REEDLEY, CA -- It was in the spring of 1955, half a century ago this year, that Jim Ito and his wife, Yukiko Ito, started a small tree fruit packing operation here with fruit from their own 14-acre ranch as well as some of their neighbors. It began with a hand-packing operation off "a little belt," Yukiko Ito told The Produce News in a recent interview. They were what was known at the time as "shade tree packers," she said, and the workers visually graded and sized the fruit as they picked it off the belt. That was the beginning of Ito Packing Co. Inc., which has grown to become one of the

WASHINGTON -- After three years of negotiations, Mexican and U.S. officials inked an agreement that spells out new safety rules for Mexican cantaloupe growers who want to ship product to the United States. "We're pleased that our years of effort to pressure the two governments to come together have finally paid off," said Lee Frankel, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, who added that the agreement was hammered out three years ago, but recent political changes in both countries made it easier for technical staff to finish it. The new agreement sets out a transparent

MONTEREY, CA -- Randall Freeman, at one time the national director of sales for the cut-fruit-in-glass line for Del Monte Foods Co., has entered into a multi-year licensing agreement with Sunkist Growers Inc. to launch a cut-fruit- in-glass line under the "Sunkist" brand name to compete with Del Monte. Mr. Freeman's newly formed Freeman Foods LLC, based here, will handle all sales and marketing logistics. Under terms of the agreement with Sunkist, Freeman Foods can sell product in plastic or glass in the United States and Canada. National distribution is set for Jan. 23, 2006. The product won

As the Florida produce industry begins its recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma, members of the state's tomato industry are fearful of a crisis situation if quality standards are not eased while growers attempt to regroup. "The key factor we are going to face this year is meeting the grade demands for U.S. No. 1 tomatoes for the retail and foodservice industries," said Reggie Brown, manager of the Florida Tomato Committee in Maitland, FL. "We will be bringing tomatoes to market in the next few weeks and into the coming months, but because of the tremendous amount of damage to Florida

Build a better mousetrap, and the world is supposed to beat a path to your door. It probably was with this old adage in mind that Whole Foods Chief Executive Officer John Mackey recently told a business publication, "I keep waiting for the competition I've been hearing about, but nobody else is doing quite what we're doing." That magazine, BusinessWeek, published an article in mid- October questioning whether the natural foods retailer was growing too fast and also detailed the growth of that sector. Mr. Mackey's bewilderment over his lack of competition no doubt revolves around the firm's

Joseph J. Brennan died at home Oct. 28 after a four-year battle with lung cancer He was 70 years old. He is perhaps best known in produce circles for his many years as senior purchasing agent with the Marriott Corp. and for his service with the Produce Marketing Association. Born May 15, 1935 in Geneva, NY, and reared in Canandaigua, NY, Mr. Brennan previously resided in Buffalo, NY, and Syracuse, NY, before moving to Maryland. He graduated from Canandaigua Academy and received a bachelor's degree in business administration in accounting from Niagara University, according to The Capital in