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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><rss xmlns:a10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title>FMI Updates:  News, Blog, and Events</title><link>https://www.fmi.org/</link><description /><category>Food Safety &amp; Security</category><category>Stir It Up</category><category>Family Meals</category><category>Health &amp; Well-being</category><category>Research</category><category>Supply Chain</category><category>Supply Chain Conference / Forum</category><category>Asset Protection</category><category>Asset Protection &amp; Grocery Resilience</category><category>Regulatory</category><category>Government Relations</category><category>Consumer Behavior &amp; Trends</category><category>Nutrition</category><category>Technology</category><category>Nonfoods</category><category>NFMM</category><category>Priority Issue</category><category>Federal</category><category>DEI</category><category>Frozen Foods</category><category>Financial Executive and Internal Auditors</category><category>Payments</category><category>Produce</category><category>Seafood</category><category>Meat &amp; Poultry</category><category>Fresh Foods</category><category>Blogs</category><category>Cyber Security</category><category>Events</category><category>Education</category><category>Retail Operations</category><category>FreshForward 24</category><a10:contributor><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:contributor><a10:contributor><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:contributor><a10:contributor><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:contributor><a10:contributor><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:contributor><a10:link rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" href="https://www.fmi.org/feeds/FMI-Updates" /><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:f33d2949-583d-40f4-908a-a975cbe7e16e</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/05/17/world-food-safety-day--a-reminder-to-emphasize-food-safety-all-year</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Food Safety &amp; Security</category><title>World Food Safety Day: A Reminder to Emphasize Food Safety All Year</title><description>World Food Safety Day is an appropriate time to reflect on our work in food safety and crisis preparedness and to recognize our members’ commitment to providing safe food for our collective customers.</description><pubDate>Fri, 17 May 2024 10:00:05 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;p&gt;By Ashley Eisenbeiser, Senior Director, Food and Product Safety Programs, FMI&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/world-food-safety-day-202492454c8c-67dc-48d0-9766-ec0a9e673304.tmb-large-350-.png?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=d5e481be_1" style="margin-bottom:10px;float:right;margin-left:10px;" class="-align-right" alt="World Food Safety Day 2024" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;p&gt;As World Food Safety Day approaches on June 7, the importance of ensuring food safety cannot be overstated. For FMI, an organization committed to advocating for the food industry and ensuring the safety and quality of the food supply chain, supporting this day is not only logical but imperative. World Food Safety Day is an appropriate time to reflect on our work in food safety and crisis preparedness and to recognize our members&amp;rsquo; commitment to providing safe food for our collective customers.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This year marks the seventh observance of World Food Safety Day, founded by the World Health Organization in 2018. As a global public health issue, safe food and water is emphasized even though these are ongoing and constant priorities for our industry.&amp;nbsp;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The theme of &amp;ldquo;&lt;a href="https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-food-safety-day/2024" target="_blank"&gt;Prepare for the Unexpected&lt;/a&gt;&amp;rdquo; reminds us to focus on food safety during normal business operations and during unexpected situations, which our industry is very adept at navigating. Natural disasters including hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires and earthquakes are events that have impacted almost every region in the U.S. FMI members consistently rise to the occasion to support communities in times of need with necessities like safe food and water. This year, we are reminded to plan for the unexpected and make sure the safety of food and water is a priority.&amp;nbsp;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Of course, food safety is of utmost importance 365 days of the year &amp;minus; not just during times of crisis &amp;minus; as evidenced by the work of FMI member companies and our industry as a whole. This World Food Safety Day, take the opportunity to remind your employees and customers of your commitment to food safety on June 7 and all other days of the year.&amp;nbsp;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For more information, visit the  &lt;a href="https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-food-safety-day/2024" target="_blank"&gt;World Health Organization&lt;/a&gt; website.&amp;nbsp;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Additional Resources:&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;ul type="disc"&gt;&lt;li data-list="0" data-level="1"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/industry-topics/crisis-management"&gt;FMI Crisis      Management Resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li data-list="0" data-level="1"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fightbac.org/food-safety-during-power-outages/" target="_blank"&gt;Food Safety during Severe Weather&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;(PFSE)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li data-list="0" data-level="1"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/food-safety-during-a-power-outage.html" target="_blank"&gt;Food Safety for Power Outages&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;(CDC)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li data-list="0" data-level="1"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-during-emergencies/protect-food-and-water-during-hurricanes-and-other-storms" target="_blank"&gt;Food and Water Safety during Power Outages and Floods&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;(FDA)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li data-list="0" data-level="1"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/emergency-preparedness" target="_blank"&gt;Emergencies and Food Safety&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;(USDA)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:ff070008-5bc3-479d-8f15-0e5d2ce64d23</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/05/16/heating-up-new-family-flavors--the-fmi-foundation's-stir-it-up!-reimagined</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Stir It Up</category><category>Family Meals</category><title>Heating Up New Family Flavors: the FMI Foundation's Stir It Up! Reimagined</title><description>Stir It Up! 2025 is excited to announce its new theme: What's for Dinner: Dishing Up New Family Flavors, honoring the FMI Foundation's 10th year of National Family Meals Month and focusing on the best flavors of the U.S.</description><pubDate>Thu, 16 May 2024 12:00:10 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;p&gt;By: Haley Pierce, Manager, FMI Foundation&lt;/p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fmigallery/albums/72177720314294610/" target="_blank" class="-align-right" style="float:right;margin-bottom:10px;margin-left:15px;margin-top:15px;"&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/stir-it-up2024-chocolate-raspberry.tmb-large-350-.jpg?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=3ec3947a_1" style="float:right;" alt="Chocolate raspberry tarts" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  2. &lt;p&gt;Salty, sweet, savory, spicy &amp;ndash; all were components of &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/stir-it-up-home"&gt;Stir It Up!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; 2024's sensational menus by retailers and manufacturers within the food industry. We celebrated the equally tantalizing and fan-favorite foods that pleased the palates of the &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/midwinter-conference"&gt;Midwinter Executive Conference&lt;/a&gt; attendees.