Watermelons are not melons. That is the message that the watermelon industry is trying to convey to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, and it is utilizing the comment period on the FDA's proposed rule for Preventive Controls for Fresh Produce, Docket ID FDA-2010-N-0085, to do so. A large graphic on the National Watermelon Association web site's home page emphasizes this undertaking, and also provides links to submit comments via a form letter to the FDA as well as to members of Congress. Bob Morrissey, executive director of the association, told The Produce News April 5 that he "had worked

WATSONVILLE, CA -- California Giant Berry Farms has a new look on its four-pound clamshell labels this year. The company is testing the item-level traceability program offered by HarvestMark to evaluate the overall system from the field through distribution. This marks the second season the company is working with the HarvestMark program, adding a valuable consumer component to the process. In an effort to determine consumer interest, impact and demand for the traceback system, California Giant has added a call-out feature on each four- pound clamshell label encouraging consumers to visit www

VANCOUVER, BC -- Fans of organics have El Niño to thank this spring. Favorable weather conditions and efficient growing methods will yield a quality crop mix featuring abundant volumes of tomatoes-on-the-vine from Origin Organic Farms Inc. in Delta, BC, during the Canadian greenhouse season. The impact of the early spring, which was characterized by plentiful sunlight, can already be seen in the medium and large sizes of long English cucumbers. "As our organic greenhouse program hits the market, we are pleased to announce that the startup is very robust, with exceptional quality coming out of

SALINAS, CA -- D'Arrigo Bros. Co. of California on March 26 reached the $1 million donation mark benefiting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. A Pink Party was held at D'Arrigo's headquarters in Spreckels, CA, attended by 250 customers, D'Arrigo family members, shareholders and elected officials. California Assembly member Anna Caballero, Monterey County Supervisor Lou Calcagno, U.S. Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA), Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue and a representative from California Sen. Jeff Denham's office each presented D'Arrigo Bros. Co. of California with resolutions to celebrate this milestone

California has spring, summer and storage onions. Taken all together, the state has the third-largest onion acreage in the nation, behind only the Idaho/eastern Oregon area and the Columbia Basin in the Pacific Northwest. Wayne Mininger, executive vice president of the National Onion Association, told The Produce News that dehydrated onions are not included in these acreage totals. If they were, California would rank No. 1 in onion production, he said. Idaho/eastern Oregon is a storage deal with no spring or summer deals. The Columbia Basin has summer and storage deals but no spring deal

Continued growth at Ippolito International LP has created the need to add two additional salespeople to its team, a company official told The Produce News. Produce veteran Bill Vargas and newcomer Brittany Corda recently joined the Ippolito sales team, according to Butch Corda, the firm's general manager. "Bill joined the sales team approximately two months ago," he said March 24. "I had the good fortune of having Bill as one of my salesman at a previous produce company for close to 10 years, and I consider myself very fortunate to have a second opportunity to have a man of his experience and