Ippolito International LP is voluntarily recalling 1,715 cartons of bunched spinach distributed in 12 states and three Canadian provinces because the product has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The Salinas, CA-based firm issued a press release Sept. 18 saying that "the voluntary recall is explicitly limited to 1,715 cartons" and "comes after routine random testing of bunched spinach in Michigan by the USDA Microbial Data Program, collected and analyzed by the Michigan Department of Agriculture tested positive. No illnesses have been reported to date." The release added that

WASHINGTON -- It is an active and energetic time here in the nation's capital. Bills of enormous consequence for our industry - and our country - are stacking up on the House and Senate floors, and the executive branch unveils new initiatives with regularity. While ideology and policy goals shape one's particular view of these events, no matter where you stand, the changes may be profound. The produce industry's level of engagement will determine its ability to influence the course of that change -- and may even in the end create new business opportunities. To win in Washington, you have to be

The Produce Marketing Association has named Nancy Ferguson its new public relations manager. Ms. Ferguson will be responsible for providing media and other public relations support for PMA events, including the Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition Oct. 2-5 in Anaheim, CA, as well as for association products, services, departments and staff experts. Her duties will include developing and executing plans for communicating with the media, the industry and the public as needed, and supporting PMA's ongoing member communications. She will also help enhance the public relations

The National Watermelon Promotion Board has planted the seeds for U.S. watermelons to be sold by Japanese retailers. Gordon Hunt, director of marketing for the board, Maggie Bailey, the 2009 national watermelon queen, and Eleanor Bullock, the National Watermelon Association's queen promotion coordinator, traveled to Japan in mid-August and promoted U.S.-grown watermelon for three days in three different Seiyu Ltd. stores in Tokyo. Seiyu is one of Japan's larger retailers. Mr. Hunt told The Produce News that he believed the board's in-store promotion, which kicked off two weeks of promotions in

The Chilean Avocado Importers Association considers its supermarket retail partnerships the cornerstone of its marketing efforts to successfully increase U.S.-based consumer demand and consumption of Hass avocados from Chile. As a result, the association has created a national platform to reach consumers in a way that will be customized for the market area of each supermarket retail partner. The association has launched the Chilean Avocado Lovers Club, which serves as a virtual community for Chilean avocado lovers to network with each other via the club's Facebook fan page, follow a live

After a voluntary recall this past spring of roasted pistachios from its 2008 crop due to concerns about Salmonella contamination, Setton Pistachios of Terra Bella Inc. has unveiled a new food-safety program that company officials believe is one of the more advanced in the industry. "We undertook a voluntary recall in the spring, and [our] response was an absolute commitment to the science behind food safety," Lee Cohen, the Terra Bella, CA-based firm's general manager, told The Produce News Sept. 9. Kraft Foods found Salmonella in Setton Pistachios of Terra Bella's pistachios after routine