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Though the new coronavirus COVID-19 is not a food safety issue, responding to the crisis has pulled in produce safety professionals in a variety of ways.

The inability to hold the Center for Produce Safety’s annual Symposium in its traditional form has opened up new opportunities for greater participation, says Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli, executive director of CPS.

Helping to preserve food safety and quality, monitoring devices connected to the internet of things (IoT) are giving produce operators more visibility into their supply chains compared with a decade ago.

In March, tropicals were the last items on shoppers’ lists as they rushed to stock up on potatoes, apples and canned beans to survive the pandemic.

While package makers focus on minimizing waste that ends up in landfills, they’re also mindful to minimize biodegradable waste by developing bags, clamshells and boxes that protect product shelf life, marketers say.

Many unanswered questions still hang over the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, but the health crisis, which froze some food sales outlets and forced major alterations in others, also changed consumer buying habits.

Dried fruit cooperative Sun-Maid Growers of California, Kingsburg, has been named one of the U.S. Best Managed Companies.

Using fewer materials in packaging for fresh produce costs less in dollars as well as environmental impact, marketers say.

Flexible equipment is an important component in a packaging industry that continues to work with new materials, pack styles and formats, marketers say.

Dragon fruit continues to lead the tropical pack, with gains of 21% in the past three months.