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;At &lt;em&gt;Stir It Up!&lt;/em&gt; 2025, we will launch enhanced sponsorship opportunities to engage current and potential customers at the event.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;New Product Showcase&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;In addition to the company-hosted kitchens we all know and enjoy, we are excited to announce a brand-new sponsorship opportunity: &lt;em&gt;Stir It Up&lt;/em&gt;'s New Product Showcase. This sponsorship opportunity lets your company show off two or three new and emerging products in your portfolio. Each sponsorship will provide you with two to three branded display shelves to showcase your new product's packaging, limited edition designs and more. Alongside the branded display case, each sponsor can host a branded kiosk to hand out tasting-sized portions of products on display. The customer engagement experience doesn't end there. New product displays will have their debut at &lt;em&gt;Stir It Up!&lt;/em&gt; and then will be showcased throughout the conference venue in high-traffic locations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Explore Regional Culinary Delights &lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Stir It Up!&lt;/em&gt; 2025 is excited to announce its new theme: What's for Dinner: Dishing Up New Family Flavors. This theme honors the FMI Foundation's 10th year of &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/family-meals"&gt;National Family Meals Month&lt;/a&gt; and focuses on the best flavors of the U.S., the regional inspiration for dishes of all types.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fmigallery/albums/72177720314294610/" target="_blank" class="-align-right" style="float:right;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px;margin-left:15px;"&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/stir-it-up2024-were-number-one.tmb-large-350-.jpg?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=ce9c6f2a_1" style="float:right;" alt="mg-caption:FMI Staff enjoying Stir It Up! 2024" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  3. &lt;p&gt;In the mood for a kolache or Tex-Mex? Have your kitchen be an ode to the Southwest!&amp;nbsp;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;Are you in need of some comfort food such as deep-dish pizza, Kansas City BBQ, casseroles and cheese curds? The Midwest is sometimes best. Can't get enough of maple-flavored foods, boiled seafood and apple cider doughnuts? New England is calling!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Some other cuisine themes include (but are not limited to):&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;South &lt;/strong&gt;(Creole, Cajun, and Soul Food cuisines)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;West/Coastal &lt;/strong&gt;(Californian, Pacific Islander and Hawaiian, and Asian Fusion cuisines)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pacific Northwest &lt;/strong&gt;(Indigenous and Seafood-based cuisines)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mid-Atlantic&lt;/strong&gt; (Fusion Foods and Mixed Drinks)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;As we look ahead, attendees can expect an exciting exploration of regional flavors, ensuring that &lt;em&gt;Stir It Up!&lt;/em&gt; 2025 is an event not to be missed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Have a nonfoods product that you'd like to showcase or a question for the &lt;em&gt;Stir It Up! &lt;/em&gt;planning team? &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="mailto:StirItUp@fmi.org" class="button"&gt;Contact FMI Foundation team&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:a7ded4ef-d292-4973-8c8b-513bbaa91b85</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/05/15/connecting-the-science-of-food-and-nutrition-to-health</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Health &amp; Well-being</category><category>Research</category><title>Connecting the Science of Food and Nutrition to Health</title><description>We are excited to share a comprehensive one-page infographic to support industry-wide nutrition and health initiatives, to bring together science-based guidance on food, portions and labels.</description><pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2024 12:00:08 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;p&gt;By: Krystal Register, MS, RDN, LDN, Vice President, Health &amp;amp; Well-being, FMI&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Consumers are bombarded daily with conflicting information about food and nutrition. Advice is often not based on science, and it can be difficult to determine what is credible and what is not. FMI and our members believe that keeping evidence-based messaging front and center is imperative when communicating with consumers about nutrition, health and well-being. We have general federal guidelines based on the latest science to help connect the science of food and nutrition to health. These guidelines all work together to help build an overall healthy pattern of eating which plays out differently for each unique individual. There is no right or wrong, no one-size-fits-all recommendation; rather, it is about balance and choice.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We are excited to share a comprehensive tool to support industry-wide nutrition and health initiatives. The goal of this one-page infographic is to bring together science-based guidance on food, portions and labels with multiple links for more information, connecting established healthy eating recommendations to promote informed shopping and eating decisions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="-align-center" style="text-align:center;"&gt;&lt;a style="margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px;" href="https://www.fmi.org/docs/default-source/health-wellness-resources-downloads/fmi-nutrition101-infographic-final.pdf?sfvrsn=787e5cc5_1"&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/fmi-nutrition-infographic.png?sfvrsn=fd382474_2" alt="Connecting Food and Nutrition to Health &amp; Well-being" sf-size="400018" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/" target="_blank"&gt;Dietary Guidelines for Americans&lt;/a&gt; show general recommendations based on food groups &amp;mdash; the "what" you need to make "every bite count." &lt;a href="https://www.myplate.gov/" target="_blank"&gt;MyPlate&lt;/a&gt; shows how to build meals and snacks throughout the day with foods you like from each of the food groups. The &lt;a href="https://www.portionbalance.org/campaigntoolkit" target="_blank"&gt;Portion Balance Coalition&amp;rsquo;s Eat for You&lt;/a&gt; graphics show fun and simple ways to think about portion sizes for all foods. The &lt;a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/whats-nutrition-facts-label" target="_blank"&gt;Nutrition Facts Label&lt;/a&gt; shows more about calories, serving size and the nutrients in foods. The label also shows how to determine if a particular food is high or low in nutrients to either include more of or limit, based on individual needs and goals. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The FMI commitment on nutrition messaging announced at the 2022 &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/government-affairs/white-house-conference-on-hunger-nutrition-and-health"&gt;White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health&lt;/a&gt; supports the use of these collective tools to empower consumers to make informed, healthful and personal choices at the grocery store. FMI members met and far exceeded the goal to reach 100 million consumers with evidence-based nutrition messaging by maximizing industry-driven, science-based, community outreach efforts grounded in the Dietary Guidelines, MyPlate, the Nutrition Facts Label and the Eat for You Campaign materials. