NEWARK, DE & WASHINGTON, DC - It is with great regret that we report on the passing of Peter Goulet. The veteran was a part of the food industry for 47 years and was a past Chair of the Produce Marketing Association (PMA), an International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) legacy organization. He was a long-time member and contributor to the fresh produce community and championed food safety.

As Chair of PMA, Peter led the organization forward in the aftermath of the 2006 E. coli outbreak linked to spinach that changed how PMA and the industry addressed food safety.

“You can safely say that Peter played a large role in taking PMA’s role to a much higher level than it had ever been before,” Former PMA Chief Executive Officer Bryan Silbermann reflected. “What flowed from his year as Chair was not only the hiring of our first food safety expert (Dr. Bob Whitaker) a year later, but also the support PMA provided in the creation of the Center for Produce Safety.”

Prior to becoming Chair in 2006, Peter was a consummate volunteer for PMA, where he previously served as Fresh Summit Chair, the Retail Division Board Chair, and member of the Retail Division Board of Directors, the Food Safety Task Force, and Returnable Packaging Task Force to name just a few.

As noted in the release, he also provided his time and expertise to retail advisory boards of the Washington Apple Commission and Ready Pac Produce, as well as served on the Board of Directors for the New England Produce Council.

“Peter was a true produce professional who always had an eye on giving shoppers the absolute best fresh fruits and vegetables and in-store experience,” IFPA Chief Executive Officer Cathy Burns, who worked alongside Peter in her time at Hannaford Bros., stated. “But most importantly, he was a friend and someone who wanted to do right by everyone he met. I will miss him dearly, and the IFPA team extends our condolences and sympathies to Cathy and the whole Goulet family.”

Peter met the love of his life, Catherine Blunt, in 2007, and after a ten-year courtship, they married on August 15, 2020. His family would like to thank The Maine Health Cancer Center staff for their excellent care and compassion during his long 2-plus-year cancer journey.

Services will be held April 2–3 at Cote Funeral Home in Saco, Maine.

We encourage you to read his obituary here.

Our hearts go out to all of Peter Goulet’s family and loved ones during this time.