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NAS report finds perchlorate not as toxic as first believed

WASHINGTON " In a long-awaited report released Jan. 11, the National Academy of Sciences concluded that people can safely tolerate more perchlorate " a chemical that has leached into milk, food and water supplies in trace amounts " than the Environmental Protection Agency had thought was safe. The issue has become a lightning rod for environmentalists, health officials, defense contractors and Pentagon officials who are all battling over the appropriate drinking water standard and what could become a costly cleanup of water supplies that have become polluted with the rocket fuel byproduct

NOA names director of public and industry relations

The National Onion Association, based in Greeley, CO, announced that Kim Reddin has been selected to direct the association?s onion promotion and membership efforts. Ms. Reddin officially began her duties on Dec. 20. She replaces Tanya Fell, who left the association in the fall for a position as vice president of the Texas Produce Association. NOA President David Rietveld stated, "We are thrilled to have Kim come on board. She is a quality individual with an outstanding work ethic that will dig right in where Tanya left off. The future of the NOA is very bright indeed with staff such as Kim

Cole brothers ensure inventory at Rosemont Farms

The Cole brothers, Pete, 25, and Eric, 28, have all the supply angles covered for Rosemont Farms Corp. in Boca Raton, FL. Pete is a quality-control inspector. "Bird-dog is what they call us in the industry." As for Eric, "Currently I work in sales and I manage the inventory for the warehouses in North Carolina." He focuses on Eastern vegetables. Although he handles some sales duties, "mostly buying and managing the inventory is my main focus." The Cole family moved around the United States a lot when the two brothers were growing up, and there were also stints spent abroad. "We kind of moved

Steve Phipps to lead sales and marketing at Pride Packing

WAPATO, WA " Pride Packing Co. announced earlier this month the appointment of Steve Phipps as national director of sales and marketing. He brings over 25 years of industry experience and has worked for companies in Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma and Minnesota. Most recently, he served in the same capacity for NationFresh, an affiliate of Pride Packing?s parent company, United Salad Co. Pride Packing currently has over 3,000 acres of premium fruit to take to market and said that it is continually seeking the best varieties for color, flavor profile and shelf life. As the company is once again ready

Anthony Gallino named vice president of sales at Cal Giant

California Giant announced that Anthony Gallino has been promoted to vice president of sales. Previously sales manager for all fresh berries, and now beginning his 11th year with the company, Mr. Gallino has witnessed tremendous change and growth at California Giant. Mr. Gallino began working for California Giant in 1994 as a sales coordinator for two of the owners, Bill Moncovich and Pat Riordan, who built the company as a strawberry-shipping organization. Over the past several years, California Giant has been on a steady growth track, doubling in size and ultimately transitioning into a

SPC finalizes conference plans

The Southeast Produce Council has announced a number of details " including the selection of a keynoter and workshop speakers as well as the venues for the field tours " for its next retail conference, just about two months away. The council?s second annual Retail & Foodservice Conference, to be held March 10-12 at the Tampa Bay (FL) Convention Center, will kick off Thursday evening, March 10 with a gala opening reception and dinner at the Radisson Riverwalk Hotel. The conference has been dubbed "Southern Exposure," a moniker that will also be used for its future annual conferences, according
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The desert is finally starting to take shape. After a messy stretch of storms that slowed harvests and complicated load times, fields in Yuma are drying out, plants are responding to the warmer days and we’re seeing the first real signs of stability since transition began.

Iceberg, Romaine and leaf are all showing steady improvement. Weights are still inconsistent, but quality is notably better than the tail end of Salinas, and processors should see more reliable supplies as we move through the first two weeks of December. If the weather continues to cooperate, most growers expect volume and carton weights to normalize by mid-month.

Brussels sprouts will remain a problem well into December. California’s coastal acreage is still battling the fallout from heat, rain and heavy diamondback moth pressure. That combination has created small sizing, seeder and discoloration, and it continues to limit the amount of usable raw material for value-added programs. Relief is not expected until Mexico begins harvesting in mid-December, with more noticeable improvements showing up in January.

Strawberries are going to stay tight through the first half of December. Oxnard is producing light but improving volume, Santa Maria is finished until late December and Central Mexico is coming on gradually. Baja will begin soon. Florida is slowly increasing, but it will not be a major factor until mid-December. Blueberries should remain in decent shape thanks to Peru and increasing central Mexico crossings. Blackberries and raspberries look steady with solid supplies out of Baja and Mexico.

We’re also seeing challenges in green onions due to significant rain in Mexicali earlier this month. Cooler nights are slowing growth and supplies will stay snug as we move into December.

For holiday staples like potatoes and onions, quality remains excellent but freight will continue to be a story. Capacity out of the Northwest historically tightens through the end of the year, and 2025 is no exception. High trucking costs on low FOBs will continue to influence movements into December.

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