Poll closed: New poll on PMA

Here are the results of the last Fresh Talk poll. A third of our readers don't feel the market is ready for biotech fruits and vegetables, while others are excited about what genetic engineering could add to nutrition, shelf life and, to a lesser extent, new tastes and colors.

What attribute would be most attractive to you in biotech fruits and vegetables?

None - market isn't ready	6 (33%)
Shelf life improvement/shrink reduction	4 (22%)
Adding nutrients/health benefits	5 (27%)
Creating new taste/visual sensations	3 (16%)

TK: The new Fresh Talk unscientific poll this week will inquire how the severe slump on Wall Street will effect produce industry participation at PMA Fresh Summit...

Marler's info apparently confirmed on Earthbound

The info in this post in Bill Marler's blog was soft pedaled in Earthbound remarks to The Packer but Bill Marler forwards an email with a news story that apparently confirms his information (with no direct attribution from identified sources, however) about a leveraged buyout of Earthbound Farm. From Marler's email (couldn't find this story on the Web):

New York, Oct. 9 (LCD) – RBC Capital Markets quietly rolled out a $185 million loan yesterday that backs the leveraged buyout of Earthbound Farm, a San Juan Bautista, Calif.-based organic produce company, by private equity firm Lindsay Goldberg, according to sources.

Terms of the buyout and financing package have not circulated widely. Bank of America has committed to the deal, along with BMO Capital Markets. The BMO ticket has some conditions attached to it, sources note. Earthbound Farm was the first company to successfully launch pre-washed bagged salads packaged for retail sale in 1986. The company sells more than 100 varieties of organic salads, fruits and vegetables across 75% of supermarkets nationwide, according to Earthbound. Its main farms are located in California, Arizona, and Mexico. The company also grows organic produce in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Canada, Chile, and New Zealand.