Sakata Seed American, Morgan Hill, Calif., has sold its onion breeding program to Cape Town, South Africa-based Zaad Holdings Ltd.

A wave of illnesses traced to a Brevard, N.C., McDonald’s restaurant is norovirus, and the county health department said it’s not related to a multi-state outbreak from cyclospora in the fast food chain’s salads.

Trends excite consumers and therefore intrigue retailers and restaurant operators as well — especially in the Instagram era.

U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., is pressing Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb for specifics about the investigation of the cyclospora outbreak linked to product sold by Fresh Express.

Importers report good volume and quality for Peruvian asparagus, with interest expected to tick up as production in numerous other regions finishes up.

Editor Tom Karst and retail editor Ashley Nickle discuss the big stories of the week, including recommendations from the Leafy Greens Food Safety Task Force and the latest back-and-forth with China on trade.

Shelf-life enhancement company Hazel Technologies has a new partnership with AMR Agro, a Dominican Republic green-skin avocado packer-exporter.

Sysco Corp. is expanding its FreshPoint Dallas facility with a 65,000-square-foot projects that stresses sustainability and adds fresh-cut operations.

Canadian greenhouse grower Del Fresco Produce is launching the second phase of its strawberry production, bumping acreage from six to a total of 17 acres.

Albertsons Cos. and venture capitalist Greycroft have created a fund that could put as much as $50 million toward developing technologies for the grocery space.