The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA) joined groups nationwide in recognizing the tremendous efforts of grocery workers during the pandemic and beyond. Governor Tom Wolf proclaimed Monday, February 22, as Supermarket Employee Day in Pennsylvania as a way to acknowledge and thank supermarket employees for their extraordinary dedication to a job that has become more significant than ever.

Julie Lam, a key architect of the Port of Oakland’s COVID-19 response has been officially named the agency’s Chief Financial Officer. Lam had been the acting CFO for the past 10 months. Lam will be responsible for financial management, budgeting and accounting in her new role. She’ll also oversee human resources, risk management, purchasing and enterprise resource planning.

Silk, America’s No. 1 plant-based beverage brand, is celebrating the release of its new high-protein beverage Silk ULTRA by giving fitness enthusiasts the chance to win the gym gear they need to keep crushing the game – from the convenience of their home. Introducing the Silk ULTRA Upgrade, which will arm athletes with hard-to-get equipment such as kettlebells, free weights, resistance bands, and an ample supply of Silk ULTRA to take them through the year. But for a chance to upgrade, they must unleash their inner beast mode by completing one of two 10-minute, high-intensity ULTRA Sweat Sessions, hosted by decorated athletes Michael Phelps and Aly Raisman.

Nearly one year after the COVID-19 pandemic began, a new report finds frozen foods were among the fastest growing categories in the grocery store, with clear signs that Americans’ fondness for frozen will continue to grow.

Foodservice shutdowns due to the pandemic led to an 11.8% decrease in net sales and an 18.9% decrease in gross profit for 2020.

Butterball Foodservice has launched a new website that will quickly connect operators with much needed resources, tools and information. The site revamp emerges as the need for strategies to counter the significant losses of the past year becomes urgent. Enhanced capabilities and an updated design improve the user experience on ButterballFoodservice.com and provide efficient access to comprehensive product detail, trending recipe applications and industry and consumer insights as operators navigate a recovery-focused period.

Sandridge Food Corporation has been recognized by The Healthy Business Council of Ohio (HBCO) as a Platinum Award recipient for demonstrating an outstanding commitment to employee wellness through comprehensive worksite health promotion and wellness programs. Sandridge Food Corporation is one of only three other Northeast Ohio companies to achieve a Platinum-level recognition.

Foster Farms is providing the Moderna vaccine to 1,000 employees at its Fresno, California, Cherry Avenue poultry facility. In partnership with Fresno County’s Public Health Department and Vons Pharmacy, this vaccination program marks the first large scale effort to vaccinate a workforce at a major food processing facility in Fresno County.

The past year has tested the strength of the fitness industry, which lost more than 480,000 jobs due to the pandemic. Gyms are closing and the fitness pros that help us flex our ugliest #PROFACES  - that ugly game face we all make when maxing out on the weight floor or on the field - are struggling. In tandem with its new Super Bowl ad which salutes these fierce #PROFACEs, Oikos PRO is launching Oikos PRO for Pros, a grant program, to help give independent fitness businesses and trainers the support and strength they need.

RLS Logistics, a national third-party logistics provider specializing in temperature-controlled logistics, announced their 2020 contribution total for their Pallets 4 Plates program. In 2020, through their program, 365,291 plates of food were supplied to charities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Utah, including Food Cowboy and the Food Bank of South Jersey. Also, equivalent cash contributions were made to Baker’s Club of Philadelphia, American Heart Association, Pink Clover Foundation, numerous local schools, and youth sports teams.