Charles H. Bronson, commissioner of the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, announced Tuesday afternoon, June 10, that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration has deemed Florida-grown tomatoes safe. Later in the evening, the FDA updated its website to reflect the change. As of that update, 24 states and seven offshore countries had been added to the FDA's list of areas that "have not been associated with the outbreak." Using apparent extreme caution, however, the addition of Florida to the FDA list is accompanied by a list of specific counties. Tomatoes deemed safe from Florida

MAITLAND, FL -- Florida's tomato growers enthusiastically welcomed the U.S. Food & Drug Administration's announcement that consumers are clear to eat tomatoes harvested in 19 Florida counties. The counties encompass the Ruskin-Palmetto and Quincy areas of the state, Florida's prime tomato- producing regions. The FDA said that the following counties are not associated with the outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul: Jackson, Gadsden, Leon, Jefferson, Madison, Suwannee, Hamilton, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Hardee, Desoto, Sarasota, Highlands, Pasco, Sumter, Citrus, Hernando and Charlotte. "This

HANFORD, CA -- Warmerdam Packing LLC, here, a fruit grower and packer whose products are marketed by Trinity Fruit Sales Co. in Fresno, CA, has for many years been involved in implementing innovative practices and technologies in its farming, packing and cooling operations that are designed to improve sustainability. The most recent major project in the family-owned business's efforts to enhance the sustainability of its operations is an $8 million investment in solar panels, which occupy most of the roof area of the packing and cooling facility and which generate enough power to meet 75

Sundia Corp., based in Oakland, CA, announced that its certified organic manufacturing facility in Thailand is open for business. The new facility will process and package "True Fruit Organic" brand fruit cups, which are filled with organically grown mangos, peaches or pineapple. Following the success of its "True Fruit" premium cut-fruit line that began shipping in July 2007, Sundia began construction of its own manufacturing facility in Thailand. The new facility is equipped with proprietary, state-of- the-art equipment that meets stringent safety standards while being capable of meeting

Monterey County's farm-gate value of its agricultural products, which is the equivalent of overall gross values, jumped to $3.8 billion in 2007 -- an increase of 9.5 percent over 2006 as detailed in the Monterey County Crop Report 2007 released Tuesday, June 3. The crop report is compiled by the Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner's Office. The $3.8 billion total is the highest farm-gate value the county has ever achieved and the sixth time the county has exceeded $3 billion in gross production value. The increase is attributable to higher values for strawberries, Iceberg lettuce, wine

NORWALK, CA -- Fresh produce sets the tone for Albertson's newer Southern California stores, according to Sue Klug, president of that 286-store division of SuperValu, which is based in Minneapolis. Speaking June 4 at the bimonthly meeting of the Fresh Produce & Floral Council, here, Ms. Klug said that at the chain's newer upscale stores, "produce is up front and in your face. It sets the tone." She said the emphasis on fresh is very important in those stores and does drive sales. Discussing fresh produce specifically, Ms. Klug said that she expects future growth in items touting convenience as