WASHINGTON — The Food & Drug Administration is retooling inspectors to be more specialized in food and teaching them to assess a company's food-safety culture for the first time when deciding whether to return for another inspection, Mike Taylor, the FDA 's food-safety chief, said Sept. 10 at the United Fresh Produce Association's Washington Conference, here.

This was just one of several messages he brought to the breakfast meeting of the conference as he mapped out the FDA's plan for assuring compliance with the massive Food Safety Modernization Act.

Titan Farms and Harris Teeter donated more than 58,000 pounds of peaches to the Second Harvest food banks in Winston-Salem and Charlotte, NC, to help feed the hungry in the local communities. This donation is part of the retailer’s participation in the second annual Peaches with A Purpose program, sponsored by peach grower Titan Farms.

Pleasant Valley Potato Inc. in Aberdeen, ID, now in its 27th year, was formed in 1988 by four family-owned potato farming operations in eastern Idaho, each of which have been growing Idaho potatoes for generations. The same four farms continue to own Pleasant Valley, and two of them are celebrating their 100th anniversary as growers of Idaho potatoes this year.

“The other two celebrated their 100th anniversary within the last five years,” said Ryan Wahlen, sales manager at Pleasant Valley Potato, in an interview with The Produce News Sept. 8.

Potandon Produce LLC in Idaho Falls, ID, the largest marketer of fresh table stock potatoes in the United States, has been at the cutting edge of new variety development since its introduction of Klondike Rose potatoes over a decade ago.

This year, the company is launching two new potato varieties with some novel characteristics. They are called Klondike Royale and Smiley.

Idaho potato shippers have new transportation and distribution options through Manfredi Cold Storage,based near Philadelphia in Kennett Square, PA, which is known for its mushroom industry.

Manfredi Cold Storage has a railroad spur and private service from two rail lines. The spur allows fresh produce to be discharged directly into the enormous, modern warehouse without breaking the cold chain.

Frank Manfredi, president of Manfredi Cold Storage, said in June he very successfully received Idaho potatoes by rail.

“The real highlight every year,” and again this year, of the Idaho Potato Commission’s foodservice promotional programs, “is our Chef’s Calendar,” said Don Odiorne, vice president o foodservice for the commission, in an interview with The Produce News Aug. 28. “We are just going through the process of selecting 12 chefs to work with” who will be featured, along with their recipes, in the 2015 calendar.