Grand Junction, MI-based Michigan Blueberry Growers Association members, employees and special industry friends gathered Nov. 2 in Holland, MI, to honor E. Kirk McCreary, the cooperative's retiring chief executive officer. A special reception and surprise banquet roast followed the company's annual business meeting, with the day's events scheduled to coincide with the celebration of MBG's 70th birthday. Mr. McCreary has served as MBG's CEO for the past 12 years. In addition, he served as assistant general manager of the association from 1963 to 1973. He has led MBG through an exciting period

WASHINGTON -- New party leadership in the House and Senate may open the door for advances in sought-after legislation for the produce industry, but it also may leave open the possibility of further food-safety regulation. The sweeping midterm elections will "certainly represent a change in how we do our work," said Robert Guenther of the United Fresh Produce Association. "We've had 12 years of working with one-party leadership." He added, "But we're well positioned" because the industry has always reached out to advocates on both sides of the aisle. Mr. Guenther said that United Fresh will be

Livermore, CA-based Novazone Inc., a leading provider of clean technology solutions for food and water including advanced, ozone-based applications, participated in California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's California/Mexico environmental trade mission Nov. 9-10 in Monterrey, Mexico. Gov. Schwarzenegger lead the trade mission to promote stronger economic relations between California and Mexico with an emphasis on environmental and energy-related issues, such as food safety. The governor invited a select number of companies from California that represent a broad spectrum of environmental and

WASHINGTON -- With control of the Congress up for grabs on Election Day, advocates for immigration reform made a last-ditch effort to brief Republican staff on the urgent need to respond to increasing labor shortages and stepped up immigration raids this year during a lame-duck session. "In California, we're being hit heavily and they need to understand we need a solution this year," Luawanna Hallstrom of Harry Singh & Sons said after the Oct. 26 congressional briefing. Agriculture will cease to exist without a steady labor pool, especially in the global market, and states like California and

WASHINGTON -- Health investigators are focusing on tomatoes delivered to restaurants as the source of the Salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 180 people in 21 states. All evidence shows the outbreak is not ongoing, said Dr. David Acheson, chief medical officer of FDA's Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition. FDA did not send out a warning to consumers or ask the industry to remove products because the perishable items would no longer be in the market and as such would be unable to pose a further threat. Some 22 people were hospitalized as a result of Salmonella Typhimurium, and

SAN DIEGO -- In the aftermath of the E. coli 0157:H7 outbreak in spinach that involved San Juan Bautista, CA-based Natural Selection Foods LLC, the company announced an upgraded food-safety initiative at the recent Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit. Beginning immediately, the company will test seed in the field for several pathogens including E. coli 0157:H7 and Salmonella, said company spokesperson Samantha Cabaluna. The company will test all water sources, including tailwater. It will test deep wells at least once a month. Natural Selection will require a certification of analysis