**USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has suspended pork imports from Poland in the wake of an outbreak of African swine fever.

As reported in Agri-Pulse, a routine review of ongoing operations revealed one Polish facility exporting pork to the U.S. was not following the strict requirements for export protocols intended to prevent the spread of serious diseases, like ASF.

A second facility is also under review, and APHIS plans to exclude all product from the country until it’s completed.

**At the 2018 PMA Fresh Summit, Pear Bureau Northwest named Jewel-Osco as its 2018 Pear Retailer of the Year.

Pear Bureau CEO Kevin Moffitt says “On behalf of nearly 900 pear growing families in the Pacific Northwest, we congratulate the Jewel-Osco team on winning the 2018 retailer of the year award and truly appreciate their support and focus on pears."

He says Jewel-Osco pursued many of the best practices for increased pear sales, including providing consumers with consistently flavorful pears, promoting varietal flavor profiles and increasing impulse purchases through in-store sampling, displays and ads.

 

**Much needed help for Hurricane Florence disaster relief in North Carolina is on the way.

BASF donated more than $150,000 in funds and supplies to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina and the American Red Cross.

The Food Bank donation of $50,000 will provide an additional 250,000 meals, water, and non-food essentials to partner agencies currently distributing needed resources.

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