Speaking with one voice, 23 produce associations and commodity groups asked a buyer consortium to reconsider the effort it has launched to require suppliers to sign and comply with specific new food-safety guidelines. Over the past several weeks, produce suppliers of Publix Super Markets, headquartered in Lakeland, FL, received a letter and a 19-page addendum with specific food-safety guidelines in areas such as sanitation, water quality and animal feedlot setbacks. Many suppliers received the letter from Publix or a foodservice-buying company named Avendra, but the letter said that the Food

HARTFORD, CT -- Although summer is but a distant memory in the Nutmeg State, there are still opportunities to include plenty of local flavors on the holiday table. To meet the large and increasing demand for Connecticut-grown products, a number of farmers markets throughout the state have extended their season through the holidays. Several have remained open into these colder months, while others are re-opening in conjunction with special holiday events. "These markets are a terrific place to find those beloved local products for the holiday season," Richard Macsuga, manager of the Connecticut

A truckload of Salinas Valley produce was scheduled to arrive Thursday, Nov. 15, in San Bernardino County, providing fire victims with food assistance thanks to the generosity of growers, shippers and food banks in and around the Salinas Valley. The load included strawberries donated by Driscoll Strawberry Associates; salads from Dole Fresh Vegetables, Tanimura & Antle and Taylor Farms; bread from the Food Bank for Monterey County; and bottled water and dry goods from Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz & San Benito Counties. The food was to be delivered to the Community Action Partnership

How do consumers crave their pears? Crunchy and tart? Moist and mildly sweet? Bursting with sweetness and juice? Throughout the ripening process, the Bartlett pear fits each of these delicious flavor and texture characteristics, and a new tool called the Bartlett Pear Ripeness Guide from Portland, OR-based USA Pears will help consumers determine when their Bartlett pears have reached the ripeness level they prefer. The guide features colored panels with die-cut windows through which one can view the skin color of a Bartlett pear when held against the fruit. Ripeness is determined by matching

UCLA and Notre Dame college football tailgaters feasted on free hot dogs and hamburgers featuring the creamy taste of Chilean Hass avocados during the Chilean Avocado Importers Association's first-ever college football tailgate party Oct. 6 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. Before the game's kickoff, college football fans devoured "AvoDogs" and "AvoBurgers" -- sandwiches that featured a creamy spread of mashed Chilean Hass avocados in the Lot H parking lot. More than 250 lucky tailgaters received a special seven-inch vinyl football they tossed around with their family and friends. "It was

A new PLU number has been confirmed and assigned by the Produce Electronic Identification Board and the International Federation for Produce Standards for pomegranates size 24 and larger. The new number is 3440. PLU code 3127 is now used for size 30-36 and 4445 remains for size 42 and smaller. "Retailers have needed this new category because they are now stocking multiple pomegranate sizes to respond to shopper demand," Kurt Vetter, senior vice president of sales for Pom Wonderful, said in a press release. "The smallest sizes are often purchased for use in decorative wreathes and tabletop