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Following nearly two dozen positive diagnoses of COVID-19 at a Ralphs in Hollywood and several protests, grocery workers represented by the UFCW Local 770 learned Monday that Kroger, which owns Ralphs and Food 4 Less, has agreed to provide free, voluntary COVID-19 testing to all members at its flagship Hollywood store. 

Foremost Farms USA will close its Chilton, Wisconsin, manufacturing facility in July 2020. Built in the 1940s, the Chilton plant makes Italian cheeses including Provolone which is sold into the foodservice market for sandwiches. The 53 employees who work at the location were informed of the company’s plans.

US Foods launched its latest COVID-19 online operator resource, the US Foods Restaurant Reopening Blueprint. The Restaurant Reopening Blueprint provides operators with a how-to for putting key COVID-19 guidelines into practice as they plan reopening efforts. The Restaurant Reopening Blueprint is informed by interviews with key stakeholders such as diners, restaurant staff and US Foods consultants and chefs. Interviews were also conducted with operators and diners in China to understand what learnings might be applicable for U.S. restaurant operations.

“What does the next normal look like, and when does it become the new normal?” A quote that applies to nearly everything right now, but in this instance, it’s referring to marketing frozen and refrigerated foods. On this week’s From the Cold Corner Podcast, I talk with Jeff Rumachik, EVP and COO of the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) about promoting cold foods to consumers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Flowers Foods, producer of Nature’s Own, Dave’s Killer Bread, Wonder, Tastykake, and other bakery foods, reported financial results for the company’s 16-week first quarter ended April 18, 2020. Sales increased 6.8% to $1.349 billion, including an estimated 6.5% to 7.5% increase attributable to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sales for the same 16-week period in 2019 were 1.263 billion.

As states prepare to reopen across the country, the Consumer Brands Association called on Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to prioritize supply chain performance and resiliency by developing a National Supply Chain Index and Performance Dashboard.

Smithfield Culinary, the foodservice unit of Smithfield Foods, the nation’s leading pork processor, has donated $25,000 to the Ferdinand Metz American Culinary Federation (ACF) Relief Fund to provide financial assistance to chefs, culinarians, and foodservice workers across America who are experiencing hardship in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

So Delicious Dairy Free has launched their new So Delicious Pairings Coconutmilk Yogurt Alternative--a coconut milk yogurt alternative base crafted with organic coconuts and live and active cultures, paired with carefully curated toppings. The newest innovation from So Delicious is available in four flavors.

Real Good Foods has launched a line of super-premium ice cream in seven flavors, the first dessert items for the company. Real Good Foods ice cream is the first-ever super-premium, better-for-you, ice cream made from real, simple ingredients, offering a fraction of the carbs compared to traditional ice cream. Sweetened with allulose, this ice cream offers a real ice cream experience without spiking glucose levels. Allulose is a naturally occurring sugar, free of chemical processing, which allows the body to metabolize allulose as natural sugar and not an added sugar.

Raley’s announced the addition of Jennifer (Jen) Warner to the organization’s Executive Leadership Team in the role of Chief Administrative Officer. Prior to joining Raley’s, Warner served as Vice President of Legal at Columbia Sportswear Company, Chief Developmental Officer at AsheWorks Inc., and Global Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel, Americas at XPO Logistics.