Washington, DC (September 12, 2006) -The International Fresh-cut Produce Association and United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association have completed their legal merger, thus launching a new era of service to the produce industry by the United Fresh Produce Association.

The new organization will adopt the name "United Fresh" signaling its heritage from both associations, while providing an easily recognizable transition to build upon the equity of the "United" name that has been built on Capitol Hill, with national and international governmental bodies, in the national news media, and throughout the industry since 1937. Maintaining the word "United" as part of the name also reinforces the importance of industry unity that was set in 1937 with the merger of the Western Fruit Jobbers Association and the American Fruit and Vegetable Shippers Association to form the United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association.

Leading United Fresh will be a Board of 46 industry leaders combined from the previous Boards of UFFVA and IFPA, with Maureen Torrey Marshall, Torrey Farms, and Mark Miller, Fresh From Texas, as Co-Chairmen of the Board. Marshall and Miller were previously Chairmen of UFFVA and IFPA respectively, and will serve as Co-Chairmen of United Fresh until the next regularly scheduled member election of officers and directors in May 2007.

Emanuel Lazopoulos, Del Monte Fresh Produce, has been selected by his peers as Chairman-Elect, and will assume the chairmanship of United Fresh in May. A complete list of the new officers, Executive Committee and Board of Directors is enclosed.

The management staff of United Fresh is headed by President and CEO Tom Stenzel, a 13-year veteran of UFFVA where he has served as President and CEO since August 1993. Previously, he served seven years as President of the International Food Information Council.

Former IFPA President Jerry Welcome serves as Executive Vice President, Business Development, for United Fresh. Welcome served three years as IFPA President, previously holding management positions with the Packaging Machinery and Manufacturing Institute, and the American Meat Institute.

The staff of United Fresh has been blended from the expert teams of IFPA and UFFVA. An organizational chart and review of management staff is enclosed.

United Fresh will continue the shared mission of IFPA and UFFVA to promote the growth and success of produce companies and their partners. As fresh-cut and other forms of value-added processing continue to fuel industry growth in meeting consumer demand for high quality, convenient produce, the association will continue to provide the highest level of expertise and management support for members in these critical areas.

United Fresh will concentrate its initial efforts in delivering the highest possible level of value to members in the following areas:

• Leadership in government relations, issues management and media advocacy

United Fresh is the only broad produce association based in Washington, DC; combining strong Board leadership, a Government Relations Council of leaders from industry and allied produce associations, and a seasoned expert professional staff in all aspects of public policy, government affairs and media relations. Combining resources from IFPA and UFFVA, United Fresh delivers unmatched value in shaping legislative, regulatory, political and legal solutions to challenges threatening the industry's growth and profitability, while providing the strongest possible voice for the produce industry before the news media.

• Leadership in food safety/quality assurance/nutrition and health

United Fresh will capitalize on IFPA's strong record in fresh-cut safety and quality assurance, with UFFVA's long commitment to food safety regulatory affairs and government relations. United Fresh blends the member-led food safety and technical committees of IFPA and UFFVA, as well as the staff expertise of Dr. Jim Gorny and Dr. Dave Gombas leading food safety efforts, and Dr. Lorelei DiSogra directing nutrition and health programs.

• Focus on innovation/business growth through increased produce sales and profitability

United Fresh will place an unparalleled focus on driving innovation, profitability and increased sales for the produce industry overall, and particularly for member companies. The United Fresh Produce Shows are designed to stimulate overall industry innovation and growth, and will provide individual companies targeted, complementary business-to-business marketing opportunities, rather than duplicative events or an old-fashioned one-size-fits-all approach.

• Local/global services to meet members' needs

In recognition of the global nature of the produce business, yet critical needs facing smaller companies at the local level, United Fresh will be both globally and locally focused to address the unique business needs of its members around the world. Fresh-Cut Europe 2006 - the first business conference and networking event focused on the growing fresh-cut, ready-to-eat produce market in Europe, debuts November 2-3 in London.

• Synergy, efficiency, enhanced member value

United Fresh combines the synergies of two Boards and staff expertise, with the efficiency of a single organization in order to reinvest in direct member programs and services. By combining forces, United Fresh is driving overhead costs lower, enhancing member company time efficiency in volunteer leadership, and reinvesting in the cutting edge services members need. The new United Fresh Produce Executive Development Program launches the first-of-its-kind executive-level business management training program for our industry.

The roll-out of the United Fresh Board of Directors, management team, new website and new program initiatives is taking place at the United Fresh Washington Public Policy Conference September 12-14. More than 300 industry leaders will be in Washington to lobby for critical industry priorities that address the profitability, sustainability, and growth of the produce industry. The WPPC is the produce industry's largest annual political advocacy event in Washington, DC.

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United Fresh Produce Association is the industry's leading trade association committed to driving the growth and success of produce companies and their partners. United Fresh represents the interests of member companies throughout the global, fresh produce supply chain, including family-owned, private and publicly traded businesses as well as regional, national and international companies. The association was founded in 1904 to represent the produce industry, and recently took the name United Fresh as a result of the 2006 merger of the United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association and the International Fresh-cut Produce Association.