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/docs/default-source/health-wellness-resources-downloads/fmi-nutrition101-infographic-final.pdf?sfvrsn=787e5cc5_1" class="button"&gt;View and download the FMI Nutrition infographic&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/industry-topics/health-well-being" class="button-secondary"&gt;Health &amp;amp; Well-being Resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:639a6f6f-b06b-477b-b50f-27762c4d497a</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/05/14/the-changing-grocery-supply-chain-landscape</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Supply Chain</category><category>Supply Chain Conference / Forum</category><title>The Changing Grocery Supply Chain Landscape</title><description>The FMI Supply Chain Forum will explore essential adaptations for success in today's evolving landscape. Improved efficiency is key for stronger supply chains, hinging on collaboration, information sharing and trust among trading partners.</description><pubDate>Tue, 14 May 2024 12:00:05 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;p&gt;By: Doug Baker, Vice President, Industry Relations, FMI&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="mg-image--circular" style="float:right;margin:10px;"&gt;&lt;img sf-custom-thumbnail="true" src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/supply-chain-warehouse-forklift.jpg?sfvrsn=7180829c_1" sf-size="100" width="500" alt="Supply Chain" sf-constrain-proportions="true" /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Today, the grocery industry is facing new challenges in supply chain management. In many respects, the industry continues to face new and on-going disruptions in the post pandemic era. Most prognosticators acknowledge it is becoming increasingly difficult to predict the future given the continued volatility, uncertainty and speed of change.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Forecasting consumer demand and adapting to market changes are core challenges for supply chain professionals. Thriving companies prioritize agile and resilient supply chains over fragmented siloed operations. They transition to fully integrated networks capable of swiftly responding to evolving consumer behaviors and market dynamics.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Technological innovations are fundamentally transforming what is possible. New advances in computing technologies allow real-time access to actionable data and insights with enhanced levels of granularity. The possibilities for supply chain transformation are enormous &amp;mdash; challenging the grocery industry to innovate faster.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/RedirectForm/?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fmi.org%2Fsupply-chain-forum&amp;amp;utm_campaign=supplychainforum24&amp;amp;utm_source=blog_SCF2024_may2024&amp;amp;utm_medium=blog"&gt;FMI Supply Chain Forum&lt;/a&gt;, held in Nashville from September 16-18, 2024, will explore essential adaptations for success in today's evolving landscape. Improved efficiency is key for stronger supply chains, hinging on collaboration, information sharing and trust among trading partners, necessitating a gradual paradigm shift across the entire value chain.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;FMI Supply Chain Forum: Driving Efficiency &amp;amp; Resiliency in the Grocery Supply Chain&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;Designed to empower leaders with strategy, vision and leadership, the forum provides insights and tools to navigate today and in the future. The core components of the program will focus on visibility, analytics, planning and strategic decision making to continuously evolve your supply chain strategy to meet current and future needs. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Areas of focus will include:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Improving supply chain visibility for better demand anticipation and disruption mitigation.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Enhancing decision-making with real-time data sharing among retailers and suppliers.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Utilizing advanced forecasting models to optimize inventory and promotions.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Fostering collaboration from farm to fork for real-time product tracking and inventory optimization. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Embracing digital transformation for supply chain optimization.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Cultivating a digitally enabled workforce and operating model and much more.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;The fundamental role of the supply chain is to fulfill demand and enable profitable growth by better serving consumers through a cost efficient and resilient supply chain. Whatever the future looks like, companies must adapt to today's new realties and take a long-term view of their supply chain performance capabilities and goals.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/supply-chain-forum?utm_campaign=supplychainforum24&amp;amp;utm_source=blog_SCF2024_may2024&amp;amp;utm_medium=blog"&gt;Registration&lt;/a&gt; is now open. Bring your team along and &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/RedirectForm/?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fmi.org%2Fsupply-chain-forum%2Fregistration&amp;amp;utm_campaign=supplychainforum24&amp;amp;utm_source=blog_SCF2024_may2024&amp;amp;utm_medium=blog"&gt;receive a group registration discount&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/RedirectForm/?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fmi.org%2Fsupply-chain-forum%2Fregistration&amp;amp;utm_campaign=supplychainforum24&amp;amp;utm_source=blog_SCF2024_may2024&amp;amp;utm_medium=blog" class="button"&gt;Register Now&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:8cd1f5d6-f5cf-43b1-8ec5-b9afd1dea4fa</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/05/13/recognizing-excellence-in-asset-protection</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Asset Protection</category><category>Asset Protection &amp; Grocery Resilience</category><title>Recognizing Excellence in Asset Protection</title><description>Employees are the first line of defense in protecting a company's assets. They are the eyes and ears of a business and often the first to notice suspicious behavior or potential threats.</description><pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2024 12:00:06 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;p&gt;By: Tom Cosgrove, Director, Industry Relations, FMI&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In a &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/04/23/leveraging-technology-for-effective-asset-protection-strategies"&gt;previous blog&lt;/a&gt;, I discussed the growing importance of the Asset Protection field in the food retail industry. This is true at all points of the supply chain, from ingredients all the way to the store's shelf. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;While technology and security measures play a significant role in preventing loss, employees are the first line of defense in protecting a company's assets. Employees are the eyes and ears of a business, and they are often the first to notice suspicious behavior or potential threats. They are also your best asset when it comes to developing and implementing a strategy that fits within your company's infrastructure and culture.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/gold-stars-on-purple.tmb-large-350-.jpg?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=924edfa7_1" style="float:right;margin-bottom:10px;margin-left:15px;margin-top:-25px;" class="-align-right" alt="Rising Stars" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;p&gt;We think it's important to recognize those who go above and beyond in such a critical field. When FMI revived the &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/asset-protection-and-grocery-resilience-conference"&gt;Asset Protection and Grocery Resilience Conference&lt;/a&gt;, the committee celebrated emerging talents and seasoned legends in the industry. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;FMI Rising Star Award&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Rising Star Award, which recognizes emerging talents in the industry, is in its third year. Joining previous recipients Michelle Fischer and JP Frattone are three wonderful and deserving finalists. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Alex Corbin - Meijer: &lt;/strong&gt;Alex Corbin excels in crisis management, swiftly restoring operations after disasters like the Tipp City tornado. Leading Meijer's acclaimed threat assessment team, he prevents harm and refines crisis protocols. Corbin's dedication is evident, from crafting exercises to collaborating for community preparedness, all focused on safety and continuity. