ENGLEWOOD, NJ -- After nine months of hard work, Riviera Produce has started moving product into its newly revamped 10,000-square-foot warehouse that features "green" technology. Ben Friedman, founder and president of Riviera Produce, based here just across the Hudson River from New York City, gave The Produce News a tour of the warehouse, which is part of the firm's 30,000-square-foot facility, which is third-party audited and approved and HACCP-certified, June 10, a day after it started utilizing the space. Mr. Friedman showed The Produce News the newly revamped warehouse's doors that close

WASHINGTON -- The Salmonella outbreak associated with fresh tomatoes is likely to cost the food industry more than the 2006 spinach recall, but this time the Food & Drug Administration is working with the produce industry to lessen the financial blow while it untangles the paperwork that will ultimately point to the source of the more 160 illnesses. On May 30, FDA got involved in the multi-state outbreak and a day later linked the outbreak to fresh tomatoes. At least 167 people in 17 states have become infected from Salmonella saintpaul, which has resulted in 23 people being hospitalized and

A massive hailstorm that swept across New York state Tuesday, June 18, may have reduced the state's apple crop by as much as 60 percent. "The storm tore across western New York," Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association in Fishers, NY, told The Produce News the day after the storm. "It moved from east of Buffalo -- across the main fruit belt area -- and hit south of Syracuse and the Hudson Valley. It was like the storm had radar for apples." Mr. Allen said that demand for apples is very good today. "And we just lost a big part of our supply," he added. "Only two of our six apple

NEWARK, DE -- Produce Marketing Association and Western Growers Association will co-host a free webinar for industry to learn about and provide feedback on the associations' new draft best management practices for complying with federal produce country-of-origin labeling. The complimentary webinar, which will be held at 4 p.m. Tuesday, June 24, is designed to prepare industry members for Sept. 30, 2008, when mandatory federal country-of-origin labeling goes into effect. The best practices were developed by the associations' joint task force, whose members represent the entire supply chain. The

Alejandra Pineda, a 22-year-old senior at Michigan State University, began her internship with Southern Specialties in Pompano Beach, FL, in early May. She is now working in the procurement department. "My introduction to Gary James, COO of Southern Specialties, was during the PMA Fresh Summit in Houston, Texas, in 2007," said Ms. Pineda. "The Pack Family/PMA Career Pathways scholarship program brings agriculture and food marketing students and faculty from select colleges and universities to the event, and I was fortunate to be one of the chosen students." The scholarship program is designed

Brett Burdsal, who was recently hired as a marketing manager for Wenatchee, WA-based Columbia Marketing International, has hit the ground running with his new responsibilities. "We're very happy to have Brett on board," Vice President of Marketing Bob Mast told The Produce News. Mr. Burdsal came to CMI from Eurofresh Farms in Willcox, AZ. He also worked for a marketing agency in the Midwest bringing a wealth of experience in the areas of sustainability, promotional partnerships, brand management, new product development and packing, and corporate communications to the new position. When asked