Citrus growers in Florida are optimistic about the first forecast for the 2014-2015 season as USDA reports healthier looking groves with improved external quality compared to a year earlier.

China has lifted its 2012 suspension of red and golden delicious apple imports from Washington state, USDA announced.

Consumers will have a new method of picking produce when shopping at Whole Foods Market which announced today the launch of a new Responsibly Grown tiered produce rating system to assess how eco-friendly a product’s growing practices are and the potential impact on human health.

Representatives from FDA and the government of Mexico’s National Service for Agro-Alimentary Public Health, Safety and Quality (SENASICA) and Federal Commission for the Protection from Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS) have signed a statement of intent to form a partnership promoting the safety of fresh and minimally processed agricultural products.

A graduate student at Hebrew University of Jerusalem has discovered a way of attacking bacteria on food packaging, by disrupting bacterial biofilms that adhere to produce.

The application deadline is April 7, 2014.

Michelle Obama announced the news on Wednesday.

Nearly two-thirds of containers were not sanitized well enough to prevent contamination.