The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) welcomed a record number of attendees from across the frozen food supply chain at AFFI-CON 2024. In addition to holding an Annual Meeting of Membership, AFFI hosted expert speakers who provided forward-looking remarks on the issues shaping frozen food.

“AFFI-CON is all about getting business done. If you have a role in buying or selling products and services in your company, in the frozen food supply chain, AFFI-CON is probably the event for you. This is the speed dating for the frozen food industry,” said Mary Emma Young, vice president of communication for AFFI, a member-driven national trade association representing all segments of the frozen food supply chain. “Folks have between 40 and 60 meetings scheduled over the course of AFFI-CON.”

Post-COVID, unit growth in frozen food has slowed to pre-pandemic levels. Inflation has hampered the food industry but frozen food is among the categories experiencing a slower rate compared to the rest of grocery, Young said, pointing to unit growth in frozen pizza, processed meats, frozen fruits and snacks in January. 

The industry is “really watching this upcoming year and waiting to get a better sense of performance and how that's going to play out for the category,” she said. 

AFFI also publishes food safety resources that anyone in the industry can access and use, regardless of membership.

“It also means promoting sound science and policies related to food safety at the regulatory level. So, for example, we work and interface regularly with FDA on issues such as listeria or the safety of frozen berries,” Young said. 

Other work impacting processors and manufacturers includes front of pack labeling sodium reduction targets and “another area that's a big focus for us, is advocating on the benefits of frozen food. We're committed to further raising the profile of frozen food and increasing the appreciation of these benefits, both on Capitol Hill and beyond,” she said.  

Last month, a coalition of organizations representing the food chain, including AFFI and the Global Cold Chain Alliance, (GCCA), stressed that frozen food should play a leading role in meeting sustainability goals. In written comments filed in support of the proposed Draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics, AFFI and GCCA were joined by the Meat Institute, National Fisheries Institute, National Pork Producers Council and the Washington Red Raspberry Commission in emphasizing areas for enhancing the National Strategy, including:

• Education: The organizations support a national consumer education and behavior change campaign to reduce food waste that showcases the ways frozen foods can help consumers achieve this goal. 
• Investment: An increased investment in expanding and modernizing the nation’s cold chain infrastructure will improve access to frozen food products – especially for underserved communities – and have a positive impact on food and nutrition security.
• Health Equity: Consistent with the Draft Strategy’s goal of reducing barriers to improve food access and affordability, the federal government should recognize the role frozen food plays in supporting health equity.  
• Nutrition Security: Frozen foods provide a conduit to healthy eating. The freezing process naturally locks in nutrition, allowing consumers to easily access nutritionally dense food year-round. Moreover, studies show that frozen fruits and vegetables are as rich in nutrients as, and in some cases more so than, fresh-stored produce. 
• Research: The Draft Strategy should continue supporting research efforts that seek to identify best practices in collecting data about the level of consumer food waste.

The coalition says frozen food also helps underserved populations access varied, balanced and nutrient-dense foods and saves money due to the reduced food waste. Additionally, freezing reduces food loss and waste across the entire food chain, including losses occurring during post-harvest, processing and transportation. A 2023 critical review conducted by Cornell University found that, in general, frozen foods are wasted less frequently than their fresh counterparts at retail and in households.

Each year AFFI-CON plays host to an international buyers mission, in partnership with Food Export USA. 

“They bring a cohort or a class, of international buyers from, really, all over the world. Some of the countries present this year, we have Chile, Dominican Republic, France and Guatemala. Really all over the place. They represent different parts of the industry and they are looking specifically for U.S.-sourced product. What they will do is they have a series of meetings scheduled with folks who are able and willing to participate and sell into those markets, organizations who are looking to broaden their international market reach, for example. I think that also shows one of the things that I find really interesting is the role of the frozen food supply chain and how important a strong supply chain is.”  

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