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August 23, 2011 |
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IFDA NewsIFDA has filed comments with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the Preventive Controls and Hazard Analysis requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The comments urge the agency to recognize the low food safety risk presented by distributors and to tailor the regulations only to the actual issues created by the limited food handling that takes place within a distribution facility. FDA is in the process of writing the implementation rules for FSMA and asked for comments to provide the agency with greater understanding of current industry practices. To view the comments, visit IFDA’s Regulatory Watch. An open dialogue on “What Distributors Can Do to Improve Efficiencies and Reduce Costs” will take place Monday, October 24 at the Distribution Solutions Conference and will be led by Mike January, director, of process improvements at Ben E. Keith Foods, and David Kapic, director of logistics & replenishment at Schreiber Foods. The floor is open to any and all points of discussion though some suggested topics include labor management, scan selection, third party unloading, measurement KPI’s, OBC’s, and paperless delivery. Attendees should come prepared to share best practices and hear from their peers. For full conference information, click here. Distributor NewsAs of Aug. 22, U.S. average diesel fuel prices were $3.810 per gallon, down 0.025 cents per gallon from a week ago, and up $0.853 from one year ago. Full Story Operator NewsAnthony's Coal Fired Pizza's CEO plans to expand the chain in Florida and the Northeast from its current 25 locations. Revenue grew from $19.1 million in 2008 to $39.7 million last year, reported Miami Herald. Full Story (Free Registration Required) Quiznos is under financial pressure due to sharpened competition, waning sales and debt issues. Analysts claim the company is struggling to pay its debt and could be headed for a reorganization. "If they are successful in renegotiating their debt, they need to reinvent themselves with something that their competition does not offer," according to the president of National Restaurant Consultants, reported The Denver Post. Full Story
Retail NewsRaley's is expanding its online shopping system to an additional 15 stores in the Sacramento, CA area, reported The Sacramento Bee. Full Story (Free Registration Required) Swiss supermarkets are planning further price cuts in response to the soaring Swiss franc, which is driving food shoppers to Germany and France. Retailers like the cooperatives Migros and Coop and discounter Denner already cut prices of food, drinks and household and personal care items by up to 20%, and plan further reductions in the coming weeks. Migros is cutting the price of 500 branded products by 10% to 20%, while Coop is cutting the price of 700 items by up to 20%, reported The Wall Street Journal. Full Story (WSJ Subscription Required)
Industry NewsAbout three-quarters of Odom's Tennessee Pride Sausage Inc.'s business is retail, with the rest devoted to foodservice. Annual sales total about $188 million, and the company is second in size to Jimmy Dean across the U.S., according to Odom's president, reported Meat & Poultry. Full Story (Free Registration Required) Increased localization of food sourcing, production and distribution is being used to build sales in emerging markets and address increasing costs for ingredients like milk, sugar and cocoa by global food companies. Nestle SA is looking to reduce its reliance on imports from Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. and double the company's local milk production by investing in local cooperatives, improving water supplies for cattle and building barns for local farmers in Indonesia. Local manufacturing of milk-based products cuts the need for transportation and expensive packaging, which can account for as much as 30% of the cost of goods sold, reported The Wall Street Journal. Full Story (WSJ Subscription Required) Health NewsSome 15% of Americans stated soy is "good for women," compared to 3% in 2010, according to the 2011 Consumer Attitudes about Nutrition survey conducted by the United Soybean Board. Full Story Washington NewsFDA Deputy Commissioner Michael Taylor visited farms on a listening tour for 18 months, seeking to allay farmers' concerns. The first draft of farm rules mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act is due early next year, and the agency is currently in the process of writing rules that are expected to address basics like hand-washing stations for field workers, tests of irrigation water and measures to protect fields from wild animals, reported The New York Times on the Web. Full Story (NYT Subscription Required) USDA rejected a proposal from Mayor Michael Bloomberg to exclude sugar-sweetened soda from food stamp eligibility in New York City. Full Story FDA is proposing a study to analyze differences in the knowledge, attitude and behavior toward food label use, nutrition and health among Spanish-dominant Hispanics, English-dominant Hispanics and English-speaking non-Hispanics, and the role that demographic and other factors may play in any differences. The proposed study will use a web-based survey to collect information from 2,400 adult members. Full Notice
Market NewsCorn futures in Chicago rose nine cents on Aug. 22 to close at $7.20 a bushel for September delivery. Corn futures rose amid speculation that the recent rains in the Midwest will not be enough to ease drought conditions and boost farmers' yields, reported The Los Angeles Times. Full Story (Free Registration Required) Canadian bean and canola producer Legumex Walker Inc. will develop the first canola-crushing plant in Washington state in 2012. The $110 million plant will make food-grade canola utilizing expeller pressing technology. When complete, the plant will process 1,100 metric tons of seed a day and will produce 142,000 metric tons of oil yearly, reported Puget Sound Business Journal. Full Story (Free Registration Required) Total frozen fruit stocks were up 22% from last month but down 15% from a year ago. Total frozen vegetable stocks were up 12% from last month but down 11% from a year ago. Total frozen poultry supplies on July 31 were up 2% from the previous month and up 10% from a year ago. USDA Cold Storage Report Oregon's peppermint crop was worth close to $35.6 million in 2010 with roughly 21,000 acres in production. Peppermint oil is Oregon's 23rd most valuable commodity, and spearmint oil is 82nd, according to Oregon State University's Extension Economic Information Office, reported OregonLive.com. Full Story |
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