To-Jo Mushrooms, based in Avondale, PA, announced that both its packing and processing plants have attained certification under the SQF 2000 Standard at Level 3, the highest level of compliance.

Both To-Jo plants were awarded Excellent ratings by The Steritech Group, a licensed SQF certification body, after scoring over 99 percent on certification audits. The stringent Safe Quality Food standard has been accorded benchmark status by the Global Food Safety Initiative, an international accreditation program.

At the peak of its New Zealand apple season, Giumarra Wenatchee is finding success with its new apple varieties.

In addition to traditional varieties such as Gala and Braeburn, the division offers Tentation, Eve, Divine and Smitten apple varieties, all grown by Heartland Fruit in New Zealand.

This is the fourth season that Giumarra is offering Tentation, a club variety with controlled volume. Tentation is a cross between Golden Delicious and Grifer, with a yellow color and orange blush. It is available June through August.

Hollandia Produce LLC, a grower-shipper of hydroponically grown hothouse produce, has reshaped its “Live Gourmet” living lettuce package to better meet its customers’ needs related to merchandising, physical protection, food safety, sustainability and transportation.

Hollandia’s patented and ultra-modern clamshell, dubbed the “squircle,” enables the Carpinteria, CA-based firm to increase units per pallet by 20 percent, automate much of the packaging processes and reduce the total board feet of cardboard used annually to package and ship its products.

On request from its customers, Riverbend Fresh LLC, in Kerman, CA, switched to organic tomato production three years ago. Dennis Peterson, owner of the company, said it was previously handling conventional heirloom tomatoes.

“Our customers said they could sell more organic,” said Mr. Peterson. “Today our strongest selling organic products, which we will have this year, are cherry heirloom, grape and Roma tomatoes.”

Kevin Donovan, national sales manager for Phillips Mushroom Farms in Kennett Square, PA, told The Produce News that the firm’s organic line of mushrooms continues to grow in popularity.

“White organic mushrooms are most popular, and is where we’re seeing the greatest growth,” said Mr. Donovan. “But we are also seeing strong growth with Baby Bellas. And we are anticipating an increase in demand for Portobellas as summer encroaches.”

He added that things are looking better in the organic mushroom category than when the economy was at the bottom of its crunch.

Wholesum Family Farms Inc., better known as Wholesum Harvest, in Nogales, AZ, is a third-generation family farm that has grown safe, wholesome food for 80 years. The family pioneer, Miguel Crisantes Gatzionis, migrated from Greece to Mexico in the 1920s and started farming in Sinaloa, Mexico, in 1930.

Anthony Totta, marketing and business development consultant for the company, told The Produce News that the grower-shipper has handled organic items since 1990.