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Luke Devine - The Kroger Co.: &lt;/strong&gt;Luke Devine is an outstanding District AP Manager with a proven track record of success. Devine comes from a law enforcement family but fell in love with the Asset Protection business. He shows amazing leadership, business acumen and has a communication style that grabs the attention of his audience.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Haile Kasiner - Harps Food:&lt;/strong&gt; Haile Kasiner's efforts in creating transactional reports have saved over $100,000 for Harps Food by identifying internal thefts and losses. She sharpened her skills in interviews and interrogations, leading to the successful recovery of almost $15,000 through approximately 40 internal interviews. Kasiner's diplomacy and problem-solving abilities have been key to her success.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Congratulations to these three excellent members of the Asset Protection community!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/apgr-award-finalists.jpg?sfvrsn=32b5266e_1" style="display:block;margin:10px auto;" class="-align-center" alt="Asset Protection Awards" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;h5&gt;FMI Asset Protection Legend Award&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;This year, the Asset Protection Council unanimously voted to award Mike Lamb with the prestigious Legend Award. Reserved for those who've surpassed all expectations, this award celebrates individuals whose contributions to the Asset Protection community are truly extraordinary. With an impressive career spanning nearly four decades, Lamb has navigated through esteemed companies such as Home Depot, Walmart and Kroger, leaving his mark in senior asset protection roles.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us in celebrating award recipients and their accomplishments at this year's &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/asset-protection-and-grocery-resilience-conference"&gt;Asset Protection and Grocery Resilience Conference&lt;/a&gt;. There's still time to register! &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/asset-protection-and-grocery-resilience-conference/registration" class="button"&gt;Register Now&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:d932adf1-8a62-4c3d-ab18-d3e702e1a293</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/05/10/what-do-epa-s-new-pfas-drinking-water-regulations-mean-for-the-food-industry</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Food Safety &amp; Security</category><category>Regulatory</category><category>Government Relations</category><title>What Do EPA’s New PFAS Drinking Water Regulations Mean for the Food Industry?</title><description>The EPA recently published the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR), which are legally enforceable standards and treatment methods that apply to public water systems (PWS).</description><pubDate>Fri, 10 May 2024 10:00:09 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;p&gt;By Dr. Shelby Furman, Director, Food and Product Safety Programs, FMI&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/water-pouring-into-glass.tmb-large-350-.jpeg?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=cd95b64b_1" style="margin-bottom:10px;float:right;margin-left:10px;" alt="Water Pouring Into Glass" class="-align-right" sf-size="1336593" /&gt;From brushing our teeth, making coffee, to washing our dishes, everyone uses water every day to live healthy lives. As individuals, we expect water from public water systems to be safe for use. Businesses also rely on water for everything from food production to sanitation and must shift practices or even shut down operations without access to potable water.&amp;nbsp;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It is essential to ensure that water that is consumed is safe and free of contaminants. A contaminant in drinking water is defined as anything other than water molecules. These can be classified in four ways: physical, chemical, biological and radiological. Though not all contaminants in water are considered harmful, some contaminants have potential health effects and have been or are starting to be regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Of the standards set by the EPA, there is one regulation in particular that has made headlines recently: the  &lt;a href="https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/national-primary-drinking-water-regulations" target="_blank"&gt;National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR)&lt;/a&gt;, which are legally enforceable standards and treatment methods that apply to public water systems (PWS). This regulation is intended to protect public health by limiting the levels of contaminants in public drinking water, such as microorganisms, disinfectants and inorganic/organic chemicals.&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A set of contaminants that are of particular interest are chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These substances are man-made chemicals that are used for their water, oil and grease resistance properties. However, they also do not break down easily and have the ability to accumulate in the environment and the body, leading to a growing concern over their potential health effects.&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In April 2024, the EPA announced final regulations on six PFAS and established health-based, non-enforceable Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs) that range from 0-10 parts per trillion (ppt):&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic Acid)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;PFOS (Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;PFHxS (Perfluorohexane sulfonate)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;PFNA (Perfluorononanoic acid)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;HFPO-DA (Gen-X chemicals)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Mixture containing two or more of PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, and PFBS (Perfluorobutane sulfonic acid)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;EPA also finalized legally enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) that are more easily achievable, which range from 4-10 ppt. As a part of the regulation, by 2027, public water systems must have completed initial monitoring for the listed PFAS. The water systems must also provide the levels of PFAS in their drinking water beginning in 2027. By 2029, water systems must implement solutions to reduce the monitored PFAS if they exceed the Maximum Contaminant Levels. Beginning in 2029, public water systems that violate one or more of the MCLs must take action on reducing the level of PFAS in the water supply and must notify the public of such violation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What impact does the NPDWR have on the food industry?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;With this regulation, FMI members might have some questions about what this means for their operations. The ruling specifically regulates public water systems and does not require action from the food industry at this time. That said, operations relying on PWS should work cooperatively with utility officials to ensure compliance and uninterrupted service at their facilities. Food facilities have the responsibility to ensure the use of water that is safe and of adequate quality in their operations to comply with U.S. Food and Drug Administration Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements. FDA considers using water that meets the standards for household drinking water would also be acceptable for the production of food products, and facilities can rely on the standards in EPA&amp;rsquo;s NPDW regulations to satisfy the GMP requirements.&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What impact does the NPDWR have on bottled water?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bottled water is regulated by the FDA; therefore, EPA&amp;rsquo;s rule does not apply directly. Currently, FDA has not established standards for PFAS in bottled water. Because EPA has finalized these standards, FDA is now required to evaluate what PFAS standards are appropriate. The agency is in its initial phase of research and is currently conducting a targeted survey for PFAS in bottled water. Results from its 2016 targeted survey did not detect PFAS in bottled water.