Smithfield Foods donated more than 38,000 pounds of protein to Feed More as part of the Heart of Virginia Council of the Boy Scouts Of America Scouting for Food annual food drive. As the presenting sponsor of this year's food drive, Smithfield also donated $15,000 earlier this year to cover the costs of the BSA program. Local Scout troops were able to collect almost 60,000 pounds of food this year, the equivalent of nearly 50,000 meals which Feed More will distribute across 29 counties and five cities in Central Virginia.

KeHE Cares, in partnership with New Hope Network, is delivering the first-of-its-kind virtual Serving Goodness Event, which will help deliver 80,000 meals to families experiencing food scarcity due to the pandemic.

Comax Flavors introduces the 2021 Flavor Trends divided into four distinct flavor collections. Immunity Boost focuses on consumers’ quest for functional foods and beverages while Breakfast Basics addresses consumers’ interest in breakfast at home or on the go. Home Baker taps into rediscovering baking and cooking at home while Chicken Soars spotlights consumers’ appetite for chicken and plant-based chicken alternatives. 

Cadence Kitchen, the Southern California food-tech innovator using liquid nitrogen to modernize frozen cuisine, announces the expansion of its range of natural, preservative-free and globally-inspired menu items at more than 200 retail partner locations in the United States. With 11 new dishes that cook from frozen to chef-made perfection in as little as seven minutes, Cadence Kitchen is prepared to meet growing consumer desire for higher quality, convenience and international variety in-home cooking during a post-COVID reality. 

The makers of Hormel Black Label Bacon, a leader in breakfast meats in America, announced today the launch of Hormel Black Label Breathable Bacon, a first-of-its-kind innovation. Hormel Black Label Breathable Bacon is a revolutionary face mask featuring the latest in pork-scented technology with two-ply multi-fiber cloth to keep the delicious smell of bacon always wrapped around your nose and mouth. 

Ark Foods debuted its Clean Label Salad line at the Produce Marketing Association's FreshSummit virtual trade show. Clean Label Salads, made entirely from ingredients great-grandmas would recognize, join Ark Foods' lineup of best-selling heat-and-eat Veggie Bowls, and serve as an easier, healthier, affordable lunch option amidst a 40% rise in home cooking seen from the COVID-19 pandemic* (The Food Industry Association, 2020).

Sysco has announced the addition of a Holiday Toolkit to its Foodie Solutions platform. The Holiday Toolkit is the latest in a series of carefully curated tools to help foodservice operators respond quickly to shifting business requirements and trends resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bubbies Ice Cream, the frozen novelty brand best known for its super-premium Mochi Ice Cream innovations, has announced it will begin shipping its Mochi Ice Cream in new individually-wrapped packaging to grocery stores and natural retailers across the country this fall. The new packaging marks the reopening of Bubbies Mochi Self-Serve Freezers that have long been a grab-and-go snack destination for customers looking to mix and match their favorite flavors. Earlier this spring, these in-store freezers were scaled back in retailers, due to an abundance of caution regarding COVID-19.

On our latest From the Cold Corner Podcast, I talk with Vincent Free, chairman of the Controlled Environment Building Association (CEBA) about how the organization helps bring together suppliers, sub-contractors, builders and more, to move the thermal envelope industry forward through education and networking.

Sysco, the leading global foodservice distribution company, announced the nationwide launch of ten exciting menu concepts exclusively for Sysco customers through the company’s Cutting Edge Solutions platform. These chef-tested and innovative products are being launched to help foodservice operators with on-trend dining options as they enter a new normal phase of restaurant dining amidst the global pandemic.