Fresh Talk Blog http://www.thepacker.com/opinion/fresh-talk-blog RSS Feed for Fresh Talk Blog en-us Thu, 23 May 2013 17:56:27 GMT Processed industry horns in on Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program http://www.thepacker.com/opinion/fresh-talk-blog/Processed-industry-horns-in-on-Fresh-Fruit-and-Vegetable-Program-208683921.html Some lawmakers want creamed corn to displace baby carrots. Retailers can’t overplay their hand http://www.thepacker.com/opinion/fresh-talk-blog/Retailers-cant-overplay-their-hand-208569621.html Retailers can get stung if they overhype deals to consumers. That’s the lesson learned from news that a customer of Kohl’s found the court’s favor after suing over what he called deceptive pricing techniques. The best insurance against food safety problems is … insurance http://www.thepacker.com/opinion/fresh-talk-blog/The-best-insurance-against-food-safety-problems-is--insurance-208395981.html Are Good Agricultural Practices the best insurance against food safety market place issues? Or, perhaps, a competent public relations team and expert legal counsel is the key piece. FDA building Lexus regulations with a Pinto budget http://www.thepacker.com/opinion/fresh-talk-blog/FDA-building-Lexus-regulations-with-a-Pinto-budget-208340171.html The speed limit signs will be posted, but will there be any cops to enforce them? Men and grocery shopping: instructions required http://www.thepacker.com/opinion/fresh-talk-blog/Men-and-grocery-shopping-instructions-needed-207792941.html According to a recent Nielsen news report, women control the purse strings. Apparently, we ladies like to handle the bulk of the buying – to the tune of $5 - 15 trillion a year in the U.S. Farm bill blitz begins http://www.thepacker.com/opinion/fresh-talk-blog/Farm-bill-blitz-begins-207401071.html Good grief, that was quick. With markup and a vote, the Senate Agriculture Committee passed the farm bill out of committee today. Here is the release from Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow: Why not volume control in a potato marketing order? http://www.thepacker.com/opinion/fresh-talk-blog/San-Diego-sunrise-and-other-musings-207219641.html I am spending a day or two with my son in San Diego prior to the start of the United Fresh Produce Association. With a few hours to kick around today, I may be setting up camp in a coffee shop or perhaps riding the “Coaster” from Solana Beach to San Diego. Maybe I will find an upscale grocery retailer to visit in my travels and snap a few stealthy pics. Antisocial media: it ain’t me, babe http://www.thepacker.com/opinion/fresh-talk-blog/Antisocial-media-it-aint-me-babe-206749921.html Since 2007, I have waded deeper into the stream of social media, and now find myself up to my neck in fast-rushing water. From Twitter to Facebook to LinkedIn to Instagram to Pinterest, I have have created more passwords on more sites than one favorite sports team should rightly support. After all the lawsuits, American growers need immigrant labor http://www.thepacker.com/opinion/fresh-talk-blog/After-all-the-lawsuits-American-growers-still-need-immigrant-wor-206440241.html Do growers have a race bias when it comes to who they hire? Do they shun black (and white) Americans in favor of Mexican farm workers? Biotech fruits and vegetables: just another way to charge more? http://www.thepacker.com/opinion/fresh-talk-blog/Biotech-fruits-and-vegetables-just-another-way-to-charge-more-206278261.html The long-sought acceptance of genetically engineered fruits and vegetables by their forward-thinking marketers won’t happen when the collective public says “wow!!” about the consumer benefits that biotech fruits and vegetables will bring. Sure, we can expect biotech fruits and vegetables may someday offer consumers unusual tastes, colors and combinations of antioxidants and nutrients. Still more may boast disease-fighting characteristics that are absolutely vital to growers of a given commodity.