SAN ANTONIO, TX — About 400 people packed the Grand Hyatt Riverwalk Aug. 15-17, here, for the annual Texas Produce Convention, which was about one-third education, one-third information and one-third recreation with an agenda that kept conventioneers busy from arrival to departure.

“We have just started harvesting Gala and Ginger Gold apples,” Fred Hess, president of Hess Fruit Co. in Leola, PA, told The Produce News Aug. 8. “Both of these early varieties are very popular and demand is strong.”

Mr. Hess, who co-owns the company with his brother, Jerry, added that the Gala is a sweet-tart apple with orange-yellow skin. The Ginger Gold resembles the Golden Delicious with slick skin. It too has a sweet-tart flavor.

Tanimura & Antle Inc., based in Salinas, CA, is voluntarily recalling a single lot of Romaine lettuce because it may be contaminated with E. Coli O157:H7. The affected product is limited to Tanimura & Antle field fresh wrapped single head romaine packed in a plastic bag with the UPC number 0-27918-20314-9 and a Best By date of “08 19 12.” The product was available at retail locations from Aug. 2 to Aug. 19. No other T&A products are part of the recall.

There is no stopping the growth of the sweet onion category. And Matt Curry, president of Curry & Co. in Brooks, OR, said Peruvian sweet onions are a critical part of the company’s year-round sweet onion program. “Peruvian onions remain an important part of it,” he said Aug. 8. “Many consumers and retailers consider Peruvian sweet onions to be the closest onion to the ever-popular Vidalia onion. It has the same shape and is very similar in color as well.

Liberty Fruit Co. Inc. in Kansas City, MO, is a full service produce distributor providing delivery services to foodservice, retail and wholesale customers across an eight state area in the Midwest.

“We did over 4.5 million miles last year in transportation miles,” said Scott Danner, chief operating officer, in an interview with The Produce News July 22.

With the start of the 2012-13 pear season only weeks away, the Pear Bureau Northwest in Milwaukie, OR, is already excited about crop prospects and export opportunities. “We’re coming off a great export year,” International Marketing Director Jeff Correa told The Produce News July 23. “We’re on pace for a record year with volume and size.”