First British cucumbers of 2021

Whilst the weather outside might be distinctly wet and windy, conditions inside the high tech glasshouses at Thanet Earth are a very pleasant and comfortable change. The team at Thanet Earth have been carefully tending the young cucumber plants with the first UK-grown cucumbers of 2021 due for harvest this weekend. The UK…

New study on environmental fate of chemical crop protection in tomato production in Colombia

The environmental fate of chemical crop protection has been widely studied in temperate regions but not in tropical regions. In Colombia, tomato is an important commodity…

Switzerland: Aldi and Migros recall salads containing listeria

Aldi and Migros are recalling several ready-made salads due to the presence of listeria. The two distributors recommend Thursday not to consume these products. Aldi has recalled three salads across Switzerland as a precaution. The presence of listeria was detected during internal analyses of certain…

New year, old problems: A look at the state of food safety

This week’s PMA virtual town hall took a look at how food safety problems and possible solutions might continue to evolve in the new year. The panel was led by Max Teplitski, PMA’s Chief Science Officer. Panelists were Wendelyn Jones, Ph.D., Executive Director of ILSI North America, William D. Marler,…

‘Recent ban on tomato exports to Russia was very unexpected’

In a recent meeting, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, stated that the recent Russian ban on tomato exports was very unexpected. En.trend.az reported…

Seed saving movement calls for seeds to be publicly owned

Seeds need to be brought back into public ownership, rather than belonging to a small group of agrochemical companies, say campaigners, after a year in which seed-swapping and saving has reached new heights of popularity. From March onwards, when the pandemic hit the UK, seed producers and seed banks…

India: Entrepreneurs decided to explore the new trend in farming

With a family business in bio-pesticides, organic farming and indoor horticulture, Anisha Goel was no stranger to the toll excessive chemicals have on the body, the loopholes in organic certification, lack of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and the extent of food wastage.  Anisha was visiting India from…

Dutch grower's closed water supply was already innovative 40 years ago

On 5 January 1981, a Dutch grower close off his water supply. He had found traces of a toxic disinfectant in his tap water. This was the subject of the Dutch Broadcasting Agency's (NOS) very first 'Jeugdjournaal', a news program focused on youngsters specifically. Now, 40 years later, people looked back on…

Morocco examines local exporters due to Russian tomato ban

Morocco’s National Food Safety Office (ONSSA) has stepped up the monitoring of Moroccan tomato exporters, attempting to overcome an ongoing Russian ban. Russia imposed a ban…

Russian Federation: Rosselkhoznadzor allows tomato imports from 34 Uzbek companies

The Russian phytosanitary watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor is removing shipment restrictions for 34 Uzbek companies starting. Earlier in the month, it banned shipments of tomatoes…

Negative effect of sodium on peppers is demonstrated

Next year, Van der Knaap Groep and Wageningen University & Research will start a new trial. The trial will examine the negative effect of sodium on the production and quality of pepper crops.   Van der Knaap has developed a sodium remover that complies with the new regulations for 2026. “We want to demonstrate the benefits…

CDC and FDA declare third E. coli outbreak over

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced yesterday that the third outbreak of pathogenic E. coli…

The correct greenhouse tutoring system saves time and money

The correct tutoring of plants in greenhouses is synonymous with efficiency, optimal management, yields and helps save time and labor. The latter is something that all agricultural entrepreneurs have introduced to their business processes. Not everyone, though, has had the chance to experiment the…

70 percent of US farm labor investigations record violations

According to data analysis by the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank, between 2000 and 2019, the federal Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD)…

2020: International year of plant health comes to an end

The United Nations has declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH). "The year is a once in a lifetime opportunity to raise global awareness on how…

Hatenboer-Water launches online Legionella course

In response to client requests and in order to facilitate training options in these times of global restrictions, Hatenboer-Water has created a digital version of the water…

“Food waste reduction and increased food safety are key goals”

TELUS, a Canadian communication and information technology company, has expanded into agriculture and food. In addition to telecommunications, the company is also Canada’s largest healthcare IT provider under the name TELUS Health. “We’ve always had a sense of social purpose. With food and beverage…

"In an unusually challenging year, food hygiene has been especially important"

"At the end of what we can all agree is an unusually challenging year in every aspect of life, food hygiene has been especially important," the team with the UK greenhouse growers Flavourfresh says. Earlier this month, the company achieved the AA+ BRCGS Food Safety Certification, the highest possible…

Food safety more of a focus for consumers than packaging sustainability in COVID-19 affected year

The COVID-19 pandemic has temporarily shifted consumers' views when it comes to the priority of sustainability in fruit and vegetable packaging, according to Produce Marketing Association Australia-New Zealand. Head of Food Safety, Deon Mahoney told a recent webinar that while there are overall goals to…

Russian bans import of Armenian tomatoes, peppers over Pepino Mosaic Virus

The Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) announced on Wednesday it would ban import of tomatoes and peppers from Armenia's…

"Detection of Pepino Mosaic virus is due to vaccination of the seeds"

News has come out that Russia will not allow imports of tomatoes from Uzbekistan, Turkey, Armenia, Morocco and some other countries anymore due to detection of the pepino mosaic. Speaking with a Russian fruit specialist, it seems this is all true except for the Moroccon imports. They are not able to ship…

