Lime and avocado medley
The lime and the avocado markets have moved in opposite directions in recent days. The market on hass is backing down somewhat, while the hurricane in Mexico has supported the lime f.o.b.
Labels: FDA
Created by The Packer's National Editor Tom Karst
The lime and the avocado markets have moved in opposite directions in recent days. The market on hass is backing down somewhat, while the hurricane in Mexico has supported the lime f.o.b.
Labels: FDA
I think I will eat at a Thai restaurant next week. In fact, Thai restaurants will be my only option.
Labels: FDA, The Packer
As the voluntary recall of spinach grabs the headlines, less press seems to be directed at the recent actual E. coli outbreak linked to meat in the Northwest. Is the press more keenly tuned to produce safety than the safety of beef? Is there a tacit acceptance of periodic outbreaks of E. coli linked to meat as opposed to incidents and recalls tied to produce? One thing is certain, spinach and food safety are in the news cycle and it will be darn hard to get them out. By the way, thanks to the Food Safety Network at K-State for these links.
You knew this was coming, of course:
Labels: 5 a Day, DeLauro, E. coli, FDA, Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group, spinach
What is this Wild Rocket Foods you speak of? That was my thought as I read this piece in The Press Enterprise online.
Labels: FDA, Fresh and Easy, organic
More talk about rebuilding confidence, greater traceability and increasing demand for local and organic food is found in this link from Investors.com: From the story:
Labels: Chiquita, E. coli, FDA, Local food movement, organic, spinach, tomatoes and salmonella, traceability, Wal-Mart
Labels: 5 a Day, E. coli, FDA, spinach, The Packer
Lance Jungmeyer here ...
Labels: FDA
Here is guidance from the National Council of Agricultural Employers on the no match rule. I published to the Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group, as Google docs doesn't support pdf files. The file contains scenarios relating to the no match rule and suggested appropriate actions by employers.
Labels: FDA, Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group, NCAE
The food section is packed with ads this week to fuel festivities for the Labor Day weekend, with no lack of variety in produce promotions. I see HyVee even ran a lime promotion this week, which have seen higher prices in the wake of the hurricane in Mexico.
Labels: 5 a Day, Apples, Dole, FDA, organic, spinach, Wal-Mart, Western Growers
A documentary film that is friendly to the role immigrants play in America and American agriculutre, American Harvest is being promoted at this Web site.
Labels: FDA, immigration
The Internet has changed the speed at which the industry reacts to information, and it has changed the way the "outside world" relates to the industry. One good example of this is that I was looking at the Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group this morning (we added two new members today- yee haw!) and I found that one of the posts linked to a story put out by another division within Vance Publishing Corp., owners of The Packer.
Labels: Doug Powell, E. coli, FDA, Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group, Jim Prevor, spinach, The Packer
The Fresh Talk poll this week is fairly tight, with only one day of voting left. To the question:
Labels: FDA, immigration, NCAE, poll, Robert Guenther, Tom Stenzel
Labels: Apples, FDA, U.S. Apple Association
Local produce or organic produce - which has the stronger pull on the consumer? Don Harris, vice president of produce and floral for Wild Oats Markets Inc., Boulder, Colo. addressed the Aug. 24 session of the U.S. Apple Association in Chicago. After his presentation on organics at retail (covered separately for The Packer), Harris entertained a few questions from the crowd.
Labels: Apples, FDA, Local food movement, organic, The Packer, U.S. Apple Association
One of the produce industry's biggest champions in the Senate may be a lame duck. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Ida., is expected to announce in September whether he will run for reelection in 2008. However, recent events may have taken the drama out of it. This report in Roll Call details Craig's plea of disorderly conduct earlier this year related to an incident in a restroom of the Minneapolis Airport.
TK: Here is a link to the backstory about Sen. Craig, including previous murky allegations dating from more than 20 years ago. Here is coverage from today's Idaho Statesman. Obviously, Craig's GOP conservative family values work against him big time in this case, though it is not inconceivable that he could somehow get past this. It is unfortunate for the industry that Sen. Craig may be wounded and ineffective in advancing AgJobs and specialty crop priorities in the farm bill. In the words of one lobbyist, Craig has carried an " awful lot of the industry's water" in the U.S. Senate. "This is not helpful."
Cal over at our Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group started an interesting thread about Amazon Fresh. He cites a number of Web links describing the fledgling service and its business potential. Check it out and chime in if you think Amazon can succeed where WebVan failed.
Labels: Apples, Big Apple, FDA, Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group, immigration, Luis, methyl bromide
TK: It's a nice public relations move, but I have trouble putting much stock in the announcement by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts that would revamp all of its menus by the fall to incorporate locally grown, sustainable or organic ingredients "wherever possible."
