A very public fight has erupted in the usually polite regulatory world as the president of Whole Foods Market has taken on the Federal Trade Commission because it opposes the acquisition of Wild Oats Markets by the country's largest natural foods retail chain.

Whole Foods, which has a policy against talking to the trade press and is typically quiet about its operations, has launched an all-out attack on the FTC through a blog written by President John Mackey and available on the company's web site (www.wholefoods.com).

Canada imposed import requirements on the eight California counties where the light brown apple moth has been spotted and identified in the United States. The requirements went into effect June 25.

Chef Emeril Lagasse, Pride of San Juan and The Produce Exchange have restructured the "Emeril's Gourmet Produce" line so that The Produce Exchange is the exclusive sales, marketing and distributing agent for the brand.

The Produce Exchange, based in Livermore, CA, will lead new product development of the brand. Pride of San Juan will continue to manage the primary farming operations, and Mr. Lagasse will oversee the brand, new products and recipe development.

Enabling retailers to capitalize on the growing popularity of certified kosher food products, Kingsburg Orchards has introduced a new line of kosher fruit that includes peaches, plums, nectarines, Asian apple pears, Pluots, apriums, apricots, apples, persimmons, kiwifruit and avocados.

The new certified kosher product line is the latest innovation from the Kingsburg, CA-based farming and marketing organization, which was among the early firms to introduce white flesh tree fruit, Asian apple pears and Pluots, including the unique "Dinosaur Egg" Pluot.

Most trends that change the landscape of produce departments evolve somewhat gradually. One major chain will make a noticeable display or arrangement change that proves successful, and soon another chain follows suit. Often the changes have their roots at small independent retailers, especially gourmet-level stores that do not have set corporate guidelines and more freedom to make creative changes. That is how, for example, produce departments were ultimately moved from the rear of stores to the front.

WASHINGTON -- Produce companies have 60 days to comment on changes the U.S. Department of Agriculture is considering for the country-of-origin labeling program that goes into effect for perishables in September 2008.

USDA changed key definitions for COOL when it issued a final rule for fish and shellfish, so the agency is weighing whether to extend the changes to the other commodities.