top shirt pocket or rear pants pocket, contains a host of information that helps produce managers be responsive to customer questions.
Officials scramble to pinpoint cause of Salmonella outbreak in tomatoes
WASHINGTON -- Tomatoes have been linked to an outbreak of Salmonella food poisoning in New Mexico and Texas, and health officials are feverishly working with the produce industry to narrow the source to a specific farm or region as the summer barbecue season heats up.
Produce businesses also are hoping that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration can identify the source -- whether a particular field or handler -- before the tomato market takes a big hit.
California raspberries have their place in the berry patch
While not as prominent as strawberries or blueberries in the minds of consumers, raspberries hold a position of note in the berry patch, vying with blackberries for the third spot.
The fragile raspberry tends to have a low yield. Raspberries from California are available from summer through early fall. The Pacific Northwest has raspberries in the late fall and Chile has raspberries in the winter.
New Jersey produce items off to a good start
FREEHOLD, NJ -- With the New Jersey spring vegetable deal starting a bit earlier than normal this year, the Super Foodtown here was already featuring a good number of local items the third week in May -- a prelude to summer when this supermarket will be strongly promoting the vast array of items the Garden State has to offer.
The Jersey deal so far is "off to a good start," Vincent Villone, produce supervisor of the Norkus Foodtown Group, said the third week in May. "There are a lot of commodities so far this season."
Peri & Sons signs on with NOL
National Onion Labs Inc., based in Collins, GA, announced that Yerington, NV-based Peri & Sons Farms has contracted to participate in the NOL Flavor Certification Program. This is the first year that Peri & Sons Farms will be joining the NOL client list.
David Peri of Peri & Sons Farms said in a press release that he has long felt the need for testing onion crops as a guide for growing the best onion possible.
Foodborne illness outbreak linked to tomatoes
(The following information is from a June 2 alert from the Produce Marketing Association.)
U.S. public health authorities have now linked a foodborne illness outbreak to round red and/or Roma/plum tomatoes.
To date, the outbreak, caused by Salmonella saintpaul, has sickened 57 people in Texas and New Mexico from April 23 through June 1.
Trucco in its third season with 'Southern Kiwi' brand
HAMMONTON, NJ - The season's first "Southern Kiwi" are in the distribution pipeline.
Nick Pacia, owner of A.J. Trucco Inc. in New York, met The Produce News at the Hammonton, NJ, warehouse of Lucca Freezer & Cold Storage Inc. to show this reporter the kiwifruit, which arrived break bulk May 15 at the port of Wilmington in Delaware.
"It's beautiful," Mr. Pacia said of the product. The fruit had "plenty of size," which was mostly in the 30- to 33-size range. "The size profile is very good; much larger than last year. The sugars are beautiful."
Extent of tornado damage to Colorado agriculture not yet known
Officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are assessing the extent of damage sustained by Colorado agricultural producers in Weld and Larimer counties following a powerful tornado and hailstorm prior to the Memorial Day weekend.
Fit produce wash expands to U.K. marketplace
HealthPro Brands Inc. has started selling Fit, its fruit and vegetable wash, in the United Kingdom, where the company hopes its launch of sales of natural products to health-conscious consumers pays off.
In May, England became the first country to begin selling Fit at Whole Foods Market, the world's largest retailer of natural and organic foods.
"We see it as a $100 million market in Europe," said HealthPro Brands President and Chief Executive Officer Todd Wichmann. "We think the latest launch will kick start the business there."
HEALTHY PERSPECTIVE: Accentuating the positive with fresh figs in the diet
There is an old hit song by Johnny Mercer, performed by Bing Crosby in the 1944 movie "Here Come the Waves," familiar for the lyric, "You've got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative ..."
That is good advice in many aspects of life, and the sequence of those two imperatives is significant, particularly when applied to a healthful diet. Too often, people focus on eliminating the negatives and never even get around to accentuating the positive.