VISALIA, CA -- Some 400 peach, plum and nectarine growers and shippers who gathered here for the California Tree Fruit Agreement's annual dinner bid farewell to Blair Richardson, who is stepping down after five years at the organization's helm, and welcomed the new president, Sheri Mierau, who has been serving as vice president of marketing. Melvin Enns, president of Enns Packing Co. Inc. in Dinuba, CA, and chairman of the CTFA executive committee, praised the accomplishments of Mr. Richardson during his tenure and spoke highly of the new president's qualifications to carry on with the

WASHINGTON -- The E. coli outbreak that has sickened 71 people on the East Coast is over and it appears that the suspected lettuce is no longer being served, according to the Food & Drug Administration. This is good news for Taco Bell, which has been running ads to lure customers back to the embattled fast-food chain. "We are pleased this outbreak is over, and we look forward to serving our customers at all our restaurants," said Greg Creed, president of Taco Bell Corp. Besides dropping its produce supplier for restaurants located in the four states that reported illnesses, Taco Bell said it

The following statement was released Wednesday evening, Dec. 13 by Produce Marketing Association President Bryan Silbermann. Tonight officials of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention stated that although they believe the most likely food vehicle in the Taco Bell E. coli outbreak is shredded lettuce, they also stated that the investigation remains ongoing. The produce industry continues to work closely with state and federal authorities to identify the cause of the outbreak. The report that produce is once again implicated in a foodborne illness

WASHINGTON -- After discounting green onions, health officials now believe the most likely source of the Taco Bell outbreak is lettuce, which could deal another crippling blow to an industry struggling to regain buyer and consumer confidence. At a Dec. 13 press conference, federal health officials said they were investigating shredded lettuce, cheddar cheese and ground beef, but that case control studies and other factors pointed the finger at lettuce as the most likely source of an outbreak that has sickened at least 71 people. Tests are still underway on hundreds of more ill restaurant

Grand Junction, MI-based MBG Marketing's board of directors hired Frank G. Bragg III for its chief executive officer position to take effect Jan. 2. Mr. Bragg has been working closely with E. Kirk McCreary, the current CEO, to ensure a smooth and productive transition for the blueberry promoting organization. The selection of Mr. Bragg culminated a search process initiated by the board in February. A special selection committee, assisted by one of the top executive placement firms in the produce industry, conducted a national search to identify the right candidate. Mr. Bragg, a former resident

VANCOUVER, BC -- BC Hot House Foods Inc., here, and Greenhouse Produce Co. LLC. in Vero Beach, FL, jointly announced Dec. 13 the formation of their new sales and marketing company. The grower-owned company will market all greenhouse produce grown by the producers of both companies. The company will be led by President Brian Beggs; sales and marketing will be directed by Vice President of Sales and Marketing Fried De Schouwer. BC Hot House Foods is a private corporation owned by its grower members located in British Columbia,. It has marketed greenhouse vegetables for more than 30 years and