Parsley Caused Shigella Outbreaks
for Disease Control and Prevention, here, and the Minnesota Department of Health concluded that seven out of eight restaurant-associated outbreaks of Shigella sonnei in the United States and Canada last year were caused by contaminated fresh, chopped parsley.
Investigators confirmed their findings through DNA fingerprinting of isolates taken from the outbreaks.
The two agencies suspect that the cotaminated parsley came from a farm based in Baja California, Mexico.
The contamination likely occured when unchlorinated water was recirculated and used for cooling the boxes of parsley, they said.
They also believe the bacteria rapidly grew after being chopped in the restaurants and left at room temperature.
Mangoes To Be Sampled This Month
NOGALES, Ariz. -- The Fresh Produce Association of America, here, is sponsoring an in-store mango sampling promotion, in cooperation with six distributors of the tropical fruit.
The FPAA is reported covering the cost for the demonstration company and the extra employees needed to run the program.
Supermarkets will be able to select one day in either April or May to hold the sampling demonstrations, said FPAA officials.
In addition, point-of-purchase brochures will be distributed at the sampling stations, providing consumers tips on how to determine ripeness, as well as a profile of mango varieties.
It will also explain the proper way in which to serve the mangoes through diagrams and illustrations.
MexAm Celebrates 25 Years
NATIONAL CITY, Calif. -- Mexican American Fruit Company, one of the oldest organic produce processors in the United States, based here, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with the creation of a new image and the launch of a new advertising campaign.
MexAm has redesigned its logo, as well as its advertising campaign, in an attempt to establish a more contemporary look.
It now features brighter colors, including shades of green, yellow and red, and has incorporated more modern-looking fonts.
In addition, the company is featuring a four-part print ad series.
The ads break the traditional mold of simply featuring a picture of the fruit and instead use unrelated images and catch phrases.
In one example, a woman on a beach (pictured)caresses her legs next to a slogan running the length of the left side of the page, reading "Sun Ripened Fruit."
