Two laboratories have confirmed that mushrooms recalled by BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. were not contaminated with E. coli, the retailer said Feb. 23. On Feb 20, BJ's recalled mushrooms packaged under the "Wellsley Farms" brand that were purchased between Feb. 11 and Feb. 19. The retailer took the precautionary measure when preliminary test results showed the possible presence of trace amounts of E. coli from one lot code of the sliced mushrooms, said the warehouse retailer. Mushroom supplier John Pia, president of Kaolin Mushroom Farms Inc. in Kennett Square, PA, said that he suspected the

The assets of McCartney Produce Co. Inc. in Paris, TN, were acquired by an affiliated company of Indianapolis Fruit Co. Inc. and Piazza Produce Inc. McCartney, originally a family business founded in 1947, distributes fresh produce and related items to both the retail and foodservice sectors in several states. The company will continue to operate in Paris under the McCartney Produce name. Jerry Bowden will continue as chief operating officer, and the management team and all other employees will remain in place. Indianapolis Fruit distributes fresh produce and related items to the retail sector

Two British Columbia companies have joined forces to make top-quality greenhouse organics a North American mainstay. Through an exclusive marketing agreement, the Vancouver-based Oppenheimer Group recently solidified a long-term partnership with Origin Organic Farms of Delta, a top organic greenhouse vegetable grower in North America. The agreement centers on efficiently supplying the market with a broad range of "OriginO" branded produce into the next decade. The two organizations have worked closely in recent years to introduce Origin Organic Farms' products across the United States and

Washington and Oregon have been officially added to the list of states showing evidence of Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious and unexplained ailment which is killing honeybee populations in the United States. On Feb. 28, only hours after Washington was added to the list, Jerry Tate, Washington State Beekeeper Association's director, told The Produce News that three Washington beekeepers took substantial losses. While a loss of 20 percent is considered average for beekeepers, Mr. Tate said that two of the three beekeepers lost approximately 50 percent of their honeybees. "The losses to the

Deardorff Family Farms in Oxnard, CA, announced that it is shipping celery in the first-of-its-kind recyclable box. The box along with company's slogan, "Sustainable Farming for a Healthier Life," signifies its efforts to achieve sustainability. The box provides all the benefits of traditional wax-saturated boxes with the added advantage of recyclability. In addition to the environmental benefit, Deardorff's customers will also receive a financial benefit because they will be able to sell the boxes into recyclable container recovery systems rather than paying to dispose of them. "The celery

Imagination Farms in Indianapolis has expanded its distribution by adding William H. Kopke Jr. Inc. in Lake Success, NY, to its list of "Disney Garden" brand premium suppliers. Don Goodwin, chief operating officer of Imagination Farms, said in a press release, "With our singular focus on increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables among children, a year-round grape program was a priority for us. Kopke is clearly a leader in Chilean imports and will help us bring quality grapes to the marketplace, further enhancing our role as a leader in fresh produce marketing to children." With years