Produce

The first peaches are ripe for harvest in Florida, bred to thrive where Mother Nature never intended the fruit to grow, alongside the state's signature rows of orange and grapefruit trees. …

Calavo Growers, Inc. announced that the company is expanding its Mexican fresh avocado operations through construction of a packinghouse in Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco, a prime growing region about 85 miles south of Guadalajara. …

The Reusable Packaging Association (RPA) has issued comprehensive and science-based protocols to help ensure the continued safe use of reusable plastic containers (RPCs) for fresh and perishable products in the supply chain. The guidelines encompass the washing, handling, storing, packing, displaying, and collecting of RPCs in the supply chain. They also include rigorous and defined Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP), and hourly, daily, monthly, and quarterly microbiological testing. …

Applicants for this $5,000 scholarship must be related to an EPC member in good standing who has been a member for at least six months preceding the date of the application. What makes this scholarship unique is that it is based solely on a 500-word essay on ethics. In particular, applicants need to site an example of how they faced an ethical challenge in their life and dealt with it. …

Best Sanitizers, Inc. announces its new HACCP SmartStep™ Footwear Sanitizing System. The HACCP SmartStep adds an additional layer of pathogen protection for produce processing facilities by reducing cross-contamination from footwear before employees enter the production area or other critical control zones. …