Michigan officials delivered some bad news to California leafy green growers Oct. 9 as they said that the E. coli outbreak that appears to have sickened over 40 people in the region is linked to California-grown lettuce. Based on illness dates, shipping dates and delivery dates, Michigan authorities have narrowed the cause of the outbreak to California lettuce, according to Jennifer Holton, spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Agriculture. State officials are focusing their investigation on Iceberg lettuce shipped during a span of a few days in mid-August. At least 36 people in Michigan

OTTAWA -- The Canadian Produce Marketing Association announced Oct. 10 changes within its organizational structure to meet the growing needs of members as the industry evolves in a climate of rapid change and fluctuating government regulations. Effective immediately, Jane Proctor will take on the role of vice president of policy and issue management to provide a focus on the key pillars of food safety, government regulations, health and nutrition, industry technology and education. She will work with a staff of issue experts including two newly appointed managers -- Sally Blackman, manager of

Dan Vach?, who started working for Ryan Instruments 37 years ago and remained with the firm and its successors ever since, left Sensitech Inc. Sept. 30 and said he is pursuing other opportunities. Mr. Vach? began his long career with the Redmond, WA-based recording instrument company in the summer of 1971 while he was attending a nearby community college. "At the time, the company was still owned by the Ryan family," he said. "Marilyn Ryan Taylor, who was founder T.F. Ryan's daughter, and her husband, Art Taylor, owned and ran the company. There were 14 employees at that time." Despite its

The produce wholesaler named by Michigan authorities in an E. coli outbreak probe said that it will resume shipping Iceberg lettuce with new food-safety precautions, although it questions the epidemiological evidence that associated its lettuce with the outbreak in the first place. On Sept. 26, Michigan officials named Detroit-based Aunt Mid's Produce Co. as the wholesaler responsible for selling bagged, industrial-sized packages of Iceberg lettuce that were served in restaurants and institutions, including colleges and a jail, where people got sick. At the time, the Michigan Department of

The National Apple Month program received an additional endorsement from the U.S. House of Representatives when it passed a resolution sponsored by Rep. Todd R. Platts (R-PA), supporting the goals and ideals of both National Apple Month and Apple Crunch, which is a national promotion targeting school-age children. A one-day event celebrating Apple Crunch is scheduled for Oct. 29 sponsored by the Penn State Hershey Center for Nutrition & Activity Promotion in partnership with National Apple Month. The objective of the promotion is for schools to use this unique opportunity to encourage

WASHINGTON -- The Food & Drug Administration has no formal fresh produce program, spends very little money on fresh produce issues and conducts few inspections, according to a new report by the General Accountability Office. "This report paints a frightening picture of the FDA's fresh produce safety efforts: insufficient resources and staff, infrequent inspections and a failure to punish known violators," Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who requested the audit of the FDA's program in 2006 after the spinach contamination outbreak, said in a Sept. 25 press statement. "This report should serve as a