Construction set to begin on new Philadelphia produce market
PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia's new produce market will be built on what was once the grounds of the Philadelphia Navy Yard, waterfront property along the Delaware River that is being converted into a large industrial park.
Significant artifacts of the property's rich naval history remain. Notably, a graceful, arched airplane hanger will remain on the property near the new market as a historical landmark. Less artistic and attractive are naval housing units that still stand - but not for long.
FDA investigates second Salmonella outbreak tied to tomatoes
WASHINGTON -- The Food & Drug Administration is now investigating two tomato-related outbreaks, with the latest blamed for nearly 100 illnesses in 19 states.
"It's been a busy year," Dave Daigle, a spokesman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, said when referring to the earlier tomato outbreak and the California spinach investigation.
Redner's elevates produce executives
Redner's Markets Inc., an employee-owned company based in Reading, PA, that currently operates 40 Warehouse Markets and 12 Quick Shoppes throughout eastern Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland, announced the promotion of Gary M. O'Brien to vice president of retail perishable operations and Richard J. Stiles to director of produce operations. Both changes take immediate effect within Warehouse Markets operations.
IEO reports lowest storage onion volumes in last decade
Early indications are that volumes were down for the Idaho-Eastern Oregon onion region, but recent numbers provided by the Idaho-Oregon Fruit & Vegetable Association show that even those initial findings were higher than what is actually in storage.
Candi Fitch, executive director of the association, said that a Nov. 1 storage survey "puts numbers to the talk that the Idaho-Eastern Oregon onion crop is down considerably."
End of Del Monte's Hawaii pineapple operation comes early
Citing a drop in production volume and depressed pricing, Del Monte Fresh Produce Inc., based in Coral Gables, FL, ended its century-old pineapple operations on the Hawaiian island of Oahu Nov. 17 -- two years earlier than planned.
In a statement released Nov. 17, Del Monte said, "The extreme drop in production volume, coupled with depressed pineapple pricing resulting from the increase of supply in the overall pineapple market, has had a negative financial impact on the company."
Spinach featured at luncheon on Capitol Hill
Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) and Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) hosted a "Spinach Is Back" congressional luncheon Nov. 16 in Washington, DC, with a number of administration and public health officials to raise awareness that fresh, safe spinach has returned to store shelves and is an important part of a healthy diet.
Food site growing with addition of produce columnist
Sausalito, CA-based Barbara Adams has toiled away building her food web site BeyondWonderful.com since launching it in September 2004. Only recently has it started reaching critical mass, growing dramatically with a broader audience.
BeyondWonderful.com delivers information and perspective largely from the San Francisco Bay area on farms, markets, vineyards and beyond, all leading finally to the kitchen.
Salmonella tests prompt second recall of cantaloupe
Another cantaloupe wholesaler is recalling cantaloupes after the Food & Drug Administration detected Salmonella during routine sampling.
Arizona-based Rio Vista Ltd. is recalling 62,640 cartons of "Llano" and "Nature's Partners" cantaloupes shipped throughout the United States and Canada from Oct. 31 to Nov. 6. FDA detected Salmonella during sampling Oct. 30 and Nov. 10. The firm began withdrawing the products from the market on Nov. 6, then issued a press release Nov. 17.
IN THE TRENCHES: Take a selling lesson from our lemonade stands
Did you ever have a lemonade stand when you were a kid? Most of us had one, and it was a lot of fun selling that lemonade, especially earning the money.
This past summer I saw something that sent me back to my childhood days. It was my neighbor's little girl, Micaela, from across the street sitting at a lemonade stand in front of her house. Her mother was overseeing her as she sold paper cups of lemonade. Being a hot summer day and because I was quite impressed with her sales ambition, I just had to buy a cup.
FMI to hold December meeting on leafy greens
WASHINGTON -- Retailers and produce suppliers will be meeting next month to review the industry's leafy greens action plan as buyers push to gain confidence in next spring's leafy green crops.
The Food Marketing Institute is holding a meeting Dec. 5 in Phoenix to hear an update on the cpntaminated spinach investigation, review the produce industry's new action plan and develop new purchasing guidelines for leafy greens.