&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;FMI will continue to monitor regulatory changes and the impact on the food industry and will update our members promptly with any new information.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Resources&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/food-safety/food-safety-resources/backgrounders/background-information/food-safety-backgrounders/2024/04/24/per--and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances"&gt;Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) FMI Backgrounder&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas" target="_blank"&gt;Final PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-04/pfas-npdwr_fact-sheet_treatment_4.8.24.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;Fact Sheet: Treatment Options for Removing PFAS in Drinking Water&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-04/pfas-npdwr_fact-sheet_cost-and-benefits_4.8.24.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;Fact Sheet: Benefits and Costs of Reducing PFAS in Drinking Water&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2015-09-17/pdf/2015-21920.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="text-decoration:underline;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:e9595924-8e36-4b59-bdd8-4be459d87c4b</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/05/09/top-five-things-to-know-about-healthy-benefits-cards</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Health &amp; Well-being</category><category>Nutrition</category><title>Top Five Things to Know about Healthy Benefits Cards</title><description>Consumers across the country are gaining access to healthy benefits as dollars to spend on their overall health and well-being. These “healthy benefits” are made available through public and private funding and are delivered in varied ways as part of many different programs.</description><pubDate>Thu, 09 May 2024 12:00:07 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;p&gt;By: Krystal Register, MS, RDN, LDN, Vice President, Health &amp;amp; Well-being, FMI&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/hwb-blog-may-2024-small-image.tmb-large-350-.png?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=ea8e7887_1" style="float:right;margin:10px;" class="-align-right" alt="HWB Blog May 2024 Small Image" sf-size="178904" /&gt;Consumers across the country are gaining access to healthy benefits as dollars to spend on their overall health and well-being. These "healthy benefits" are made available through public and private funding and are delivered in varied ways as part of many different programs. Consumers seem to appreciate these extra incentives aimed at improving overall health. &lt;span style="font-size:0.8em;"&gt;(NOTE: Use of the term "healthy benefits" here is in reference to these collective programs and services.)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;While some of these programs have been around for many years, the multi-billion-dollar market for healthy benefits is growing fast. As new opportunities rapidly emerge, retailers are seeking ways to understand the entire ecosystem in order to accept various cards, partner with payers and processors, carry products and services covered and ultimately provide seamless solutions for customers.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Programs&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;In addition to programs funded by the federal government, insurers and employers are expanding healthy benefits offerings. Programs and their sources of funding include:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;SNAP/WIC - federal government (includes GusNIP)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;HSA/FSA/HRA - individuals and employers&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Medicare Advantage - health insurance payors (may receive government funding as well)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Nascent programs* - government, insurance payors, non-profits, employers, others&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p style="font-size:0.8em;"&gt;*These include Medicaid waivers and food as medicine programs such as food prescriptions and medically tailored meals.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Ecosystem&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;The general ecosystem puts the consumer at the intersection of healthcare providers and insurance payers, government, retail and many others to include non-profit organizations, employers and issuers. The flow of information, programs, funds, prescriptions, products and services is complex and competitive.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/hwb-blog-may-2024.png?sfvrsn=fcfb547c_1" style="margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:40px;" alt="HWB Oliver Wyman Infographic" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Products and Services&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;In general, benefits are intended to promote preventive care, wellness activities and overall health improvement. Consumers can spend their benefits on various health-related products and services depending on the program. Examples can include over-the-counter items, select groceries, medical devices, counseling services, nutrition education, fitness equipment, pet food, household supplies, gas, transportation, utilities, etc. Spending can also be restricted to certain products or connected to approved lists.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Challenges&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are many potential challenges in this complicated ecosystem, particularly in the areas of: enrollment for the customer, activation of the card, data security, knowledge of available benefits and what items are on an approved product list, retailer acceptance of the card at the point of sale, technology limitations, and troubleshooting with the right entity when a question arises.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Opportunity&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;There is a growing opportunity for retailers to connect with food as medicine interventions that provide a combination of medically tailored meals, produce prescriptions, food boxes, personalized counseling and other services intended to prevent or manage disease. Healthy benefits programs are multiplying, and the local grocery store has a supportive role to play. Retailers can champion the growth of these programs while building customer loyalty as a destination for health and well-being in the communities they serve.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To better understand the complexities and opportunities, FMI has partnered with Oliver Wyman to create an on-going series of resources for members. The foundational materials from 2023 include a recorded digital seminar: &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/understanding-healthy-benefits-cards" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"&gt;Understanding Healthy Benefits Cards&lt;/a&gt; and white paper titled: &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/healthy-benefits-wellbeing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"&gt;How Accepting Healthy Benefits Support Customer Wellbeing&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Continuing to build on this foundation, a follow up digital seminar specifically explored funding pools and accelerated growth. The recording is now available to FMI members.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/HealthyBenefitsCards" class="button"&gt;Watch the recording&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5 style="font-size:0.9em;"&gt;For Reference:&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p style="font-size:0.9em;"&gt;SNAP = Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program&lt;br /&gt;WIC = Women, Infants, and Children Program&lt;br /&gt;GusNIP = The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program&lt;br /&gt;HSA = Health Savings Account&lt;br /&gt;FSA = Flexible Spending Account&lt;br /&gt;HRA = Health Reimbursement Account&lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:dae15ae9-1a62-4db2-8031-f04b616c65a6</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/05/08/the-era-of-pda-powered-grocery-shopping</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Technology</category><title>The Era of PDA-Powered Grocery Shopping</title><description>Personal digital assistants are revolutionizing the food industry by providing personalized shopping experiences, optimizing operations and enhancing engagement. The benefits underscore their indispensable role in shaping grocery retailing.