The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) estimates that “Salmonella bacteria cause 1.35 million human infections and 26,500 hospitalizations in the United States every year. Of those infections, more than 23 percent are attributed to poultry consumption. Foodborne illness can have a devastating impact, both personally and financially, on people’s lives, the cost of which …
Continue reading “USDA Takes Steps to Reduce Salmonella in Poultry”
I may be dating myself…but I’m sure some of you remember this famous jingle… “Two all-beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions and a sesame seed bun.” It’s the BIG MAC jingle, of course. You remember it, right? I’m not ashamed to admit I still know it by heart. That’s because way back in …
United States Pea plantings in the Pacific Northwest is almost completed. Due to the cooler than usual weather in the Pacific Northwest during April, we expect the crop to commence about 10 days later than usual. The recent weather over the last week or so has warmed up considerably and we expect a start to …
The Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce is a publication that should be of interest to anyone in the food industry. Note that it is produced by the EWG – Environmental Working Group which is a non-profit environmental health organization. It contains testing data on 46,569 samples of non-organic fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables …
Continue reading “The Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce”
United States Pea plantings in the Pacific Northwest are about a third of the way through. Green Pea season expected to commence middle to end May. The first plantings of Oregon and Washington peas are now sprouting. Sweet Corn plantings have just begun. Grower prices were up about 10% to 15% this season, with prices …
Millennials, also known as Generation “Y” are born between the early 1980’s and the mid 1990’s although the exact dates can vary depending on the source of information. As of 2021, they made up the largest generational group in the United States, representing approximately 27% of the total population according to the U.S. Census Bureau …
United States Plantings on peas starting this month. Corn acres are mostly contracted. Grower prices were up about 10% to 15% this season, with prices on most vegetables anticipated to go up by 6% to 7%. There are some processors who are down on pea acres and some who are down on corn acres. Industry …
The latest message from Alison Bodor, CEO of AFFI (the American Frozen Food Institute) provides updates on what’s happening in the FDA including changes that are important to all who produce and sell frozen foods as noted in the following report: FDA Structural Reform: AFFI has been part of a small and diverse coalition of …
Continue reading “Ready for a FDA or USDA Inspection? AFFI’s New Toolkit Provides Detailed Guidance”
Since December last year we’ve heard a lot about AI – artificial intelligence and in particular OpenAi’s ChatGPT. In fact, just last week, Microsoft released some beta-testing of its new AI powered Bing search engine which is powered by OpenAi’s ChatGPT and the results were stunning. Over one million people signed up for the beta-testing …
Continue reading “Food Processing and AI – We’ve Only Scratched the Surface”
United States Planting on early summer crops should be starting in a month or two. We hear from industry experts that seed is short, land cost is high and grower prices will be rising once again this season. We expect more price increases for 2023 crop, however not as high as last season. California growers …
This month, just for fun I decided to enlist the help of AI (artificial intelligence) to write about what’s happening in the plant-based meat category, (often called “fake meat”), so I logged onto chat.openai.com. Was AI as up-to-date on the market info as those of us humans who work at Noon International? A little background…according …
You may already be familiar with the 8 foods that must be declared as major food allergens: 1) milk, 2) eggs, 3) fish (such as bass, flounder, cod), 4) crustacean shellfish such as crab, lobster, shrimp, 5) tree nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, 6) peanuts, 7) wheat, and 8) soybean. Now, effective January 1, …
Continue reading “Sesame – A New Food Allergen That Must Be Declared by Federal Law”
United States Due to a rainy and cool spring, planting for 2022 season corn started late. As a result, some processors experienced bunching which caused some off grades. Less acres were planted due to the risk of freeze, which in the end did not happen. Weather was warm through the entire season, and this resulted …
FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety Four Core Elements Just as companies such as Yum! Brands, Inc and others are using technology to improve and advance their businesses, the FDA’s new approach to food safety, known as the New Era of Smarter Food Safety leverages technology and other tools to create a safer, more …
Continue reading “New Era of Smarter Food Safety Uses Tech-Enabled Traceability”
Almost everyone enjoys the food that comes from a Yum! Brand franchise or subsidiary. Who doesn’t like Kentucky Fried Chicken or a piping hot pizza from Pizza Hut? Today, Yum! Brands, Inc. (headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky), operates a system of over 53,000 restaurants in 155 countries and territories throughout the world under the brands KFC …
United States Due to a rainy and cool spring, planting for 2022 season corn started late. As a result, some processors experience bunching at the tall end of pack which caused some off grades. Less acres were planted due to the risk of freeze, which in the end did not happen. Weather was warm through …
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a final rule on food traceability designed to facilitate faster identification and rapid removal of potentially contaminated food from the market, resulting in fewer foodborne illnesses and/or deaths. Foods subject to the final rule requirements appear on the Food Traceability List (FTL). The FTL includes fresh cut fruits …
Continue reading “FDA Announces the Final Rule for Food Traceability Under FSMA”
We’re all experiencing higher food prices at the grocery level these days. Staples like a dozen eggs for example, that cost on average $1.83 a year ago, now cost $2.90. Like potato chips? It will run you $6.05 a bag today against $5.05 a year ago. And have you eaten out lately? Restaurants here in …
Continue reading “Frozen Fruits & Vegetables Rise in Popularity”
In January this year, the number of ships in line waiting to unload at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach was 109 stretching 60 miles into the Pacific. This week, it dropped to just four according to the Wall Street Journal. In pre-Covid times the queue was usually zero to one container ships …
Continue reading “Westcoast Container Back-Up is Over But Still, Lots of Problems”