Spudman

PMA resources focus on industry-specific UPCs

Produce Marketing Association (PMA) is releasing a new toolkit to help industry better respond to the gradual transition to company-specific universal product codes (UPC). Requirements include the transition from generic to company-specific UPCs to improve category management while also enhancing traceability and business efficiencies. Currently, UPC numbers begin with a generic, PMA-assigned prefix, followed by an item reference number and check digit to identify packaged produce. It is expected that retailers will begin to require…  » Read more

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Wedding Marketing Blueprint Program Returns

Holly Bretschneider has opened the doors on her 2013 Wedding Marketing Blueprint Program. Bretschneider, owner of Salutations, an award-winning stationery boutique with two locations in North Carolina, developed the Wedding Marketing Blueprint program for stationery retailers who want to increase their sales, profits and freedom in their stationery boutiques. Kate Strzok, owner of Broadway Paper in Milwaukee, said: “The Wedding Marketing Blueprint program is filled with a ton of amazing information, help and support. The…  » Read more

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Series of FSMA webinars underway

Both the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) and United Fresh are conducing a series of webinars about the Food Safety Modernization Act implementation rules. The next two PMA webinars will be held Jan. 24 and are each called “Ask the FDA,” where officials from FDA will be available to speak and answer questions about the two rule implementation documents released Jan. 4. The first session, at 1 p.m. EST, will address the Produce Rule and the…  » Read more

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Georgia, United Fresh offer HACCP course

United Fresh is once again partnering with University of Georgia on the “Developing & Implementing GAPs and GMPs for HACCP-based Food Safety for the Fresh Produce Industry” course in Athens, Georgia. The three-day course, June 11-13, will teach participants how to develop and document good agricultural practices, standard operating procedures, sanitary standard operating procedures, and good management practices for farm and field operations, packing facilities, cold storage operations and produce shippers. Break-out sessions will use…  » Read more

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Supply chain conference set for February in Florida

The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) Trading Partner Alliance are jointly hosting the fourth annual Supply Chain Conference, Feb. 4-6 at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista in Orlando, Fla. FMI and GMA have created this unique forum for retailers and manufacturers to come together to establish collaborations that foster supply chain efficiency, reduce costs and improve the bottom line. At this conference, attendees will attend sessions and discussions that address…  » Read more

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United Produce Inspection Program

United Fresh and USDA-AMS are offering three courses of the Produce Inspection Training Program in 2013. These sessions are designed to help produce industry members better understand the breadth of the total produce inspection process. The program is offered in two specialized courses. “Fundamentals of Produce Inspection” focuses on topics such as inspection essentials, the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, sampling procedures and general market principles. The three-day “Commodity Labs” takes place in the lab and…  » Read more

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Registration open for free webinar on nutrient management

Spudman magazine is sponsoring a free webinar, "Protecting Current and Future Profitability with Responsible Nutrient Management," on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 2 p.m. (EST).   Duane "Sarge" Preston, professor emeritus and retired Extension educator-potatoes with the University of Minnesota, Alan Parkinson, field agronomy manager at Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers (ACLF), and Dr. Brian Levene, specialty crop research manager at ACLF, will discuss various aspects of responsible nutrient management for potatoes. Learn about the history of Agro-Culture Liquid…  » Read more

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NSF International offers food processing certificates

The Training and Education division of Ann Arbor, Mich.-based NSF International has earned American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accreditation for its food safety certificate programs for food processing quality professionals. NSF International is an independent global organization that writes standards, tests and certifies products for the food, water and consumer goods industries, The certification provides food companies added assurance that their quality managers are receiving the most current and highest quality training available from a…  » Read more

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