</description><pubDate>Wed, 08 May 2024 12:00:07 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;blockquote class="small"&gt;This is the fourth installment of FMI's Technology Blog Series, which explores digital innovations for the food industry and shares compelling insights from our research.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;p&gt;By: Doug Baker, Vice President, Industry Relations, FMI&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/tech-series-4-digital-assistants.tmb-large-350-.png?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=b097ebf9_2" style="float:right;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px;margin-left:10px;" class="-align-right" alt="Technology Series Personal Digital Assistants" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;p&gt;Personal digital assistants (PDAs), once the stuff of science fiction, have become integral tools in everyday activities. The concept of a personal digital assistant has evolved since the 1990s and early 2000s. PDAs, now commonly known as virtual assistants, are software-based tools employing artificial intelligence and natural language processing to execute tasks, respond to inquiries and offer information or aid to users.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;These AI-powered helpers use advanced algorithms and machine learning to tailor recommendations based on past purchases, preferences and dietary restrictions. This saves time and increases customer satisfaction by ensuring shoppers find products that meet their needs.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;How PDAs Enhance the Grocery Shopping Experience&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shopping Lists and Meal Planning:&lt;/strong&gt; PDAs help shoppers create lists based on their dietary preferences, previous purchases and meal plans. They can suggest recipes based on available ingredients and even plan weekly meals.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Price Comparison: &lt;/strong&gt;Personal assistants can scan multiple online and local grocery stores to compare prices for the same items, helping consumers find the best deals and save money.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Smart Recommendations:&lt;/strong&gt; By analyzing past purchases and user preferences, PDAs can offer personalized product recommendations, including alternatives or substitutes for items out of stock or unavailable.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nutritional Information:&lt;/strong&gt; PDAs can provide nutritional information for products, helping users make informed choices based on their dietary needs and restrictions.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Voice Commands and Hands-Free Operation: &lt;/strong&gt;Voice assistants allow users to add items to their shopping lists, search for products or place orders using voice commands, making the process more convenient, especially while cooking or driving.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Strategies for Food Retailers&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;By adapting to the constant transformation of consumer behaviors influenced by PDAs, food retailers can position themselves for success in the digital era of grocery shopping by taking several proactive steps:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Invest in Digital Infrastructure:&lt;/strong&gt; Retailers should invest in robust digital platforms that can integrate with PDAs. This includes developing user-friendly mobile apps and websites that offer features such as online ordering, personalized recommendations and real-time inventory updates.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Focus on Customer Experience:&lt;/strong&gt; Prioritize customer experience across all touchpoints, from browsing products online to receiving deliveries or pickups. Seamless, frictionless experiences will encourage repeat business and foster customer loyalty in the competitive grocery market.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Optimize Supply Chain and Inventory Management:&lt;/strong&gt; Streamline supply chain processes and invest in inventory management systems that provide real-time product availability updates. This ensures that customers receive accurate information and reduces the likelihood of out-of-stock situations.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Adapt Marketing Strategies:&lt;/strong&gt; Reach consumers through digital channels, including social media, email campaigns and targeted advertisements. Highlight PDAs' convenience, savings, and personalized experiences to attract and retain customers.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Embrace Innovation:&lt;/strong&gt; Stay ahead by exploring emerging technologies such as augmented reality (AR) for virtual shopping experiences or voice-commerce integrations to cater to changing consumer preferences.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Personal digital assistants are revolutionizing the food industry by providing personalized shopping experiences, optimizing operations and enhancing customer engagement. The benefits underscore their indispensable role in shaping the future of grocery retailing.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;FMI hosts initiatives and opportunities for collaboration in technology, including an all-company approach related to mobility, payments, data security, cloud computing, in-store innovation and social commerce. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The FMItech Directory provides a comprehensive list of partners and suppliers focused on technology for automation strategies, ecommerce, supply chain, food safety and more.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/industry-topics/technology" class="button"&gt;Technology Resources&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/get-involved/directories/tech-directory" class="button-secondary"&gt;FMItech Directory&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:d173382c-924e-4e5f-bcd4-f3e4f114e816</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/05/06/celebrating-excellence--pepsico-receives-fmi-s-2024-food-safety-innovation-award</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Food Safety &amp; Security</category><title>Celebrating Excellence: PepsiCo Receives FMI’s 2024 Food Safety Innovation Award</title><description>We are proud to recognize PepsiCo as the recipient of this year’s award for their comprehensive approach to food safety. PepsiCo is the first product supplier company to receive the award and joins a prestigious list of past award recipients.</description><pubDate>Mon, 06 May 2024 12:00:05 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;p&gt;By Ashley Eisenbeiser, Senior Director, Food and Product Safety Programs, FMI&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/pepsico_food_safety_innovation_award.tmb-large-350-.jpeg?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=be05fcfb_1" style="margin-bottom:10px;float:right;margin-left:10px;" class="-align-right" alt="PepsiCo Food Safety Innovation Award" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;p&gt;It is widely accepted across the food industry that human behavior greatly impacts food safety. Food safety performance goes beyond establishing strong food safety standards and is largely influenced by culture. Moreover, food safety culture is the shared attitudes, values and beliefs about food safety throughout an organization. &amp;nbsp;Proactively building a positive food safety culture requires a basis in behavioral science and acknowledges that all employees&amp;mdash;executive to front line&amp;mdash;have a role to play.