The California leafy greens industry has set July 23 as the date when mandatory food-safety audits of its members will begin.

Acting at its board meeting Friday, June 29, in Santa Maria, CA, the California Leafy Green Products Marketing Agreement unanimously approved a start date for mandatory compliance audits of its members and finalized other key aspects of its program, said Joe Pezzini, chairman of the agreement.

DNE World Fruit Sales, headquartered in Ft. Pierce, FL, has high expectations for the Australian citrus program this season.

"Retailers are excited about the early arrivals and have already committed to more ads than ever for the month of July," said Stu Monaghan, national sales manager for DNE. "The first charter vessel arrived at the port of San Diego on June 29. Additional container loads will also be arriving at the port of Long Beach throughout the summer."

Highline Mushrooms founder and co-owner Murray Roy O'Neil, 80, died June 30 when the plane he was piloting crashed into a soybean field near Colchester, ON.

Dr. O'Neal, a retired allergist, founded Highline Mushrooms in Leamington, ON, in 1961. Through his knowledge of science and relentless passion for continual improvement, he pioneered many of the technological advances in the North American mushroom industry.

Looking to add the same fresh ideas and innovation that it has brought to the watermelon category, Sundia Corp. has begun shipping its new "True Fruit" line of cut fruit to retailers nationwide.

Merchandised in the produce department, "True Fruit" is available in five varieties: Perfect Peach, Mandarin Orange, Ruby Grapefruit, Purely Pineapple and Tropical Medley.

FRESNO, CA -- The California Table Grape Commission, here, will be releasing shortly a report on a Stanford University study that tested grapes in various usages within its own foodservice system.

According to Courtney Romano, a foodservice consultant to the commission, Palo Alto, CA- based Stanford University "looked at a couple of different things" in the study and found that diners responded favorably to options that include grapes, either on their own or as an ingredient.

AVONDALE, CO -- The temperature was in the 90s as a group of 10 yellow- clad women made their way back and forth across Joe Pisciotta's melon field east of Pueblo, CO, hoeing weeds and chatting amiably among themselves.

Nearby, a uniformed man, himself with a hoe, simultaneously dug at weeds and watched the women's progress.

The man, Correctional Industries Supervisor Eric Letendre, is employed by the Colorado Department of Corrections, as are, in a less direct way, the women.