The Pacific Northwest cherry industry is using superlatives to describe the 2012 production season. Conditions: "Absolutely ideal," said James Michael, promotions director for Northwest Cherry Growers. "Plenty of blue sky and sunshine." Pollination: "Most growers are reporting a solid set across their trees," Mr. Michael continued. "They say the crop is well spread throughout the trees, almost as if they were painted on."

All bagged lettuce produce by River Ranch Fresh Foods in a specific part of its Salinas, CA, facility from late April through May 12 has been recalled because of random and target sampling that detected contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

“In the past few months our potato and onion program have been in full swing,” said Stefanie Katzman, the fourth generation family member to work for S. Katzman Produce Inc. at the Hunts Point Terminal Produce Cooperative Market. “We always handled the two commodities, but we have expanded our vender base and have a person solely dedicated to the purchasing and running the program.

Clean hands are the simplest tenet of food safety. Unfortunately, they are also often the most overlooked. Many instances of food-borne illness can be traced back to an agricultural worker who simply did not follow the instructions mothers and grandmothers have been handing down for years: Always wash your hands before handling food.

That can be difficult in some agricultural settings. Commercial hand-washing systems are often expensive and cumbersome. Something so simple can become very complicated in an outdoor setting.

Danaco Solutions LLC, a Salinas, CA-based produce supply chain procurement and management firm specializing in end-to-end risk management for the foodservice industry announced two changes to its staff.

MONTE VISTA, CO – With Olympic Figure Skater Rachael Flatt continuing in her role as spokeswoman for the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee through June 2013, CPAC is extending its electronic reach with social media mainstays Facebook and Twitter, as well as the newer pin-and-share site, Pinterest.

“We are sending out eblasts to encourage visits to our Facebook site and for people to follow us on Twitter,” CPAC Administrator Linda Weyers said in early May.