SAN DIEGO -- The fresh produce industry tends toward high marks in the areas of marketing its goods but much lower marks in preventing foodborne illnesses, including the rise in those illnesses from consumption of fresh produce, according to a report card on the industry presented as a workshop at the recent Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit. Kathy Means, PMA's vice president of government relations, oversaw the workshop with panelists Robert Brackett, director of the Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition at the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, and A.G. Kawamura, California's

SAN DIEGO -- One of the faster-growing employment opportunities for professional chefs is a supermarket, according to Jennifer Gallagher, a professor at the culinary-focused Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, NC. Speaking at a workshop session here at the Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit convention concerning the blending of the retail and foodservice sectors, Ms. Gallagher said that the addition of supermarkets as a potential employer is fortuitous for her profession as more and more young people are choosing that occupation. These future chefs come into the university hoping

Global Berry Farms in Naples, FL, is changing its name to Naturipe Farms LLC and will be introducing a new "Naturipe Farms" consumer brand. The company disclosed to The Produce News in a written statement that it planned to unveil the new corporate identity and consumer brand at the PMA Fresh Summit on Oct. 22. Along with that, the company will announce its "vision for the future." In making the changes, the company is "building on its reputation as the berry experts with superior customer service and premier growers," according to the statement. John Shelford, president of Naturipe Farms LLC

A 30-year veteran in the fresh food industry, John Lazopoulos Jr. joined DNE World Fruit Sales, headquartered in Fort Pierce, FL, in early August. He will serve the company as import manager of Spanish and Moroccan clementines. "We are very happy to have John on board with us," said Mark Hanks, DNE's vice president of sales and marketing for North America. "He brings a world of experience with him to our company. The retailers we have spoken to know and are fond of him, and they look forward to working with him. He is also a perfect fit with our growers. Those in Spain and Morocco feel he will

MARICOPA, CA -- Grower Keith Mori, owner of FRUSA Cal. Corp. in Los Angeles, is "the finest grower I have ever seen, and I have worked for an awful lot of growers," said Richard Spalding, sales manager at FRUSA. "I have worked for some amazing [growers]. I have worked for Sam Perricone. I have worked for Blue Banner. I have worked for Bee Sweet, [and Mr. Mori] is by far, hands down, the finest grower I have seen. The fruit is just spectacular" in size, color and quality. FRUSA, which is short for Fruit USA, expects to have about 750,000 boxes of Navel oranges and 250,000 boxes of Valencias

SAN DIEGO -- Produce Marketing Association President Bryan Silbermann announced Oct. 21 that the association's board of directors approved the outline of a comprehensive new program to ensure consumers' continued confidence in the safety of produce. At its annual meeting, held Oct. 20 here at PMA's Fresh Summit, the board authorized $1 million in new funds to be allocated over the next 14 months to a four-pronged program designed to reinforce existing and determine new industry standards for food safety that extend from field to fork. The plan will be coordinated with key industry association