"Chinese fruit industry pays more attention to washing and disinfection this year"

Chinese consumers have been paying more attention to food safety since the outbreak of Covid-19. They also have higher standards for the product quality of fruit and vegetables. Recently, the company stand of Ningbo Lueon Technologies at ProPack attracted many visitors, who all came to see the washing…

Datasheet report for bacterial spot of tomato and pepper

Bacterial spot of tomato and pepper caused by what we now know as X. euvesicatoria pv. euvesicatoria was described for the first time on tomato in 1920 in South Africa.…

Declining insect numbers are hurting food production

Kenyan researchers and entomologists have called for the introduction of stringent regulations on the use of pesticide to protect insect species that are crucial for food…

First report of tomato mottle mosaic virus in the Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic, tomato mottle mosaic virus (Tobamovirus, ToMMV) was first detected in September 2020 during a pre-export inspection in seed crops in Southern Moravia.…

Vegpro International issues a recall of Fresh Attitude Baby Spinach

Vegpro International of Sherrington, QC CAN is recalling Fresh Attitude baby spinach (5oz and 11oz) with Best before dates of Dec 4th (for 11oz) and Dec 4th & 5th (for the 5oz), because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal…

Dr. Agr. Raffaele Giurato

First report of tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus in France

The NPPO of France recently informed the EPPO Secretariat of the first detections of tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (Begomovirus, ToLCNDV – EPPO Alert List) on its territory. The virus was detected in 3 locations in Bouches-du-Rhône department (Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region) in September 2020 and…

Risk in the Chinese cold supply chain industry frequently bring challenges and opportunities

Against the background of rapid economic developments in the international market, the swift expansion of the cold supply chain industry is one of the most surprising developments in the Chinese distribution industry. At the same time, as a growing number of markets requires cold supply chain services to…

Russia bans greenhouse tomatoes & peppers from Uzbekistan’s Fergana region

Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, Rosselkhoznadzor, has issued a statement that is amounting to a ban on the import of greenhouse…

Virtual Design Discussion for the Revised GLOBALG.A.P. Standard Version

The GLOBALG.A.P. World Consultation Tour goes into its second round. "We aim to deliver an impactful standard in line with producers’ practices. The unique challenges presented by vertical farming or produce grown in controlled environments will be addressed to ensure an appropriate user experience," the…

Southeastern Grocers recalls fresh-cut basil sold at Winn-Dixie and others

Southeastern Grocers has issued a voluntary recall for its "SE Grocers Naturally Better Organic Fresh Cut Basil" following the detection of a microscopic parasite called Cyclospora. Image: Provided The company says the product was delivered through all of its distribution centers and sold in all its…

Hy-Vee stores recall vegetable mixes

Hy-Vee is recalling two of its vegetable mix products at all of its facilities. The following products are being recalled: Hy-Vee Short Cuts Pot Roast Mix – UPC Code 0272083305352 Hy-Vee Short Cuts Grill/Oven Ready Veggie Mix – UPC Code 0272104105992 The grocery store said there may be an organism called Listeria monocytogenes on the food.…

FDA conducts another study about contamination of leafy greens

The FDA, along with growers, researchers and other entities in California, have announced a multi-year study to enhance food safety through better understanding of human…

Cracking the code of seasonality in leafy green outbreaks

This week’s PMA virtual town hall looked at leafy green outbreaks and research that is being conducted on the factors contributing to these outbreaks  The panel was led by Trevor Suslow, PMA’s Vice President of Produce Safety, and featured Jim Brennan, President of SmartWash Solutions, Michele Jay-Russell,…

Managing cucurbit diseases with research, outreach

Rebecca Grumet has dedicated her career to assisting specialty crop growers as an expert in reproductive development and disease resistance in cucurbit crops such as cucumbers, melons, squash and watermelons. MSU researcher Rebecca Grumet (left) with a student in the lab.Michigan agriculture boasts more…

Study shows reduction of foodborne illness risk in leafy greens with new pretreatment

SmartWash Solutions®, a produce industry company for fresh cut food safety, continues to provide advancements to mitigate foodborne illness risk. A recent study presented by…

Micro and nanoplastics not absorbed by plant cells, but do attach to the root cap

Like a toxic Trojan horse, microplastics can act as hot pockets of contaminant transport. But, can microplastics get into plant cells? Recent research shows that they can't.  Over the last decade, scientists have been scrambling to understand the impacts of microplastics. With the breakdown of plastic bottles,…

"Grafting with more resistant rootstocks tool in fighting ToBRFV"

Israeli researchers from leading agricultural institutes have found a new way to combat ToBRFV. In 2015, nearly 50% of tomato crops in southern Israel were wiped out as a result of the fungi attacking plants already weakened by TBRFV. Dr. Yuval Kaye is director of vegetable research at the Ramat Negev…

Russia threatens to boycot Armenian tomatoes because of pepino mosaic virus

Russia is threatening to ban the imports of Armenian tomatoes. This follows the detection of the pepino mosaic virus in a batch of tomatoes from Armenia.  "The Pepino mosaic virus…