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Prima Wawona Peaches Shipped To More Than A Dozen Countries

Prima Wawona peaches involved in a recall in the U.S. and Canada because of salmonella were shipped to more than a dozen other countries.

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Chris Koger

August 30, 2020

Prima Wawona peaches involved in a recall in the U.S. and Canada because of salmonella were shipped to more than a dozen other countries.

So far, Canada, Singapore, and New Zealand have recalled the peaches, according to an Aug. 28 notice from the Food and Drug Administration. Prima Wawona/Wawona Packing of Fresno, Calif., recalled peaches on Aug. 21, followed by a recall in Canada. The Singapore Food Agency recalled the peaches from importer Satoyu Trading Pte Ltd. on Aug. 25, and New Zealand Food Safety on Aug. 26 recalled bulk peaches from the company that went to retailers.

The Prima Wawona peaches also went to: Australia, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, the Philippines, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates. The FDA has alerted the food safety agencies in those countries.

No illnesses have been reported in those countries. As of Aug. 23, Canada had reported 33 cases of Salmonella Enteritidis. As of Aug. 27, there were 78 people sick from the peaches in 12 states.

In the U.S., bulk peaches sold from June 1 to Aug. 3, and bagged conventional and organic peaches in two-pound bags sold from June 1 through Aug. 19 were recalled by Prima Wawona.

Retailers that received peaches, according to the FDA, are Aldi, Food Lion, Hannaford, Kroger (Jay-C, King Soopers, City Market, Fry’s, Ralphs, Food 4 Less, Foods Co., and Smiths), Target, Walmart, and Wegmans.

Russ Davis Wholesale, Wadena, Minn., recalled Crazy Fresh and Quick & Easy brand peach salsas made with the peaches on Aug. 25, as well as gift baskets that included the peaches.

Related stories: (UPDATED) Prima Wawona recalls bagged, bulk peaches (UPDATED) Wawona brand peaches linked to salmonella outbreak

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VIDEO: The Supermarkets That Grow Their Own Food

There's a food-tech revolution happening in our supermarkets, and it could change the way we eat forever

Jul-2020

Ian Dickson

There's a food-tech revolution happening in our supermarkets, and it could change the way we eat forever. 

To View The Video, Please Click Here.

From romaine lettuce to curly parsley, salads and herbs are leaving the fields behind to be grown in-store in front of customers' eyes.

Under the glare of artificial light and computer-controlled temperatures, these pioneering plants are part of an ambitious vertical farming project. One that could fundamentally change how fresh food is grown and help dramatically reduce food miles (the distance food travels to get to your plate) and the use of natural resources. 

Behind the revolution is Germany-based Infarm, one of a growing number of companies weaving technology and food production together. 

Infarm sells supermarkets a modular growing chamber, a bit like a giant fridge, with plants stacked in rows to ceiling height, where they're remotely controlled through a cloud-based and "internet of things" enabled farming platform. 

Currently, Infarm supplies more than 700 local "farms" across the world, from The Netherlands to Japan, and harvests in excess of 250,000 plants a month. 

So far, these farms have saved 2.4 million kilometers of transport, 27 million liters of water and 38,000 square kilometers of land. 

Infarm are based in Berlin, and were founded in 2013. /Infarm

Emmanuel Evita is the global communications director at Infarm and he says it's vital to grow fresh produce as close as you can to where it will be consumed because of the environmental burden of agriculture supply chains. 

He tells CGTN Europe: "At Infarm, we want to find another way. We want to practice a form of agriculture that is resilient, sustainable and beneficial to our planet."

The farms are designed to easily "plug into any urban space." As Evita says: "Our in-store farms each occupy less than 2 square meters of ground. When these plants are purchased, they are so fresh they are still living."

Over in the UK, supermarket chain M&S has been trialing Infarm at seven of its London branches. It says that each of its micro-farms produces a crop equivalent to 400 square meters of farmland. 

And because they are controlled by self-learning internet of things technology, the plants are continually monitored and receive only the optimum level of light, water and nutrients. 

As a result, M&S says its store-grown plants use 95 percent less water and 75 percent less fertilizer than traditional soil-grown plants. 

"Infarm's innovative farming platform is a fantastic example of what can happen when passionate agricultural, food and technology experts work together," said Paul Willgoss, director of food technology at M&S Food. "We operate as part of a complex global food supply chain and want to understand the emerging technologies that could help provide more sustainable solutions, while also delivering fantastic products."

Infarm's vertical farms specialise in herbs. /Infarm

Infarm's vertical farms specialise in herbs. /Infarm

In May, Infarm partnered with Germany's ALDI SUD to grow chives, parsley, basil, mint, and coriander in stores across Frankfurt and Dusseldorf. Additionally, ALDI SUD is providing 300 more stores with fresh Infarm produce from centralized distribution centers. 

"Our customers can watch the herbs grow. They are grown and harvested in our stores – they couldn't be more fresh," says David Labinsky, group buying director at ALDI SUD.

While customers can watch the plants grow, they can't pick their own. Instead, they're harvested on a regular basis and packaged in-store where they're at their freshest.

Could vertical farms be the future of food? That's certainly what Paul Gauthier, professor of plant science at Delaware Valley University, believes. As he told The Daily Princetonian newspaper: "There is no question about it, vertical farming will be part of our lives. It's important to start thinking and finding solutions for the future."

Video editor: David Bamford

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Aldi Teams Up With Vertical Farming Company Infarm

According to a report from Supply Chain Analysis, by the end of this month, five Aldi stores throughout Germany will be growing fresh herbs and leafy greens in Infarm’s vertical units. By the end of the year, this store count number will jump up by seven

May. 21st, 2020
by Anne Allen

GERMANY - Aldi Süd recently announced a partnership with indoor vertical farming company Infarm as it seeks to offer consumers high-quality greens they can see growing in-store.

According to a report from Supply Chain Analysis, by the end of this month, five Aldi stores throughout Germany will be growing fresh herbs and leafy greens in Infarm’s vertical units. By the end of the year, this store count number will jump up by seven.

Aldi Süd recently announced a partnership with indoor vertical farming company Infarm to grow fresh herbs and leafy greens in five locations throughout Germany

This is an interesting move from the retailer, whose name is often associated with discount prices—not leading-edge tech. However, this move firmly puts Aldi in line with other retailers chasing after innovation in fresh produce and it’s one that we here at AndNowUKnow are intrigued to see.

Infarm made headlines last November when it partnered with Kroger for similar reasons, bringing its living produce farms right to the retailer’s floor.

Although this Infarm expansion is overseas, we know opportunity when we smell it. How soon will we see more vertical farms in the United States? Perhaps much sooner than we expect. Keep reading ANUK as we cover the latest in retail, innovation, and more.

Aldi

Retail Aldi Infarm Retailer Grocer Grocery Leafy Greens Produce Aisle Vertical Farming Vertical Farm New Partner New Partnership Germany Fresh Herb Salad Sustainable Sustainability Strategy Discount 

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