Produce industry headlines: August 18, 2026

Good afternoon! It’s Tuesday, August 18, 2026. Here’s what’s happening in produce and grocery today.

Read about how retailers handle recalls, Albertson’s AI success, Blue Book’s supply chain solutions advances, Uber’s drone and Wonder’s robot delivery investments, and FMI’s community awards.

As always, have something to share? Send us your feedback at news@bluebookservices.com.

Top Stories

Who Pays When A Recall Empties The Shelf?

A retail expert says during voluntary recalls, stores have to make sure the back office keeps pace with store level.

Albertsons drives bigger baskets using AI: report

The retailer’s investments in AI-powered shopping experiences are driving basket sizes up an average of 10 percent for standard conversational searches and 26 percent for more complex searches.

The Cold Chain: Trust only flows in one direction, it shouldn’t

Led by Brad Guinane, Blue Book’s new Supply Chain Solutions division is here to build a verified two-way street.

Uber teams up with Zipline for drone delivery

Uber Eats customers will be able to select drone delivery in the app later this year in markets where Zipline operates, which include Dallas and Rowlett, Texas.

Wonder and Serve Robotics bring robot delivery to Grubhub marketplace in Chicago, Los Angeles, Alexandria

The launch expands robot delivery to more than 100 participating companies in Chicago and nearly 200 in Los Angeles, while bringing the technology to the Washington, DC area.

FMI’s 2026 Community Uplift Award Recipients: Stories You Don’t Want to Miss

FMI’s award recipients demonstrate how the food industry addresses food insecurity, improves neighborhood health, and creates lasting social impact through programs that strengthen communities and enrich lives.