At Jerry Porricelli Produce, it is all about the people, both customers and staff.

Ciro Porricelli, vice president of the firm, located on the Hunts Point Terminal Produce Cooperative Market, told The Produce News that Louis Lord has returned to the company in its sales department after a brief hiatus.

Lance Dichter, president of LD Logistics, headquartered at Hunts Point Terminal Produce Cooperative Market in the Bronx, NY, told The Produce News that the company, in business for eight years, is a third-party logistics firm.

Mission Produce Inc. in Oxnard, CA, which ships asparagus year-round with production in California, Peru and Mexico, has introduced a new consumer retail pack of jumbo-sized asparagus called Steakhouse Style asparagus.

Mission announced the launch of the new product in a May 17 press release. According to the release, "the one-pound bag is a high-tech, extended-life package with vivid graphics and imagery."

A new report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture says that fruits and vegetables are less expensive than most protein foods and foods high in sodium, added sugars and fat based on how costs of the foods are calculated.

A common perception is that healthy diets are not affordable based on studies that found many healthy foods cost more per calorie than less healthy foods, said the 50-page study, Are Healthy Foods Really More Expensive? It Depends on How You Measure the Price.

While Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s (and purportedly Publix) are making inroads into the Carolinas, one hometown grocery chain is fighting to hold its own while others are thriving.

Bonnie Lundblad of Sunny Valley International chatting with Ken Ryan of Sun Pacific. (Photo by Arthur O’Leary)