Choosing organic is the best choice consumers can make to combat antibiotic resistance and protect themselves from antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a review paper from The Organic Center concludes. Overuse of antibiotics in conventional livestock production has been implicated as an important contributor to antibiotic resistance. Research demonstrates that livestock produced without the use of antibiotics—as in […]
Tag: suppliers
FDA Releases Guidances To Help Companies Prevent Foodborne Illness
The FDA has released several draft guidances that, when finalized, will help domestic and foreign food facilities meet the requirements of the preventive foodborne illness control rules that became final in September 2015. The rules require hazard prevention practices in human and animal food processing, packing and storage facilities. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) created […]
NatureFresh Mobile Greenhouse Educates Consumers About Their Produce
Even in the heart of the summer when there is an abundance of fresh produce choices, NatureFresh Farms Mobile Greenhouse Education Center is gaining momentum with consumers who want to know how their tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers are being grown, and by whom. “Using the Greenhouse Education Center as a living example of how […]
Upcoming Event Touted As A Must-Attend For Buyers, Suppliers Of ‘Main Course Proteins’
The American Grassfed Association has become a supporting partner of MainCourse 1on1, a new event from FirstSource Events bringing together high-volume retail and foodservice buyers with suppliers of all “main course proteins” such as meat, poultry and seafood. The event will be held Nov. 2-3 in St. Augustine, Florida, at the Renaissance World Golf Village […]
Feeding America Receives $100,000 Donation At Supervalu’s National Expo
Representatives for Feeding America were on hand Aug. 10 at Supervalu’s 2016 National Expo to accept a $100,000 donation in support of the organization’s mission to end hunger. The donation was made possible through the collective efforts of Supervalu and the independent grocery retailers and consumer packaged goods companies attending and exhibiting at this year’s […]
VRGA Advises Members On Impact Of New GMO Labeling Law
The Vermont Retail Grocers Association (VRGA) is advising its members and suppliers that they can continue to label products that contain GMOs. President Obama recently signed into law a new federal bill governing GMO disclosure on food products, which preempts Vermont’s first-in-the-nation GMO labeling law. Erin Sigrist, VP at the VRGA, said there are a number of […]
Report: Half Prefer To Buy Foods With Minimal Packaging To Reduce Waste
As Americans take notice of increasingly strained global food resources, new research from Mintel reveals that four in five (80 percent) U.S. food shoppers agree that reducing food waste is as important as reducing packaging waste. In an effort to limit waste, half (52 percent) of consumers prefer to buy foods with minimal/no packaging. As […]
GMA Presents Annual Awards
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) over the weekend honored McCormick & Co. and Pinnacle Foods with the 2016 CPG Awards for Innovation and Creativity and presented its Hall of Achievement Award to Ed Crenshaw of Publix. The awards were presented Saturday at the GMA Leadership Forum at The Greenbrier in Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Crenshaw, who retired […]
Texas Finalizes Penalty Agreement With Blue Bell
Texas health officials on July 29 finalized a penalty and agreement against Blue Bell Creameries, which will continue to test and monitor its ice cream following last year’s outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes linked to products made at its plant in Brenham. The total penalty amount is $850,000. Of that, $175,000 must be paid within 30 […]
Associated Wholesale Grocers And Affiliated Foods Midwest Consolidate
Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) and Affiliated Foods Midwest (AFM) are combining the two cooperatives’ distribution businesses, the companies said today. “This exciting endeavor is exactly what we need to allow our retailers to compete, grow and be profitable,” said AFM President and CEO Martin Arter. “The synergies between our joint cooperatives will help our retailers […]
Mi Pueblo Commits To Providing Cage-Free Eggs By 2026
Mi Pueblo, a San Jose-based Hispanic grocery chain in Northern California, will work with suppliers towards sourcing only cage-free eggs throughout their entire operations by 2026, based on available supply. The initiative is a result to changes in customers’ buying habits and the company’s commitment to animal welfare and a more sustainable environment. “Our customers […]
Walmart Asks Suppliers To Eliminate Toxic Chemicals From Products
On July 20, Walmart identified the “high priority” chemicals it has been asking suppliers to eliminate over the past three years. Those ingredients include triclosan, formaldehyde and butylparaben, among others. Products containing these ingredients include household cleaners, personal care, baby products, and beauty items. In a statement released July 20, Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart said the chemicals that […]
Perdue Foods’ Plan Puts The Focus Back On Animal Care
Perdue Foods Chairman Jim Perdue said Monday that the company is refocusing on animal care with a four-part plan that also will strengthen relationships with farmers, build trust with multiple stakeholder groups and create an animal care culture for continued improvement. Titled “2016 and Beyond: Next Generation of Perdue Commitments to Animal Care,” the plan […]
Millennials Weigh In On What Makes Food Brands Authentic
Watershed Communications has released findings from two national ethnographic studies examining the media habits of millennial food and beverage consumers. The “Media Habits of Millennials” (see infographic below) study investigated whether social media and influencer marketing have eclipsed the impact of traditional editorial coverage. The “What Matters to Millennials” (infographic below) study set out to […]
Dutch Farms Donates 129,600 Eggs To Food Bank
On Tuesday, Dutch Farms Inc. donated a truckload of 10,800 dozen eggs to the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana. The eggs will be distributed through the food bank’s 120-plus partner food pantries, soup kitchens and other agencies and will provide 13,500 meals to individuals and families struggling with hunger in Lake and Porter counties. More […]
Five Companies Honored For Innovation At United Fresh 2016
Five Produce Innovation Award winners were recognized June 22 at United Fresh 2016, which was co-located with the Food Marketing Institute’s FMI Connect in Chicago. This year’s honorees were selected by show attendees from a total of 49 contestants in five categories: Best New Food Safety Solution; Best New Fruit Product; Best New Packaging; Best […]
FMI’s Sarasin On FMI Connect: ‘We’re Committed To Boldness And Agility’
Food Marketing Institute (FMI) President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin offered the following statement today on the trajectory of FMI Connect, which was held this week in Chicago: “The competitive landscape of food retail is undergoing an unprecedented time of change, which substantiates the need for a venue that allows the entire industry to do […]
FMI Report: Fresh Produce Growth Driven By Mega Trends
Fresh produce is in demand. At $61 billion in annual sales, fresh produce is big, growing (+4 percent) and lucrative, with a grocery basket with fresh produce averaging nearly $30 more than one without. The consumer trends in Food Marketing Institute’s (FMI) second annual Power of Produce report substantiate the growth opportunities for fresh produce […]
FMI’s Sarasin: It’s Time To Expand Our Shopper Vocabulary
“It’s a brave new world of grocery shoppers with nearly everyone getting in on the act of shopping for food,” said Food Marketing Institute (FMI) President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin. Sarasin shared insights on the impact the shifting shopper paradigm is having on the purchasing behavior of more than half of U.S. shoppers on […]
NRA Says Some Commodities And Food Costs Are Dropping
Food costs are lower this summer, thanks to a surplus of pork, chicken, beef and even coffee, according to industry analysts and the National Restaurant Association (NRA). “There’s plenty of pork to be had,” said commodities analyst John Barone. “It should continue flowing.” According to Hudson Riehle, NRA’s head of research, wholesale food prices overall […]
