It’sFresh!, a technology innovations company delivering breakthrough solutions for food freshness, won the Best First-Time Exhibitor Award at the Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit Convention & Expo in New Orleans. The company was showcasing its unique ethylene-removal technology, which extends the shelf life and quality of produce by as many as three days in store. The technology is currently rolling out in major retailers in the United States as well as abroad.

McDaniel Fruit Co. in Fallbrook, CA, expects to “follow the flow of the industry” regarding the growth of its Mexican avocado program, as demand for Hass avocados in the U.S. market continues to climb, according to Rankin McDaniel Sr., president of the company.

“Our Mexican program is growing as the Mexican avocado reaches more and more markets,” he said Oct. 21.

NEW ORLEANS -- By some accounts, as much as 50 percent of the food grown or produced for consumption in the United States is lost or wasted along the way.

While almost half of those losses come at the consumer level, the other half is "wasted" along the supply chain, which means there are great opportunities to reduce that number for both the benefit of the bottom line and to feed those in this country that are less fortunate.

There have been some challenges this year getting some holiday items into the warehouse as early in the season as usual, according to Salvatore (Sal) Vacca, president of A.J. Trucco Inc. in New York City.

With several items, “we are having a problem getting merchandise at the moment,” Vacca said Oct. 11.

“We view California as the cornerstone of a year-round citrus program. Its quality position gives the marketplace confidence in flavor and consistency,” said Alex Teague, chief operating officer at Limoneira Co. in Santa Paula, CA, in a written statement to The Produce News Oct. 16.

“California is still viewed internationally for producing quality citrus,” he said.

I spent a week in Rome at the end of August and loved every minute of it. But not for the reasons you might think.

I spent more than 35 hours that week in a conference room at the United Nation’s headquarters working with 12 other risk communication and food safety professionals from Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. We were recruited by the Food & Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization to draft a handbook on risk communication in food safety.