Labels: FDA, Local food movement, organic
The farm policy discussion is heating up again. More headlines are rolling in about the f/v component of the farm bill. The piece by Brasher suggests the Senate remove the planting restriction on program crop acres, a notion that is admantly opposed by produce lobbyists.
Labels: Farm Bill, FDA, Robert Guenther
Dennis Avery of the Hudson Institute writes here that testing won't save produce from E. coli. What will? Irradiation, for one thing. Avery stirs the pot again, well-timed for my poll question about irradiation labeling this week. How about this quote: "We want our food to be politically correct even more than we want it to be safe."
Take integrated approach to a food-and-farm bill Writing in The Des Moines Register, Neil Hamilton of Drake University suggests the Senate should look to improve the diet of Americans through the farm bill. He suggests that Congress should:
Labels: COOL, Farm Bill, FDA, Harkin, Local food movement, organic, Tom Harkin
Tesco's is coming to the U.S. with a reputation as a innovative and effective international retailer. As it prepares to launch U.S. Fresh & Easy stores in Western states, it is taking some abuse in the U.K. What did Jesus say.... "A profit is not without honor except in his own country."
Labels: FDA, Fresh and Easy, Local food movement, Wal-Mart
Labels: Citrus, FDA, Local food movement
Labels: Apples, FDA, U.S. Apple Association
Here is the link to Desmond O'Rourke's presentation at the U.S. Apple Association Marketing Clinic on how "fun" plays into marketing fresh produce. Conversely, O'Rourke touches on how marketing food as healthy can be done at your own peril.
TK: You'll appreciate Desmond's take on this issue. Here is the audio from his remarks.
Labels: Apples, audio files, Citrus, Desmond O'Rourke, FDA, U.S. Apple Association
TK:Bruce McEvoy continues the public dialogue about the industry response to the earthquake in Peru. Here in a letter to Nancy Tucker of PMA, Bruce expresses thanks to Nancy Tucker for information she shared about Caritas.
Labels: FDA
That's the gist of The Los Angeles Times piece on produce consumptoin this morning. The lede makes me laugh:
TK: U.S. Apple estimates now put the volume of fresh apples used to make apple slices between 2 million and 3 million cartons per year and the category is growing fast. More later on the presentation at the conference by Tony Freytag, marketing director of Crunch Pak LLC .
Labels: Apples, FDA, U.S. Apple Association
Turns out I was looking at the Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group this morning and come to find out that I am only the third most prolific poster to the board I this month. We now have 76 members, and I like to see the continuing increase in the size and activity of the group.
Labels: Apples, Big Apple, FDA, Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group, Luis
We have three polls in the can, and the results of all three previous Fresh Talk polls can be found here. Here are the results of last week's poll:
Labels: FDA, irradiation, poll, spinach
One of the great things about the U.S. Apple Association Marketing and Outlook conference here in Chicago is the international flavor of the presenters. This year, the clinic had apple experts from both China and Europe give windows of insight to their world.
Labels: Apples, FDA, U.S. Apple Association
Danny Dempster of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association has drawn some flak for his column about produce safety. Some academic critics have called him to task for painting too rosy a picture on produce safety. This Barfblog post is an example of the criticism:
Labels: Danny Dempster, E. coli, FDA, Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group, spinach, Whole Foods
Don Harris of Wild Oats is speaking tomorrow at the U.S. Apple Association marketing conference on "Retail Perspectives on Organics." Visiting with him briefly at a reception tonight after my presentation of the 2007 Apple Man of the Year award to Jeff Crist of Crist Bros. Orchards, Inc., Walden, N.Y., Harris passed on the news that the U.S. Court of Appeals denied the Federal Trade Commission's request for a stay on the Whole Foods-Wild Oats merger, and that transaction is cleared to go forward.
Labels: 5 a Day, Apples, FDA, organic, U.S. Apple Association, Whole Foods
TK: A letter from Nancy Tucker follows. It speaks to the Bruce McEvoy's earlier letter asking how the industry could best deliver aid to Peru's earthquake victims. Thank you, Nancy, for a thoughtful and helpful response.
The U.S. Apple Association Marketing and Outlook Conference is under way, as wind storms and tornado warnings surround Chicago. The regional crop discussions are taking place now, and the theme of this year's crop outlook is positive for the growers. The USDA has predicted a national crop of 221 million bushels, off 7% from last year and 2% below the five year average. US Apple modifications to that estimate, released next morning, will likely be limited but typically fall on the short side of the USDA.
Labels: Apples, Desmond O'Rourke, FDA, U.S. Apple Association