NEWS WATCH: FLORIDA PRODUCE CAMPAIGNS GENERATE NEW REVENUE...ADVOCATES PUSH TO LEGALIZE RAW MILK SALES

FLORIDA PRODUCE CAMPAIGNS GENERATE NEW REVENUE

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Three produce marketing campaigns, involving 34 retail chains, helped boost retail sales of Florida-grown fruits and vegetables by $394.4 million over last year, Charles Bronson, the state agriculture commissioner, said last week. The campaigns, conducted by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, spanned 43 states. Participating retailers, operating more than 13,700 stores, featured Florida products and the "Fresh from Florida" logo in store circular ads more than 700 times. The ads generated more than 8.8 billion consumer impressions, officials said.

ADVOCATES PUSH TO LEGALIZE RAW MILK SALES

NEW YORK - Advocates of raw milk are pushing efforts in Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky and Nebraska that would legalize selling raw milk, according to published reports last week. Raw milk appeals to people who want natural and unprocessed foods, to those with health concerns who believe it has curing powers, and certain evangelical Christians who follow a Bible-based diet of unprocessed foods, according to USA Today. However, public health officials advise people not to drink unpasteurized milk, citing cases of foodborne illness that have been associated with consuming it.