&amp;nbsp;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;FMI, in partnership with the&amp;nbsp; &lt;a href="https://www.ifpti.org/" target="_blank"&gt;International Food Protection Training Institute&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;(IFPTI), created the Food Safety Innovation Award as a way to recognize companies that have made an innovative contribution or commitment to food safety, and encourage others in industry, government and academia to search for creative solutions and implement new practices in continuing to keep our food the safest it can be.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We are proud to recognize PepsiCo as the recipient of this year&amp;rsquo;s award for their comprehensive approach to food safety. Chosen by an independent review panel, PepsiCo has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to food safety and quality through their innovative, multifaceted approach to building a positive food safety culture across all levels of the organization.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/bethehero-campaign.tmb-small.png?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=959ac455_1" style="margin-bottom:10px;float:left;margin-right:15px;" class="-align-left" alt="BeTheHero Campaign" sf-size="198230" /&gt;Driven by a cross-functional team, PepsiCo has accelerated food safety culture across their diverse, global company by deploying a behavioral science-based framework to advance food safety culture.&amp;nbsp; This framework has helped create sustainable procedures to mitigate the risk of food safety hazards and encouraged a workplace culture grounded in sharing learnings from near miss events.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The global framework is widely recognized across PepsiCo by its passionate #BeTheHero branding and its adored mascots Elisa and Raymond, two animated superhero characters. Through storytelling and connection to values, these superhero sentiments have been leveraged in PepsiCo&amp;rsquo;s R&amp;amp;D locations and manufacturing sites around the world and have helped reinforce that all employees, regardless of their location or job title, can step into the role of an everyday hero equipped with the knowledge and tools to ensure food safety.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;PepsiCo is the first product supplier company to receive the award and joins a prestigious list of &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/get-involved/awards/#foodsafety"&gt;past award recipients&lt;/a&gt;. On behalf of the entire FMI staff and membership, we extend our congratulations to PepsiCo for proudly creating a culture of food safety excellence and earning this year&amp;rsquo;s Food Safety Innovation Award.&lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:fe9dd291-d33d-42c1-94f9-6b0641df5b9b</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/05/02/harnessing-the-magic-of-general-merchandise-to-drive-foot-traffic</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Nonfoods</category><title>Harnessing the Magic of General Merchandise to Drive Foot Traffic</title><description>The food retailing industry has a growing buzz about the interaction between general merchandise and grocery items. Retailers increasingly recognize the potential for driving incremental sales by strategically pairing these categories.</description><pubDate>Thu, 02 May 2024 12:00:06 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;p&gt;By: Margaret Core, Vice President, Marketing, FMI&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/glitter-star-nonfoods.tmb-large-350-.jpg?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=b7db54b8_1" style="margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px;float:right;margin-left:15px;" class="-align-right" alt="Nonfoods category interior decor" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;p&gt;Nine years ago, as our two boys embarked on their high school journey, my husband and I decided to build our new home on the same street for convenience and to cherish our final years together as a family. However, with the household budget stretched thin, luxuries like window coverings were deemed an unaffordable indulgence. Then, I stumbled upon a simple yet elegant white and gold-lit paper hanging star at Aldi during my first visit to the store. Little did I realize then that this budget-friendly solution would become a cherished fixture in our home.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Fast forward to the present day and our nest is now empty as we prepare to move. With fond memories attached to the star, I passed it on to a dear friend to enjoy. I didn't anticipate the cultural phenomenon that had evolved around Aldi's middle row of goodies, now famously dubbed the "&lt;a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/19/business/aldi-aisle-of-shame-fans/index.html" target="_blank"&gt;Aisle of Shame&lt;/a&gt;," boasting a staggering 2.5 million followers on &lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/aldiaisleofshame" target="_blank"&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;. But Aldi is not alone in this trend.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Retail giants like Target and Walmart have embraced similar concepts to drive foot traffic and elevate the shopping experience. Target's "Bullseye's Playground" and Walmart's strategically placed "Value Bins" offer a treasure trove of discounted items, ranging from seasonal d&amp;eacute;cor to household essentials, captivating customers and encouraging them to explore beyond their intended purchases.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;As the retail landscape continues to evolve, the industry has a growing buzz about the interaction between general merchandise and grocery items. Retailers increasingly recognize the potential for driving incremental sales by strategically pairing these categories. This conversation has been amplified by FMI's investment in the nonfoods community, sparking discussions and innovative ideas.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Join the Conversation and Explore New Possibilities&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;The upcoming FMI &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/nonfoods-event"&gt;Nonfoods Event&lt;/a&gt; in May and the &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/nonfoods-business-conference"&gt;Nonfoods Business Conference&lt;/a&gt; in September promise to be hubs of inspiration and collaboration. Just as I stumbled upon my beloved window treatment d&amp;eacute;cor amidst my grocery visit, food retailers can captivate consumers by embracing the element of surprise, curating unique selections and enhancing the overall shopping experience.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In a world where 2.5 million followers eagerly scour GM displays for their next treasure, the potential for grocers to drive foot traffic and foster long-term loyalty is undeniable. We look forward to more ideas shared at the upcoming&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/nonfoods-event"&gt;FMI Nonfoods Event&lt;/a&gt;, May 14-16, 2024 and at the education program the&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/nonfoods-business-conference"&gt;Nonfoods Business Conference&lt;/a&gt;, September 8-10, 2024. You never know what bright ideas and fruitful collaborations might emerge.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/nonfoods-event" class="button"&gt;FMI Nonfoods Event&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/nonfoods-business-conference" class="button-secondary"&gt;Nonfoods Business Conference&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:6ff776a4-6e02-4e43-ab4e-4074d702004b</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/04/30/a-decade-of-highlighting-family-meals</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Family Meals</category><category>NFMM</category><title>A Decade of Highlighting Family Meals</title><description>This September, the FMI Foundation celebrates our tenth National Family Meals Month. This anniversary year provides a great opportunity to celebrate how far we’ve come and realize future opportunities for promoting the benefits of family meals.</description><pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 12:00:09 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;div&gt;&lt;p paraid="634884938" paraeid="{c5ed06ae-ffb9-4e68-a501-f355f5bd202f}{244}"&gt;By: David Fikes, Executive Director, FMI Foundation&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;p xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" paraid="700972003" paraeid="{3f6f67c6-5800-43ba-9468-8f7ee0b78f3d}{16}"&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/family-meals/jpg-logo/nfmm-logo-color.tmb-large-350-.png?