Fresh Express began in Salinas in the 1920s as a business venture to transport fresh lettuce in ice-packed rail cars to markets across the United States. The term "iceberg" lettuce stems from this practice, when customers would call out "the icebergs are coming" in reference to the rail cars arriving at their destination. By 1989, Fresh Express created the first ready-to-eat packaged garden salad available nationwide in grocery stores. Fresh Express was acquired by Chiquita in 2005.