Latest News From Retail

The Public Health Agency of Canada has closed its investigation into a Salmonella Newport outbreak that was traced to red onions from Thomson International Inc., Bakersfield, Calif.

Country Fresh is recalling fresh-cut watermelon for possible Listeria Monocytogenes contamination.

North Carolina sweet potatoes have achieved superfood status as more and more people around the world discover their sweet, nutrition-packed flavor.

Smurfit Kappa is offering the BanaBag as a paper-based solution for bagging bananas at the farm level.

Chiquita Brands International is giving its iconic blue banana sticker a pink makeover in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is October.

The Pear Bureau Northwest is celebrating National Pizza Month (October) by bringing back the pear pizza campaign.

Editors Tom Karst, Amy Sowder and Ashley Nickle cover the news of the week, including new proposed import requirements for romaine entering Canada that have caught the industry off guard.

This bonus episode of Tip of the Iceberg Podcast, brought to you by The Packer and PMG, features an interview with Mike Browne, chief operating officer of Mission Produce, about the company going public.

Onion grower-shipper Shuman Farms, Reidsville, Ga., is embracing the virtual platform that’s presenting the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit.

A traveling pop-up grocery store will bring its roster of consumer brands, including Yes! Apples, to the trendy Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.

D’Arrigo Bros. of California, which has donated more than $2 million to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, is again featuring its pink-themed packaging for the Andy Boy brand during October..

Potatoes continue to see elevated sales at retail during the COVID-19 pandemic, even as some restrictions have been relaxed over the summer.

Mastronardi Produce, Kingsville, Ontario, is establishing a distribution center in Surrey, British Colombia, to serve western U.S. and Canada.

The end of the comment period for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed rule to cut down on organic fraud is approaching.

FiveStar Gourmet Foods, Ontario, Calif., is offering its new family-size Fig & Walnut Salad exclusively at Costco stores.

Here's the latest news from The Packer about sweet potatoes!

West Pak Avocado, Murrieta, Calif., has a new segment in the Avo Effect campaign.

Data-driven marketing can help blueberries land in shopping carts more often.

Greenhouse grower Mastronardi Produce has a new lettuce brand, Queen of Greens, which will begin shipping in mid-October.

Growers Express LLC, Monterey, Calif., has promoted Kirk Wagner to chief operating officer.

Baja Son Growers, Salinas, Calif., which ships organic green onions year-round, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary.

Ocean Mist Farms, Castroville, Calif., has five new products in its Season & Steam line.

MountainKing has ramped up production of Butter Russets, and expects to ship record amount of its top-selling gourmet variety.

With more people embracing a plant-based lifestyle, Frieda’s Specialty Produce, Los Alamitos, Calif., is prepared for the 43rd Annual World Vegetarian Day and Month (Oct.1/October).

The Packer's team catches you up on the news of the week, from the Washington Conference to the Sustainable Produce Summit to stricter traceability rules for certain produce items.

Albion, N.Y.-based Intergrow Greenhouses is expanding in New York.

Sports teams aren’t the only ones with labor caps.

Good Housekeeping Magazine is the latest organization to praise Wonderful Pistachios’ No Shells Honey Roasted.

Led by Cinco de Mayo sales that reached a four-year high, hass avocado retail sales for holidays in the second quarter of 2020 hit record highs.

Bobalu Berries, Oxnard, Calif., has launched a website that focuses on the 60-year history of the family firm, as well as the vision of the future from managing partners Bobby and RC Jones.

Greenhouse and technology company Revol Greens, Owatonna, Minn., has raised $68 million in investments to expansion in Texas and added three people to its leadership team.

The CEA Food Safety Coalition, which represents controlled-environment agriculture operations that include greenhouses and indoor vertical farms, has added members and is 

California nut, date and dried fruit crops all look healthy this year, with many categories experiencing sales boosts as a result of COVID-19 demand.

Produce for Kids is changing its consumer brand to Healthy Family Project, which will also serve as the umbrella organization for Food Rx, Power Your Lunchbox and Mission for Nutrition.

Stemilt Growers, Wenatchee, Wash., is using Apeel Science’s shelf-life extension technology on Artisan Organics-branded apples this season.

Prominent produce executives discussed during a Sustainable Produce Summit panel the evolution of the industry and the opportunities that exist for companies to make their operations more sustainable.

Kari Armbruster, program manager for Kroger’s Zero Hunger|Zero Waste, presented at SPS about the retailer’s sustainability goals and provided more perspective by responding to attendee questions via a live chat.

Smile! The Starr Ranch Growers is offering Apple Snaq apples with emoji graphics in recyclable packaging.

Ontario health officials are investigating an outbreak of salmonella associated with microgreens from Sunsprout Natural Foods.

Vidalia onion grower-shipper G&R Farms, Glennville, Ga., has a new logo and branding.

Walmart plans to achieve zero emissions and engage in a massive conservation effort in the next two decades on its journey to becoming a regenerative company.

Wonderful Pistachios, Los Angeles, is presenting a web seminar to promote plant-based protein.

One hundred employees of Ball’s Food Stores, Kansas City, Kan., have been certified by the American National Standards Institute and the Conference for Food Protection.

Wherever the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit is, you can find Mastronardi Produce on the expo floor.

This episode features interviews with Lance Jungmeyer with the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas and Brittany Lee with the Florida Blueberry Growers Association regarding seasonal trade protection.

Side Delights has meal solutions for families who choose not to travel during the holiday season.

The Mushroom Council and Bon Appétit magazine chose an Atlanta woman’s Chili Maple Brunch Burger for the second annual Blended Burger Project: Home Edition.

California Giant Berry Farms has hired Alan Ediger as vice president of sales and Jay Brown as chief financial officer.

English cucumbers that have been treated by Apeel Science’s shelf life technology to replace plastic wrap, are now available at Walmart stores.

Randy Riley, Kroger’s director of produce merchandising, and Jason Fuller, vice president of GoldenSun Insights, are acquiring GoldenSun from owner Don Goodwin.