Articles by Michael Costa

Looking back on what we’ll call 2020 B.C. (Before Coronavirus), the pipeline for cold storage construction was already robust and healthy. According to research by commercial real estate firm CBRE, overall industrial construction—which encompasses cold storage, along with warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturing facilities, self-storage, office and flex space—was at 298 million square feet (MSF) before COVID-19, bolstered by the ongoing rise of e-commerce. 

In the upcoming September issue of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, we highlight the pandemic pivots made by Sysco and US Foods in 2020 due to COVID-19 and its effect on foodservice clients like restaurants, hotels, caterers, stadiums, and other volume venues. While putting that story together, we also had a chance to speak to another foodservice distribution giant, Golden State Foods (GSF) and its Chairman and CEO, Mark Wetterau.

On our latest From the Cold Corner Podcast, I sit down with Neil Russell, VP of corporate affairs at Sysco, for details about the company’s constantly evolving strategies during the pandemic. 

Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa details how 2019's idea of cold chain disruption pales in comparison to COVID-19's seismic impact on the industry in 2020.  

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods catches up with Reser’s Fine Foods to find out how the company has expanded and enhanced its product lines and processing facilities since being featured on our January, 2012 cover.

Plant-based food sales were already growing before COVID-19, and the category has long enjoyed a healthy halo around its products as beneficial to both consumers and the environment. However, a closer look at some of the labels for plant-based meats, for example, reveal they’re not much healthier than their animal-based counterparts, particularly when it comes to saturated fat, sodium, and the highly processed method of re-creating the taste and texture of an animal protein. Because of this, we’re currently on the cusp of a second era in alternative meats that will continue to focus on flavor, but also honor their “better-for-you” halos with simpler ingredients and minimal processing.  

In-depth Q&As with each of our five Best New Retail Products winners, detailing how their products were created, packaged and brought to market, and why those products resonate with consumers today.

A multi-segment view of how those working along the cold chain have been affected by COVID-19 so far in 2020. 

Our annual July State of the Industry issue is now ready to read in our redesigned digital magazine--even easier to navigate than before. We also feature our annual North American Refrigerated & Frozen Foods Warehouse Guide. put together with the help of the Global Cold Chain Alliance. In this issue, we dive deeper into how COVID-19 has not just impacted, but altered many areas of the cold foods supply chain the first half of 2020. It's a mid-year snapshot that also serves as a map for what will likely continue the rest of the year.

On our latest From the Cold Corner Podcast, I discuss the state of frozen foods and COVID-19’s effect on the entire industry with Alison Bodor, president and CEO of the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI).