In 2020 – the year of quarantining and social distancing – many Americans have chosen to indulge in comfort food. A new poll of 2,000 Americans found that two in three are reverting to childhood food favorites and eating more comfort food during the pandemic. That includes an uptick in such favorites as pizza (55%), hamburgers (48%), ice cream (46%), French fries (45%), mac and cheese (38%), spaghetti and meatballs (32%) and others.

Brazi Bites, the top U.S. producer of naturally gluten-free Brazilian-style cheese bread, is expanding its distribution footprint to over 300 Walmart stores and will also be available online at Amazon. The brand has experienced a 60% increase in sales this year due to pandemic spending by consumers. 

Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa details how COVID-19 has helped cold storage become a hot business in 2020, and conversely how the pandemic has devastated the traditional model for foodservice distribution.

Brookshire Grocery Co. (BGC) has been certified as a Great Place to Work. Certification is a significant achievement that is determined based on validated employee feedback gathered with Great Place to Work’s rigorous methodology. Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience and the leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading results and increased innovation.

With working and learning from home a new reality for many consumers across the nation, now more than ever the need for fresh, convenient, ready-to-eat meals is surging. FiveStar Gourmet Foods knew they could help and developed Simply Fresh 2Go, their first product line targeted concurrently to both retail and school foodservice channels. With 12 new SKU’s, each meal is nutritionally compliant to meet strict national school lunch dietary standards. Each item in the line is a ready-to-eat balanced complete meal including protein, grains, fresh vegetables and fruits -- even a healthy fruit and veggies drink.

Grab a slice of your favorite pie and help make history as the makers of Hormel Pepperoni, America’s No. 1 pepperoni brand*, attempt to set the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the most users in a pizza party video hangout on Friday, Sept. 18, from 7-8 p.m. ET. The party, which will take place on Zoom, is a part Hormel Foods Spirit Week, a celebration of our front-line plant professionals, staff and heroes who have worked tirelessly to ensure a consistent food supply during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deepening its commitment to tapping the power of the U.S. trucking industry to improve lives, Total Quality Logistics (TQL) has pledged to cover $1 million in transportation costs for charitable loads by 2025. The nation’s second-largest freight brokerage firm is ramping up its Moves That Matter program to impact even more lives by covering the cost to haul food, water, medical supplies and other potentially life-saving goods to food banks, communities in need and nonprofits around the country.

US Foods announced the launch of its Fall Scoop 2020 catalog, titled “On Point With Off-Premise – Designed To Make It.” This special edition of Scoop features 14 products designed to address trends within off-premise dining such as labor-saving products perfect for DIY meal kits, and products that will help ease diner safety and hygiene worries, including tamper-evident packaging and sanitation items.

Sysco announces the launch of Foodie Solutions, an innovative platform created to support foodservice operators in today’s rapidly changing business climate. With its broad-based perspective from supporting restaurants and other foodservice operators across the country, Sysco identified the most essential tools to help customers respond quickly to shifting business requirements and trends resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brookshire Grocery Co. (BGC) has given more than $20.4 million to its over 15,000 employee-partners which includes a third round of gift cards delivered to all active employees since the pandemic hit its market area in March. Full-time employees are receiving a $200 BGC gift card and part-time employees are receiving a $100 BGC gift card totaling $1.9 million given to help with those recovering from Hurricane Laura and the pandemic.