LOS ANGELES -- Melissa's/World Variety Produce Inc., here, has just introduced a new dried chili product that is "definitely the hottest dried chili" currently in distribution in the United States, according to Robert Schueller, director of public relations for the firm. The product is a dried Savina Ruby Hot chili pepper, hickory-smoked and packaged in a 0.5-ounce cello pack with a header, in the "Melissa's" brand. The pepper, also known as a Red Savina Haba?ero, is a red varietal of Haba?ero that until recently held the honor of being "the hottest chili in the world" in the Guinness Book of

With weekly Mexican mango shipments to the United States in the voluminous 1.7 million-carton to 2.3 million-carton range for a six-week period in April and May, the situation pointed to a potential marketing disaster. But it did not happen. Importers indicated that retail movement was very good and they received a lot of promotional support during that time period to help move the large crop. "Retailers are doing a very good job of helping us move this crop," said Ronnie Cohen of Vision Import Group in River Edge, NJ. "They put together a lot of ads and promotions when we needed them." Larry

Z&S Fresh Inc., with offices in Fresno, CA, and Nogales, AZ, has ceased its operations as a shipper and is attempting to collect its accounts receivables and sell assets to pay more than $4.6 million in debts to potential PACA creditors. Lawsuits were filed by several PACA creditors in the past several weeks, which ultimately forced the company to cease operations. Bart Botta, an attorney with Rynn & Janowsky in Newport Beach, CA, filed for a temporary restraining order on behalf of several clients to freeze the firm's assets in late May. He said that another attorney did the same thing. While

After a 47-year career, Don Basso said that he does not need any help planning his retirement. Mr. Basso spent 41 years with A&P in Indiana and elsewhere, then another six with B&W Quality Growers, a Fellsmere, FL-based firm that specializes in watercress, before announcing his retirement recently. "I've done a little traveling, I have a lot of plans in the future -- I haven't been gone that long," Mr. Basso said. "My golf game is not what it should be, so I'm taking lessons. I'm going to get out with a pro before I pick up my clubs again so I don't pick up my old habits. I just got a new boat

Innovative Fresh, a Netherlands-based company that provides strategy consulting services and market intelligence programs to fresh produce companies and retailers in Europe and Latin America, has joined FreshXperts, a consortium of consultants with expertise in business development, management, marketing, distribution and retail merchandising needs to produce companies, their distributors and retailers. The collaboration between FreshXperts and Innovative Fresh will span both the U.S. and European markets. With this agreement, FreshXperts effectively becomes the first transatlantic consulting

After a major March recall involving millions of pounds of its pistachios, Setton Pistachios of Terra Bella Inc. in Terra Bella, CA, has begun roasting and shipping pistachios once again. Mia Cohen, chief operating officer, told The Produce News June 2 that the firm has "just this week resumed roasting and shipping pistachios after completing a series of important steps, with the knowledge of [the Food & Drug Administration]. We're shipping to our very loyal customers that have really supported us through this whole process, and we're focused on that right now." She said that the company has