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 …
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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 …
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”
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”
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 …
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”
Here in California we are still under lockdown or shelter-in-place orders, as are most people throughout the United States. As a result of COVID-19, there is a noticeable shift in shopping behavior as we consume more “comfort foods” and keep our homes and clothing cleaner than ever. Frozen pizza, pasta sauce and good old mac …
Continue reading “Home Cooking is Back as Comfort Foods Boom with Fears of Meat Shortages Ahead”
On Sight Audit Requirements Due to COVID-19 On March 17, 2020, the FDA issued a temporary policy for the supplier verification onsite audit requirements as outlined in FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act). This has been enacted to minimize disruptions in the supply-chain due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions, at a time when grocery stores nationwide …
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Noon International is a small international trading company that specializes in buying and selling frozen fruits and vegetables globally as well as in the U.S. domestic market. Looking at our volumes, you really wouldn’t call us “small” in our particular category of the import and export of frozen and canned fruits and vegetables; but compared …
United States Northwest Green Pea plantings are underway. About 40% to 50% of the crop is planted with harvest expected to begin late May a bit earlier than usual. Favorable spring weather conditions have allowed all planting to commence on time or a bit earlier than usual. Northwest corn plantings began last week with an …
As the Covid-19 crisis spreads to new epicenters in Europe and the U.S., companies are scrambling to mobilize responses. There are no easy answers, due to the unpredictability of disease dynamics, a lack of relevant prior experience, and the absence of plug-and-play instructions from government or international authorities. Clearly each local situation is different, but …
Continue reading “How Chinese Companies Have Responded to Coronavirus”
Today, Thursday, March 5th we got the following announcement from the American Frozen Food Institute https://affi.org/: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) are closely monitoring the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Last week, the FDA announced that there have been no …
Continue reading “Can the COVID-19 be transmitted thru food?”
Alibaba is helping China’s farmers survive the COVID-19 (Corona Virus) outbreak. Many brick and mortar businesses in China have recently turned to video live streaming on “Taobao Live” to sell their products…and it’s working. Livestream sessions in February increased by 110% compared to same period last year. With physical businesses closed in many cities and …
United States Green Pea and Potato plantings will commence this month. Processing potato grower contract volumes are expected to increase in 2020. With the decrease in contract volumes last season , along with weather struggles which included heavy rain in the Midwest and freeze in Idaho, the overall potato harvest came up short. Some are …
The FDA has just announced that Costco Wholesale Corporation is the first approved participant in the FDA’s VQIP – or Voluntary Qualified Importer Program. This is a voluntary fee-based program that provides importers an expedited review and import entry of both human and animal foods into the USA under FSMA, the Food Safety Modernization Act. …
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Read this article to get a link to the Quality Assurance and Food Saftey Magazine!
If you’re interested in what’s trending in the food industry, you probably attended the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, January 19-21, 2019. Not only were there hundreds of exhibitors from throughout the world displaying a multitude of products, but also some excellent presentations and/or sessions from the experts… like “CBD in Foods & Beverages”, …
United States The overall vegetable season in the Pacific Northwest was good with no major hiccups to report, however the market is fairly tight due to demand from the Midwest region and Europe. Potatoes in the Northwest began about a week later than usual. Autumn wet and cool weather set in during the last days …
Continue reading “Washington State’s Red Raspberry Crop Reduced”
While attending the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco a few weeks ago, I couldn’t help but notice some blank stares when I asked various company representatives about being FSMA compliant. Now granted, many of these exhibitors were from different countries around the globe… but most spoke excellent English…so I don’t think it was a …
United States The overall vegetable season in the Pacific Northwest was good with no major hiccups to report, however the market is fairly tight due to demand from the Midwest region and Europe. Diced Carrots are now completed and production plants in Oregon and Washington will be down until new season begins up again in …
Continue reading “Peak Cauliflower and Broccoli Season Underway In Mexico”