ANAHEIM, CA -- Looking to inject some innovation into a category that has been devoid of any significant advancements for years, Del Monte Fresh Produce unveiled a new technology that it believes will improve banana consumption and sales.

Del Monte officials held a press conference Oct. 3 prior to the opening of the 2009 Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit exposition to announce the launch of its proprietary Controlled Ripening Technology, or CRT.

ANAHEIM, CA -- The Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition, held here Oct. 2-5, attracted a record crowd of 19,070 attendees, and the organization announced that PMA Australia-New Zealand officially began operations Oct. 1.

WASHINGTON -- Leanne Skelton, a 22-year veteran with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service's Fresh Products Branch, will be moving to the Food & Drug Administration for six months to help the agency write produce-safety regulations.

A familiar face to the fresh produce industry, Ms. Skelton is chief of the Fresh Products Branch, which provides fee-based auditing, inspection and grade certification services for fresh fruits and vegetables.

ANAHEIM, CA -- Two well-known politicos from opposite presidential camps in 2008 addressed the Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition Oct. 2-5, but politics wasn't top of mind.

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was the keynote speaker at the opening general session Oct. 2, while President Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, did the keynote honors at the Oct. 4 general session.

The question is a persistent one, but now more than ever we find ourselves wondering why we are still asking when we live in a society that is characterized by abundance.

It's shocking, but a recent University of Toronto study found that as many as one in seven young Canadian adults may be deficient in Vitamin C, potentially placing them at increased risk for chronic health problems.

ANAHEIM, CA -- A pioneer in U.S. fresh produce importing earned two recognitions for his contributions to the international produce trade business at an industry reception Oct. 4.

Jack V. Pandol Sr. will receive Chile's highest presidential award, and was also recognized by Chilean and U.S. fresh fruit industry organizations. The awards were announced at Produce Marketing Association's annual International Partners Reception at the 2009 Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition, held here Oct. 2-5.