Atlanta-based Royal Food Service Co. has been awarded a maximum $465 million contract to supply for fresh fruits and vegetables to Georgia military and school customers.

With a price tag of $1.22 billion and hundreds of contracts, the USDA’s Farmers to Families Food Box Program is a massive endeavor to move fresh produce and other foods to needy families through food banks.

The USDA now has the authority under the Defense Production Act to help prevent supply interruptions at FDA-regulated food facilities, including farms, packinghouses and fresh-cut processing facilities.

Harold Weisfeld, founder of Fruit Distributing Corp. of California, Commerce, has died.

Two produce distributors were awarded multi-million dollar contracts in mid-July to supply fruits and vegetables to schools and Department of Defense customers.

A bipartisan bill has been introduced that would give tax credits to offset uncollectable foodservice sector debt incurred as a direct result of the COVID-19 shutdown.