Page 219 - Roduce Editorials News Today

The produce markets have been topsy-turvy and unpredictable all winter. This puts a strain on the planning of produce ad features for weekly flyers. However, there are still item opportunities in the supply chain for promoting.

Natural Delights is offering its two-, five- and 11-pound window boxes again this year to meet the need for Ramadan Medjool date consumption. April kicks off the holiday, but shoppers are going to be looking for Medjool dates in bulk starting in early March when peak sales season begins.

The one-week suspension of imports of avocados from Mexico was lifted on Feb. 18, and shipments were expected to reach pre-suspension levels as soon as the week of Feb. 20.

The Coalition for Sustainable Organics joined with the Aquaponics Association, Western Growers Association, International Fresh Produce Association, Mulch & Soil Council and The Scotts Co. to file an amicus ("friend of the court") brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

The one-week suspension of imports of avocados from Mexico was lifted on Feb. 18, and shipments were expected to reach pre-suspension levels as soon as the week of Feb. 20.

At a time when retailers call for a safer and more consistent source of leafy greens, Revol Greens brings on a new vice president of food safety to navigate distribution, particularly in a food supply chain fraught with continued challenges. Having officially joined the team Feb. 21, Dinesh Babu brings a Ph.D. in food safety and more than 15 years in food science and food-safety experience.      

The continued growth of Controlled Environment Agriculture and the ramifications of hydroponically grown items being eligible for organic certification will be the subject of the first announced educational session at Organic Produce Summit 2022. Hydroponics: To Soil or Not to Soil? will feature industry leaders from opposing sides of the issue discussing the current lawsuit filed against USDA, and what the future of organic hydroponics may look like.

BlueSkySearch LLC announced free listings for 2022 intern positions for agriculture and produce industry businesses to demonstrate its commitment to the industry.

The Kroger Co. will expand its delivery through the addition of a spoke facility in Oklahoma City powered by the Ocado Group. As a continuation of Kroger's successful entry into Florida in 2021, Oklahoma will serve as another new geography for the company, bringing innovation and modern e-commerce to the area, extending the grocer's reach and ability to provide its customers anything, anytime, anywhere.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration alerted the public that products purchased from Jan. 1, 2021, through the present from Family Dollar stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee may be unsafe for consumers to use. The impacted products originated from the company’s distribution facility in West Memphis, AR, where an FDA inspection found insanitary conditions, including a rodent infestation, that could cause many of the products to become contaminated.