Southwest

California cantaloupe handlers OK mandatory food safety plan

California cantaloupe handlers overwhelmingly approved the state's first mandatory food safety program implemented by a commodity board.

Herb grower receives $1 million fine for illegal labor

A Duvall, Wash.-based organic herb operation, which ships to nearly 2,700 retailers nationwide, was fined $1 million for firing illegal immigrants, then secretly hiring them back on a night shift to avoid detection.

Study: Healthy convenience will drive value-added veggie sales

As the country emerges from the recession, touting the health benefits of value-added vegetables alone may not be a strong enough reason for consumers to increase purchases and consumption.

Onion industry awaits safety ruling

Growers and shippers of onions and other commodities say they once could highlight their food safety programs in their marketing initiatives, but that’s no longer the case.

Onion oversupply eases as seasons change, marketers say

Onion marketers had plenty of product to showcase by the end of April. Perhaps too much, according to some.

Beetle, fungus cause concerns for California avocado growers

A minute beetle and the fungus it carries have been linked to branch dieback in residential avocado and landscape trees in Southern California, causing concern for the state's avocado industry.

FDA missed deadlines may continue

The Food and Drug Administration badly missed statutory deadlines in January for issuing food safety regulations this year, and significant hurdles remain before any produce safety rule will take effect.

Teenagers still require safety training to work on farms

Family farms may have dodged a bullet recently when the federal government withdrew its proposed ban on children working on power-driven farm equipment.

But previous legislation still requires they receive training.

Garlic compound helps fight foodborne pathogens

A naturally occurring compound in garlic appears 100 times more effective than two popular antibiotics at fighting Campylobacter bacterium, a common cause of food poisoning.

But don't rush out and begin eating massive amounts of garlic in hopes of preventing foodborne illness, say researchers at Washington State University in Pullman.

Three new rootstocks help growers manage avocado root rot

Three new rootstocks may help avocado growers battle Phytophthora root rot, a multi-million-dollar problem in California.

The roostocks—Zentmyer, Steddom and Uzi—are the product of University of California, Riverside, plant pathologist Greg Douhan, and his team, according to a news release.