Naturipe Foods is pleased to announce the appointment of Jason Bellan as the division’s new vice president and general manger. In his role, Bellan will manage and direct the company’s sales of world-class processed fruit products. This position will initiate, lead, plan and execute against strategic sales and business development plans for the product category of processed berries, fruits, and vegetables to a broad spectrum of market channels.

Despite its devastating impact on the world, the coronavirus pandemic bore important lessons for society. But for the FDA, which specific lessons were learned?

This was among the questions answered by Frank Yiannas, Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response for the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, who was the featured guest of a Sept. 24 United Fresh Produce Washington Congress virtual session titled “Partnership with FDA and the Fresh Produce Industry.” He engaged in a dialogue with Jennifer McEntire, United’s vice president of food safety and technology.

Working together with private sector, higher education partners, the South Texas Assets Consortium and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is gaining up to 10 paid agriculture interns that learn valuable work skills while assisting CBP to process commercial produce shipments at Rio Grande Valley ports of entry.  

Organic apples and pears had the strongest monthly growth Superfresh Growers has recently seen. Both categories were up nearly 30 percent in the month of August. Organic apples were up 30 percent in dollars, while organic pears were up 29 percent in volume. Since COVID-19, organic dollars have been climbing, and this is the third month in a row where apple growth has been up more than 19 percent.

Recent years have been good for the produce packaging company Sev-Rend.

Jeff Watkin, the St. Louis-based company’s director of marketing, and Art Vega, vice president of sales and marketing, recently spoke with The Produce News about the company’s position and outlook for the future.