Sun World program to aid earthquake relief
Sun World lnternational LLC in Bakersfield, CA, had recently begun a new program of marketing imported Minneola tangelos from Peru when the devastating earthquake on Peru's south coast struck, with an epicenter near the agricultural community of Pisco.
The company is responding to the disaster by donating a portion of the proceeds from Peruvian Minneolas to an earthquake fund to help the victims.
Co-founder of Maurice A. Auerbach Inc. dies at 75
The year 1953 was quite eventful for Tanya Auerbach, a wife, mother, grandmother and produce industry executive who died earlier this month. It was the year she graduated from college, co-founded a garlic company and got married.
Tanya (nee Kaplan) Auerbach was born Jan. 28, 1932 in Brooklyn, NY, where she was raised. She and Irwin Auerbach founded Maurice A. Auerbach Inc. in Mr. Auerbach's mother's home in Brooklyn in 1953 as a distributor handling a single item: garlic. The company was named for Mr. Auerbach's father.
Whole Foods and Wild Oats cleared to proceed with merger
Whole Foods Market Inc. and Wild Oats Markets Inc. announced Aug. 23 that they are now legally cleared to proceed with their merger as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has denied the Federal Trade Commission's request for a stay to preclude the closing of the merger pending the FTC's appeal and has dissolved the Aug. 20 administrative injunction, which had prevented the transaction from going forward while the court considered the FTC's motion.
IN THE TRENCHES: Shrinking farmland gives reason for pause
Farmers have been the backbone of America for a very long time. In fact, archaeologists determined that agriculture first took place around 7,000 B.C.
In 1790, the total U.S. population was 3,929,214 and farmers made up 90 percent of the labor force. Two hundred years later, in 1990, the population stood at 246,081,000, and farmers comprised just 2.6 percent of the work force.
Hass Avocado Board promotes Obregon
At a meeting held Aug. 15, the board of directors of the Hass Avocado Board approved the promotion of Jose Luis Obregon to the newly created role of managing director.
Mr. Obregon most recently served as the managing director of information technology for the board, overseeing the creation of its state-of-the-art Network Marketing Center and its intranet site, avoHQ.com.
FTC defends health benefits of fruit despite FDA claim
There seems to be little doubt that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables will help fight cancer, but the Food & Drug Administration continues to find no strong link between eating tomatoes, with their high levels of lycopene, and reducing cancer risks.
Drought puts Florida's winter vegetable season in jeopardy
A drought in Florida may result in more than $1 billion in statewide economic losses over the next two years if conditions continue as they are today.
"Some agricultural industries like cattle, citrus and sugar won't feel the worst of their financial pains until 2008 and 2009," said Charles Bronson, commissioner of the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services.
Global Juices & Fruits adds to organic cut-fruit-in-glass line
Eagle, ID-based Global Juices & Fruits LLC soon will add mangos to its line of cut-fruit-in-glass products. The line is all organic.
The mango item should be on store shelves nationwide by September, joining the company's other cut-fruit-in-glass products: pineapple, papaya and tropical fruit cocktail, all certified organic by the U.S. Department of Aggriculture. Tropical fruit cocktail is a mixture of pineapples, papayas, mangos and watermelons.
FDA tours Virginia tomato farms under safety initiative
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has toured more than 50 fields and five packinghouses in the Eastern Shore of Virginia as part of its Tomato Safety Initiative, which was launched this summer in response to repeated outbreaks.
"Our assessment was more observational," Samir Assar of FDA's Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition said in reference to the July visits, adding that some of the Virginia tomato operations were the focus of past outbreak investigations.
Produce leads the way at Bozzuto's conference and trade show
LEDYARD, CT -- As in a supermarket where the produce department is front and center, leading shoppers to the rest of the store, fresh produce exhibitors at Bozzuto's Inc.'s Independent Retailer Conference, held here Aug. 14-15, were the first exhibits that attendees enjoyed, leading them into the rest of the show.
The two-day event began Tuesday morning, Aug. 14, with welcoming remarks by Steve Heggelke, senior vice president of merchandising, procurement and advertising for Bozzuto's.