JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 CONTENTS COLUMNS The Process PMMI United Fresh 6 10 DEPARTMENTS The Pulse Calendar Advertiser Index What's on the Web 26 27 27 27 4 24 25 20 ON THE COVER FEATURES 6 Food Trends Pandemic sent consumers to old standbys in 2020, but healthy and spicy figure to be trends this year 10 Addressing E. coli outbreaks in leafy greens Government initiatives and equipment manufacturers aim to eliminate harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses 13 The lettuce journey What it takes to keep leafy greens healthy and fresh from farm to fork 15 Proactive on food safety Produce industry taking aggressive approach on addressing concerns 18 Produce-based snack foods on the rise Fruit-, veggie- and legume-based products expected to lead $16-billion snack industry increase 20 Futuristic tour Syngenta shows off next-generation breeding facility We take a look at food trends in 2021, including items like fermented cabbage, hot peppers and produce as snack food. See Pages 6 and 20. Photos: GLK Foods and Wise Goat Organics. PRODUCE PROCESS ING 3