Chips, pretzels, and snacks with interesting ingredients, unconventional bases, and bold flavors are standing out among a crowded field. Snacking to distract gained prominence during the pandemic as Americans helped ease their nerves with mainstream varieties of chips, pretzels, and other snacks. But now as COVID restrictions lift, consumers are prioritizing their health and looking […]
The Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule, mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act, requires written recall plans for any foods with a hazard requiring a preventive control, according to Ryan Gooley, product recall advisor with Sedgwick’s brand protection solutions. His expertise includes managing food recalls. “Inevitably, something could happen with your product,” he says. […]
Consumers continue to be conscious about the brands they support, and increasingly seek out sustainable and ethical companies, as well as those representing diverse ownership. In fact, values-based buying was named one of SFA’s top trends of 2021 by the SFA Trendspotters Panel. SFA News Daily asked retailers for their picks of popular products from […]
Leading importers share which new cheeses they’re most excited about. Given all the upheaval the pandemic has wrought on international transport, with canceled flights and vessel delays, you might imagine that cheese importers would shy away from new items. Not so. Although the lack of sampling at most cheese counters persuaded mongers to stick with […]
Sourcing efforts, diversity training, and grants for small businesses are among the strategies. In addition to promoting a diverse range of suppliers, retailers are increasingly focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within their own communities and stores. We asked three retailers to share their perspective on DEI and what strategies they have used to enhance […]
The necessity of at-home cooking over the past year reinvigorated center store grocery, and shelf-stable condiments, dressings, and marinades benefitted as tools for livening up daily meals. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks prepared largely at home over the past 13 months have had consumers reaching for products to help change up recipes and avoid boredom. […]
Members of the trade discussed trends, giving back, food transparency, and supply chain shifts during January’s Specialty Food LIVE! educational sessions and 2021 Leadership Awards. “An act of kindness from strangers may not solve every problem we have, but it gives us hope and that’s a lot, and the impact of the kindness will affect […]
New revenue sources that have helped foodservice outlets stay afloat during the pandemic are here to stay, restaurateurs say. During the early days of the pandemic, as stay-at-home orders swept the country and restaurants were forced to close, foodservice entrepreneurs got to work doing what they do best: dreaming up and executing new ways to […]
Culinary concierges, increased salaries, and even celebrity greeters are on retailers’ wish lists. SFA News Daily asked a trio of retailers to dream about how they’d improve their stores if cost wasn’t an issue. They are Bill Mignucci, Jr., president of Di Bruno Bros. in Philadelphia, Joe Cardonna, CEO of Caviar & Bananas Gourmet Market […]
The relationship between food maker and the co-manufacturer it selects to create its product can be challenging during the best of times, so it’s no surprise that the unprecedented business environment of the past year has put additional strain on these partnerships. SFA News Daily asked three makers what lessons they’ve learned from working with […]
As consumers continue to spend most of their time at home and seek comforting foods and beverages, they are game to try new takes on their favorite teas or get out of their comfort zone with experimental flavors. Specialty Food asked a trio of retail buyers to share their picks for trendy teas. Summer Thompson, […]
Many foodservice establishments have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Before the pandemic, you couldn’t walk into Padoca, a Brazilian bakery on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, without waiting in line. The bakery had a steady flow of customers on any given day, the tables were often filled with laptops and couples chatting over coffee. […]
Off-premise dining services such as take-out, meal kits, heat-and-eat solutions, and virtual events are helping pave the road to recovery. The nation’s vibrant foodservice landscape has been forever changed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The restaurant industry, the nation’s second-largest private employer, has been among the most severely impacted of all U.S. business segments, with sales […]
The star of pandemic-era cheese-boards, cheeses preserved in oil are gaining a following in the U.S. Preserving cheese in olive oil is an ancient practice in the Middle East, but American consumers are just discovering the potential. In recent years, a handful of new producers and new flavors have brought more excitement to this category, […]
On April 9, 1987, I reported for my first day of work at the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, now Specialty Food Association. It was a 2-plus hour commute each way from my home in Ridgefield, Connecticut. I was excited to be again working in New York City, even though I had two-year-old […]
Restaurants, particularly full-service locations, were among the hardest-hit industries in 2020, although operators that had strong takeout, delivery, or drive-thru businesses fared better. Those trends are expected to continue into 2021 as restaurants focus on enhancing their off-premises capabilities. Nearly half—44 percent—of consumers surveyed by research firm Datassential in November said they were “definitely” avoiding […]
Consumers’ increasing reliance on e-commerce creates new opportunities for specialty food makers, says Bill Bishop, chief architect at Barrington, Illinois-based e-commerce consulting firm Brick Meets Click. One prime opportunity for specialty food companies, he says, is the expanded space for product descriptions provided online, which allows makers to offer more details about how their products […]
A focus on at-home cooking, restaurant takeout, and delivery reshape the food industry for the near term. The coronavirus pandemic has had widespread impact on every facet of food production, distribution, retailing, and foodservice. It has upended some trends, such as the long, steady decline in grocery center-store sales, and accelerated others, such as online […]
As we enter 2021, Specialty Food looks back at the best quotes from the past tumultuous year on the trade and where it is headed. “We’ve never been through anything like this. It’s a new challenge every day. This whole world of retail is changing. Right now, it’s about cash flow. Whittling down some of […]
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