[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 8 (Tuesday, February 1, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E125]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CALIFORNIA LEAGUE OF FOOD 
                               PROCESSORS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. WILLIAM M. THOMAS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 1, 2005

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join the California League 
of Food Processors, CLFP, as they celebrate their 100th anniversary.
  For those who are not familiar with the CLFP, it was founded in 1905 
in San Francisco and was originally known as the Canners League of 
California. Its mission then was to represent the canners of California 
fruits and vegetables. Since then, its membership, and its mission, has 
expanded to include not only canners but also freezers, dryers, and 
dehydrators; its membership contains familiar names such as Bell-
Carter, Campbell Soup, Del Monte, H.J. Heinz, Kraft, Rio Bravo, Sun-
Maid, and Sunsweet.
  These companies, along with the other members of the CLFP, play a 
crucial role in California's $27 billion agriculture industry. In a 
typical year, CLFP members can, freeze, or dry 11 million tons of 
tomatoes, 500,000 tons of peaches, 120,000 tons of olives, and millions 
of tons of other fruits and vegetables such as garlic, prunes, and 
strawberries.
  For the past 100 years, the CLFP has worked to ensure that the food 
grown and processed in California is of the highest quality. In the 
process, the CLFP and its Members have encouraged the growth of the 
California fruit and vegetable industry by being a leader in the 
development of technological innovations that have helped the industry 
achieve advances in fruit and vegetable varieties, harvesting 
automation, processing mechanization, food packaging, and distribution 
systems. Accordingly, I trust that my colleagues will join me in 
congratulating the CLFP on their 100th anniversary.

                          ____________________