Ralphs and Kitchen United MIX opened the first kitchen center in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Customers can build their freshly prepared, on-demand restaurant meals from any or all of the participating restaurants.

"When our customers think of food, they think of Kroger," said Dan De La Rosa, group vice president of fresh merchandising for Kroger. "The Kitchen United collaboration provides the fresh, on-demand meals our customers crave. It is one more innovative example of how Kroger is fulfilling its commitment to anything, anywhere, anytime."

The Tom Lange Family of Cos. announced that Greg Reinauer’s role has expanded to include CEO. Reinauer has served as president of Tom Lange Co. Inc. since joining the company in March of 2012 and will continue in that role. Phil Gumpert retired Dec. 31 and stepped down from his role as CEO. The move completes a succession planning process and provides continuity of leadership throughout the enterprise.

The California citrus industry is answering the call to strengthen fresh produce food-safety research. Citrus producers from across the Golden State are making a collective $500,000 contribution to Center for Produce Safety’s research capital campaign to fund produce-specific food-safety research.

Their funds will support CPS’s work to identify industry’s top produce safety questions, call on researchers to answer them, then transfer learnings to industry, government, public health and other stakeholders.

Leaders of the Texas produce industry will be honored Jan. 24 at the Texas International Produce Association’s Hall of Fame Banquet. The Texas Produce Hall of Fame was established in 1988 and has since presented 150 living and posthumous awards and 24 Scott Toothaker Awards to men and women who have contributed a large part of their lives to the betterment of the produce industry throughout Texas. 

Honeybear Brands, a leading grower and marketer of premium apples, pears and cherries, continues to grow its direct winter cherry program for retail partners. The company’s dual-hemisphere cherry program provides the highest quality fruit available during winter, direct from Chile, and summer months, domestically from Washington and California. This program ensures retail partners don’t miss premium sales opportunities.

A Listeria-prompted recall late last year resulted in Dole temporarily suspending operations from two production facilities; now the company is pulling packaged salads processed at its Springfield, OH, and Soledad, CA, facilities as well.