Voice of The Food Industry Blog

The Whole Story Needs to Be Told

A reporter I was talking to recently told me that journalists have a saying that they provide a “first rough draft of history.” That got me thinking about the role of research and insights at FMI. We have been striving to capture what has been ...

Looking Back and Ahead for Perimeter Insights

I recently sat down with Barb Renner, Deloitte’s vice chairman and U.S. consumer products leader, for the latest edition of FMI’s webinar series called A FreshForward Conversation. Deloitte is FMI’s partner in FreshForward and Barb provided some ...

An All-Access Pass on Supply Chain Insights

Despite commodity fluctuations and trying transportation dynamics through the supply chain, the food industry has done a good job of keeping consumer prices as low as possible. At the same time, with the many ways consumers are engaging in this new ...

New Resources for Seafood Buyers

For a seafood buying office, one of the first major career challenges can come in understanding the various specifications for various seafood products. Indeed, buying offices may vary from organization to ...

Sustainability in the Food Industry

It’s Earth Week—a time of year filled with climate announcements, ribbon-cuttings for facilities powered by cleaner energy and photos of community tree-planting events. It’s also a time for FMI to focus on just a few of the exciting sustainability ...

FDA says E. coli in Leafy Greens is a ‘Reasonably Foreseeable Hazard’ – What does that mean?

Leafy greens outbreaks have a long history. From 2009 – 2018 there have been 40 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) outbreaks linked to leafy greens accounting for 1,212 illnesses, 77 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome, and 8 deaths. Of these, ...

Natural Disaster Preparedness Resources

Each year, hurricanes, tornados, winter storms, floods, fires and a variety of other natural disasters take place, putting food, water and essential energy supplies at risk. Even during pandemics like COVID-19, retailers must consider how to keep ...

How The Pandemic Has Changed Produce Cooking

I had an ongoing debate with my son when he was young. Green beans weren’t his favorite vegetable, but I kept telling him it’s not that he didn’t like green beans, it’s just that he hadn’t found the way he liked green beans cooked. I remember one ...

Historical Perception vs. Reality: Industry Attractiveness

I bet if you took a moment you could think of at least three people in the food retail industry who started their career as a cashier or bagger and now have a role leading the company. Can you think of three? ...

New Life for Older Stores

As supermarkets age, they don’t exactly gain value like the fine wines they sell. However, today’s retailers have some new opportunities for their older stores, particularly when it comes to incorporating ecommerce and upgrading to more energy-...

What Is Your Meat IQ?

My co-worker’s husband has become a barbecue aficionado. My son slow cooked a brisket for the first time at home. My grandson was excited to show me his burger-making skills. Is it just me, or has everyone’s meat IQ increased during the COVID-19 ...

Advancing Your Career During a Pandemic

It’s been an interesting time to be an e-learning professional with events going virtual, learning being reimagined and “zoom fatigue” impacting many of us. At the same time, it’s been exciting to see how many people have used their time during the ...

Health and Well-being in the Meat Department – Seize the Opportunity!

Over the past year, consumers have flocked to the meat department like never before. Retailers and product suppliers have a prime opportunity to ensure consumers are satisfied with their product selections and choices. Research indicates that while ...

Next Steps for Enhancing Meat Industry Strategies

Fast forward to today, a year after lockdowns began, and the picture is brighter. The meat industry has worked hard to address its challenges — and has succeeded in getting past the worst of ...

Collaborating Through a Crisis and Beyond

COVID-19 has reminded us more than ever that grocery and supplier collaboration is a vital strand in the social fabric. Beyond the deep-cleaning, shelf-replenishing and physical-distancing tactics that played out at the store level during the ...