Heat stresses California value-added salad items

Markon Cooperative BB #:123315 released this From the Fields report on value-added salad items September 16, 2026:

Markon inspectors are closely monitoring value-added salads and tender leaf items following last week’s significant heat event, during which portions of the Salinas & Santa Maria Valleys experienced temperatures 20 to 30 degrees above normal for several consecutive days.

Due to additional handling and processing, value-added products can often be more susceptible to quality and shelf-life challenges than commodity items after extreme heat events.

Current and developing challenges include:

• Lettuce: internal burn, weak tip, insect pressure, INSV, rib blight, sun scald, and case weight variability
• Broccoli, broccolini, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower: elevated Diamondback moth activity, with increased larvae and pupae presence
• Tender leaf items: bolting/seeder, increased insect pressure, yellowing, and reduced shelf-life potential
• Value-added lettuce and romaine blends: increased bruising and mechanical damage, heat stress, elevated respiration rates, shortened shelf life, and premature pinking

Markon suppliers are prioritizing their best lots for Markon orders and increasing field and processing inspections to identify and remove defects through additional sorting and trimming.

These additional quality-control measures are impacting yields and slowing production. Quick inventory turns are recommended, and as mentioned above, commodity items such as whole-head iceberg and romaine may currently provide stronger overall shelf-life performance than value-added products.

Please contact your Markon Account Manager for more information.