Refrigerated & Frozen Foods catches up with Palermo Villa to see how the company has grown since it was named our 2016 Frozen Foods Processor of the Year, and learn more about its latest pizza innovations for the freezer aisle in 2020.

See what best practices companies like Hormel, KanPak, and A M King have implemented to improve sustainability and achieve real results.

In this exclusive excerpt from Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ From the Cold Corner podcast, Lowell Randel from the GCCA details how the cold chain pivoted to meet retail demands and protect workers during the crucial early days of COVID-19.

Frozen food sales rose significantly the final week of April, according to new research by the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), 210 Analytics, and IRI. The +50.3% increase was the highest since the height of mid-March stockpiling by consumers, when frozen food sales peaked at +94.4% compared to 2019 sales for the same time period. The +50.3% increase translates to $1.3 billion compared to $442 million in 2019.

Smithfield Foods will resume pork processing operations in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, after being shut down since April 12. Smithfield receiving positive confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that the company is in full compliance with all CDC and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidance. 

The Port of Mobile’s newest refrigerated cargo facility is on track for an early 2021 opening at one of the nation’s fastest growing container ports. The facility is located outside the gates of the seaport’s container terminal operated by APM Terminals and has immediate access to I-10. The distribution center will be one of the largest of its kind in the Southeast. Its proximity to the container terminal and max loading capabilities will not only add value but help customers reduce their carbon footprint by limiting the number of trucks on the road. 

I read the recent quarterly reports from Tyson and Sysco (Q2, and Q3, respectively) and both reflect the deep impact of restaurant, hotel, catering and other volume foodservice shutdowns on each of their businesses (and by extension, the cold foods supply chain) due to COVID-19. Here are my thoughts on the future of foodservice and what companies along the cold chain can do prepare for it. 

Sysco Corporation announced the launch of a new “Foodservice Doesn’t Brake for Adversity” campaign designed to help small foodservice businesses stay in business. The campaign will consist of strategically placed messages across multiple channels designed to encourage Americans to support their local restaurants and also highlights the resilience of all foodservice workers.

The 6th IIR guide on The Role of Refrigeration in Worldwide Nutrition draws on the latest figures, findings from reputable organizations such as the FAO, the United Nations and the Global Cold Chain Alliance to demonstrate the essential role that efficient cold chains can play in improving global food security.

Sargento Foods Inc. is donating $2 million in cheese to Wisconsin’s anti-hunger leader, Hunger Task Force and its membership organization the Hunger Relief Federation of Wisconsin. To assist families outside Wisconsin, Sargento will provide donated cheese to Feeding America, the largest hunger relief organization in the U.S. The family-owned cheese company is providing relief by donating a total of 15.8 million cheese sticks which can feed more than 1.3 million households across the U.S.