Fresh Express, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chiquita Brands, announced Sept. 19 the introduction of two new consumer-preferred organic salad mixes and the launch of an awareness campaign that highlights the added benefits of purchasing Fresh Express USDA certified organic salads.

Longtime employee Fred Webber will become the new president and chief executive officer at the Canadian-based Dispute Resolution Corp. when Stephen Whitney, the current CEO, retires at the end of this year.

Mr. Whitney announced his pending retirement earlier this year, which led to an executive, search process by a committee of the DRC.

The tomato category has been growing ever since the Incas first cultivated them back in 700 A.D. Today, tomatoes are a major sales contributor to the supermarket produce department.

It wasn’t until the 1980s that tomatoes began to show some new spark. By the mid-1990s, tomato varieties were continuing to help expand the category by reaching new sales-volume heights.

As tomatoes experienced steady growth, new varieties were constantly being offered and placed on the market to retailers. Diverse packaging also helped boost tomato sales immensely.

The winners of the first Mango Mania Display Contest have been announced by the National Mango Board. Participating stores competed for $10,000 in prizes and reported a collective 1,095 percent increase in mango volume compared to the same period in 2010. The contest was open to retailers with up to 50 stores.

Weather

Daytime temperatures in Salinas, CA, will briefly remain in the mid-70s through Sept. 23 then fade into the upper 60s to low 70s through September 27. Overnight lows will range in the low to mid-50s. Patchy morning fog and sunny afternoons will continue through Sept. 27.

In Mendota, CA, Daytime temperatures will briefly remain in the mid- to upper 90s through Sept. 24 then drop into the upper 80s by Sept. 26. Overnight lows will drop from the mid-60s to upper 50s beginning Sept. 24.

Demand