United States Northwest sweet corn harvest will be completed in the next week. While a fewprocessors are already done, there are a few still processing. The weather has turned cool, so everyone is trying best to button up the season before a major frost hits. The market is a tight one both on conventional corn …
Trending
Robots Gain Popularity in Retail Grocery Stores
Have You Met Marty? He’s made by Badger Technologies and only one of five robotic systems currently in place in grocery stores throughout the U.S. He checks inventory, alerts staff to spills on the floors and directs customers to various store locations. As of April 2020, 172 Giant Stores and 325 Stop and Shops have …
Continue reading “Robots Gain Popularity in Retail Grocery Stores”
Food Safety
FDA PROPOSES NEW RULE FOR FOOD TRACEABILITY
The FDA has proposed a new rule “Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods” (Food Traceability Proposed Rule). This is a key part of the FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint and would implement Section 204(d) of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This was prompted by the many produce recalls over the …
Continue reading “FDA PROPOSES NEW RULE FOR FOOD TRACEABILITY”
Food Safety
Getting Smarter About Food Safety
The FDA is initiating a new approach to smarter FOOD SAFETY that will use technology and other methods in order to create a more digitized traceable food system. Simplicity and modernization are also keys in the development of this “smarter food safety” along with effective leadership and additional education in the area of food safety …
Trending
In Search of Restaurant Survival as Consumers Demand More Affordable and Safer Food
Throughout the world, COVID-19 has changed the way people dine both inside the home and out. Public attitude towards restaurants and choice of eating places has changed. Restaurant owners have had to become more innovative and adapt to these differences in order to keep their businesses open and hopefully, profitable. Some are ready and anxious …
Crop News
Maine’s Wild Blueberry Season Disappointing
United States Northwest sweet corn is full steam ahead. The season is expected to be a tight one both on conventional corn and organic corn. The smoke cover in the Pacific Northwest from fires cooled the air and delayed the growth of much of the harvest. Processors are scrambling to finish up the season before a …
Continue reading “Maine’s Wild Blueberry Season Disappointing”
Food Safety
Study Shows COVID-19 Not Transmitted by Food
Several weeks ago, while food shopping, I noticed a sign above where eggs are sold asking shoppers not to open egg cartons (to check for broken eggs) as touching the carton could enhance the spread of the Corona Virus. This inferred that the virus could be spread on packaging materials like an egg carton and …
Continue reading “Study Shows COVID-19 Not Transmitted by Food”
Trending
MUST READ CHINA UPDATES
COVID-19 on the way out – Is everything back to normal? In Wuhan, things changed suddenly with the onset of COVID-19 about eight months ago. Life in China came to a standstill and the government forced the closure of just about every shop and type of entertainment; travel in and out as well as within …
Crop News
Potato Market Still Uncertain
United States Northwest sweet corn has commenced, and so has the true heat of summer! Processors are between 35% and 45% complete with their pack. Favorable weather continues continue in the Pacific Northwest for this crop. Packers are keeping true to their budgets and quality. Carrot will commence in late September. The sometimes-forgettable Lima Bean …
Food Safety
Truth and Transparency: Is Your Product Label “Clean” Enough for COVID Consumers?
In the food industry, there is really no definition for “clean label”, yet its importance cannot be underestimated. It has taken on even greater significance with the impact of COVID-19 and more buyer demand for truth and transparency. And the global market for “clean” labelled food sales this year will be worth $180 billion – …
Continue reading “Truth and Transparency: Is Your Product Label “Clean” Enough for COVID Consumers?”
Trending
COVID-19 Leads to E-Grocery Boom Snapshot: China & the USA
USA Online grocery sales in the U.S. grew 22% in 2019 (Coresight Research U.S. Online Grocery Survey 2020) and COVID-19 lockdowns have propelled e-commerce food shopping to an even higher level. In April 2020, e-commerce sales overall jumped 49% compared to early March before lockdowns went into effect, according to new data from Adobe’s Digital …
Continue reading “COVID-19 Leads to E-Grocery Boom Snapshot: China & the USA”
Crop News
Northwest Sweet Corn Season Begins!
United States Northwest green peas harvest has been completed. Conditions have been good; however, weather heated up in the middle of the pack which caused bunching for some processors. Overall budgets were met, however there may be more lower grade peas than desired, with high quality AAA grade product at a premium. In regard to …
Trending
State of the Specialty Food Industry Report
Each year the Specialty Food Association publishes a detailed industry report – it is a joint research project prepared by Mintel and SPINS/IRI. The report covers the three most recent calendar years of sales data and has figures for 63 specialty food categories. In addition, it includes data and insights from a 23-question customer survey …
Continue reading “State of the Specialty Food Industry Report”
Crop News
Reduced Mango Season in Mexico
United States Northwest green peas are in peak harvest. Conditions have been good; however, weather has heated up in the last week which may affect grades coming out of the fields. Depending on who you speak with, some processors have been unable to keep up with harvest as peas are coming in quickly due to …
Food Safety
Export of Frozen Food to China Now Under Scrutiny
Earlier this month, Chinese officials advised that traces of the Coronavirus were found on chopping boards used for cutting imported frozen salmon at the Xinfadi market in Beijing. With 137 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Beijing, salmon was immediately removed from the supermarkets in major Chinese cities despite the fact that the National Health …
Continue reading “Export of Frozen Food to China Now Under Scrutiny”
Crop News
Green Pea Season Starts
United States Most Northwest Green Pea processers will begin harvest this coming week. Conditions have been perfect for pea growing in the Northwest and yields and quality expected to be excellent. Northwest corn plantings began in April and approximately 50% of crop is now planted, with an expected harvest date of end July. The weather …
Food Safety
Controlling Covid-19 Begins with Employee Safety
The FDA and USDA are working hard to keep people safe in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, both at home and in food processing facilities. We know that the virus is not transmissible via the food we eat, but rather transmits between people who are close to each other (within 6 ft), when an …
Continue reading “Controlling Covid-19 Begins with Employee Safety”
Trending
Disrupted Supply Chains Bring Rising Food Prices
A shopper commented, “Each time I go to the store it seems the grocery bill is higher. Even frozen food that is normally a cheaper option than fresh seems to cost more. Hopefully prices will come back down once things get back to normal.” Unfortunately, prices are not likely to come down anytime soon. The …
Continue reading “Disrupted Supply Chains Bring Rising Food Prices”
Crop News
Strawberry Season in California Begins
United States Northwest Green Pea harvest should start end May /first week of June. To date conditions have been favorable for a good season. Most processors planted close to the same amount of acreage as last year give or take about 10%. Green Peas are relatively tight currently so the start of the new season …
Food Safety
What You Need to Know Today About Food Product Dating
With home cooking on the rise due to the recent COVID-19 quarantine, many people are taking the opportunity to clean their food storage areas and check the use-by dates on canned, dried and frozen products in pantries, refrigerators and freezers. However, due to lack of understanding, many consumers are unknowingly tossing out perfectly safe and …
Continue reading “What You Need to Know Today About Food Product Dating”