It has been a while since I put out a Newsletter. I have been busy with a project for www.agplus.net. I also attempted to develop a program to keep track of the people running for President so I could keep all of you informed. I stopped working on the list as it was getting too long to maintain. Is it just me or are we starting the race for President just a little early? The candidates’ employers must be very generous to let them look for another job two years in advance, and if they lose, let them keep their old job. I couldn’t afford to keep paying an employee to do that. On second thought, we are paying most of them to do a job while they look for another. Is it just me that doesn’t like the concept? What do you think?
MADRID (Reuters) - U.S. coffee shop giant Starbucks (SBUX.O: Quote, Profile, Research) plans to open at least 40,000 more stores over the medium term, half of them outside the United States, according to Tuesday's Expansion newspaper. Starbucks Chief Executive Jim Donald told the Spanish financial daily that the chain is expanding at a rate of six shops and 350 new employees per day."We will open at least 40,000 cafes (half of them outside the United States)" (in the medium term), Expansion quoted Donald as saying in the interview. Starbucks will probably open between 10 and 12 shops per year in Spain, Donald told Expansion.
Harold Thinks! These are pretty good numbers for a company that can’t make a simple cup of coffee. I am a big coffee fan but I won’t buy a cup of regular ol’ coffee at Starbucks because it is just bad. A recent survey showed several companies made a better cup including MacDonald’s. Starbucks is a success story, and I do on occasion go there, but not for a regular cup of coffee. They are adding breakfast items. So why shouldn’t they add some healthy produce snack items, and with that many stores they should be able to move a lot of produce. There are several produce items that would fit right in with their product mix. If you handle one of those types of items give them a call and tell them Harold sent you.
By Marla Cone, Times Staff Writer
March 13, 2007
The voluntary rules for processors are intended to reduce the risk of illness from bacteria. Critics say only mandatory requirements will help.
In an effort to prevent more illnesses from bacteria-tainted produce, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday announced voluntary guidelines for processors of packaged fruits and vegetables, the produce industry's fastest-growing sector.
The list of steps to minimize the spread of bacteria includes recommendations for multiple washings of produce, cold storage, regular water testing and monitoring employees for signs of infectious disease. Many processing and packaging companies already follow the federal guidelines, which were first proposed a year ago.The national guidelines will apply to bagged spinach, shredded lettuce, salad mixes, baby carrots, cut melons, broccoli florets and other fresh-cut produce
Harold Thinks! If you have been reading the articles about produce posted in my produce industry news section on www.agplus.net you know that food safety is in the news. Almost everyday there is yet another article about the subject. Most of the articles have been very informative as you get ideas on how to fix the problem from many sectors. The problem will be doing it right without a lot of government regulations that look good but are for show and don’t help solve the problem. I know our industry leaders are working hard to see that this issue is handled properly, and I wish them the best of luck. 
