WASHINGTON -- Starting next month, the Food & Drug Administration will partner with Virginia officials to investigate the cause of occasional food- safety problems during the tomato-growing season there, then turn to Florida fields in the fall as part of a federal tomato-safety initiative announced June 13. "This initiative is part of a strategy to reduce foodborne illness by focusing food-safety assessments on specific products, practices and growing areas that have been found to be problematic in the past," Robert Brackett, director of FDA's Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition, said

WASHINGTON -- Debate on an immigration reform bill is expected to resume late this week, after Senate leaders brokered a deal to limit the number of amendments and add new border security provisions to the bill. "When the bill returns to the Senate floor, I plan to add $4.4 billion in guaranteed funding -- to be funded by the fees and penalties established by the bill's new programs -- to strengthen border security and speed other important elements of comprehensive reform," said Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). Senate leaders have been busy horse-trading since the measure was pulled

FRESNO, CA -- Fazio Marketing Inc., here, will be packing its Champagne grapes this year exclusively for Imagination Farms in the "Disney Garden" brand, according to Tony Fazio, president of Fazio Marketing. Champagne grapes are tiny, pea-sized grapes that are usually deep purple to red-black in color, are exceptionally sweet and have tender, edible stems. Clusters of the diminutive grapes can be eaten in one bite, stem and all. Fazio Marketing previously sold the grapes as Champagne grapes in clamshells under its "Tri-Borough" label. Under the new "Disney Garden" label, they are now

In 2003, a group of Nebraska investors built a 10-acre, state-of-the-art, hydroponic hot-house tomato operation in O'Neill, named the company 21st Century Growers and began selling tomatoes to the local community as well as wholesalers across the country. In its mission statement, the group believed that the central location of its operation offered a freight advantage with "affordable and convenient access" to 50 million people within a one-day shipping time frame. The facility consists of 70 miles of heating tubes and 35 miles of irrigation pipe carrying 80,000 gallons of water heated by

The Southeast Produce Council has added a new workshop to its annual fall conference designed to enhance its value for all attendees. The new component is a Supply Chain Summit, which will feature a panel discussion by guest speakers representing each channel in the supply chain process, including conventional retailers, mass marketers, wholesalers, foodservice distributors, growers, shippers and those in transportation, according to information on the council's web site. Ronnie L. De La Cruz will moderate the new workshop, which will then become "part of the fall conference every year," SPC

Westlake Produce Co. announced that its West Side melon program will be at full strength and that the popular mini-watermelon will see an increase in volume over 2006. Andrew Bivens, California melon manager for the Los Angeles-based distributor, said that the company would offer an excellent supply of cantaloupes, honeydew, mixed melons and all varieties of watermelon throughout the deal, which launches the first of July. "We consider the melons from the west side of the San Joaquin Valley to be the finest in the country, and this year is no exception," Mr. Bivens said in a press release. He