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=b3d7ff65_2" style="float:right;margin:10px;" alt="nfmm-logo-color" class="-align-right" sf-size="265711" /&gt;This September, the FMI Foundation celebrates our tenth &lt;a href="http://national%20family%20meals%20month/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"&gt;National Family Meals Month&lt;/a&gt;. This anniversary year provides a great opportunity to celebrate how far we&amp;rsquo;ve come and realize future opportunities for promoting the benefits of family meals. Time and again, our consumer research confirms that shoppers agree with the &lt;a href="http://35+%20years%20of%20research%20and%20thousands%20of%20studies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"&gt;35+ years of research and thousands of studies&lt;/a&gt; that family meals - no matter how you define &amp;ldquo;family&amp;rdquo;- are advantageous for physical, emotional and mental health. &amp;nbsp;But the fact that family meals are almost universally acclaimed is both a blessing and a curse. Because most everyone recognizes the benefits, consumers don&amp;rsquo;t need much convincing of how valuable family meals are. &amp;nbsp;However, like many things everyone recognizes as being good for us - such as exercise and reading &amp;ndash; the challenge lies in the discipline of executing family meals regularly.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;p xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" paraid="1813446299" paraeid="{6bab5a5f-32f2-41fd-9ff7-589c1f58e4eb}{27}"&gt;Family Meals Month allows dietitians a non-threatening, accessible way to talk about &lt;a href="https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"&gt;dietary guidelines&lt;/a&gt; and weave in information about &lt;a href="https://www.myplate.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"&gt;MyPlate&lt;/a&gt; while seeking to inspire consumers to have more meals together at home. &amp;nbsp;In fact, we&amp;rsquo;ve got special co-branded USDA MyPlate infographics &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/family-meals/toolkits/infographics" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; that wed family meals messaging with nutritional guidance. According to &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/02/16/the-food-industry-is-committed-to-health---well-being" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"&gt;FMI&amp;rsquo;s 2024 report Food Industry Contributions to Health &amp;amp; Well-being&lt;/a&gt;, 75% of food industry companies reported actively promoting &amp;ldquo;communal eating such as family meals&amp;rdquo; (p. 24). Of that 75%, &amp;ldquo;90% of companies include nutritional messaging as part of their communal eating program&amp;rdquo; (p. 24). &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;p xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" paraid="1033967718" paraeid="{e612e424-6c0a-444a-967c-67c21d0f76d1}{200}"&gt;While September is a whole summer away, it&amp;rsquo;s never too early to start planning for National Family Meals Month &amp;ndash; or better yet, the year-round Family Meals Movement.&amp;nbsp;  You can find free customizable resources, ideas, social media posts, infographics, logos and more on our &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/family-meals/toolkits" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"&gt;toolkit page&lt;/a&gt;. If you are still looking for other ideas and potential partners, we&amp;rsquo;d love to hear from you to help you design the most inspirational activation possible. Reach out to the FMI Foundation at &lt;a href="mailto:familymealsmonth@fmi.org" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"&gt;familymealsmonth@fmi.org&lt;/a&gt; for partnership opportunities. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;p xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" paraid="32306162" paraeid="{cd89063a-4899-4db4-87e7-7e71955fd80f}{11}"&gt;Customers will appreciate the assistance if you make it easier for them to do what they know is good for them. &amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/family-meals/join-the-movement" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"&gt;Let us know&lt;/a&gt; how we can make our tenth anniversary shine as the best Family Meals Month yet. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/family-meals" class="button"&gt;Learn more about National Family Meals Month&lt;/a&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:e7a583ce-ee57-456d-bc81-83cbf9371865</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/04/23/leveraging-technology-for-effective-asset-protection-strategies</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Technology</category><category>Asset Protection</category><category>Asset Protection &amp; Grocery Resilience</category><title>Leveraging Technology for Effective Asset Protection Strategies</title><description>There are many compelling discussions to be explored regarding the integration of technology-driven solutions in asset protection including improved profitability, enhanced security and increased customer satisfaction.</description><pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 12:00:11 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;blockquote class="small"&gt;This is the third installment of FMI's Technology Blog Series, which explores digital innovations for the food industry and shares compelling insights from our research.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;p&gt;By: Tom Cosgrove, Director, Industry Relations, FMI&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img sf-custom-thumbnail="true" src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/tech-series-3-asset-protection.png?sfvrsn=516e0f9e_3" style="float:right;margin-bottom:10px;margin-left:10px;" sf-constrain-proportions="true" class="-align-right" width="375" alt="Technology solutions asset protection" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;p&gt;I don't think this will come as a surprise to anyone, but  the need for robust and creative &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/industry-topics/asset-protection"&gt;asset protection solutions&lt;/a&gt; has become  increasingly critical to our businesses. &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/industry-topics/technology"&gt;Technology &lt;/a&gt;is a powerful ally in this  endeavor, offering innovative solutions to identify, deter and combat bad  actors. I commend my colleagues on the &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/asset-protection-council-portal/Home"&gt;Asset Protection Council&lt;/a&gt; for their  creative problem-solving and dedication to exploring technology solutions to  reduce shrinkage in their companies.&amp;nbsp;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;My appreciation also extends to our solution  provider partners for their innovative support and to the FMI Board of  Directors for recognizing the central role of technology in both FMI and the  food industry's priorities. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;The world of asset protection has grown over time,  as has the term "shrink". In this blog, I'll focus on asset protection  regarding human malice, such as theft, organized retail crime (ORC), human  error and improper scanning.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Working with the Asset Protection Council, I have seen many  different forms of technology created to help reduce loss. Some of these  technology solutions are focused on prevention before the act, while others  focus on actions after the incident has occurred. These solutions come in  various forms, such as surveillance efforts,  deterrents on the shelf and deterrents on the front end of the store. These innovations continue to impress me.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Technology Solutions Provide Many Benefits for Asset  Protection&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Improved profitability:&lt;/strong&gt; Technology aids in reducing shrinkage at different points throughout the store, such as the point of sale and self-checkout (SCO), thereby improving retailers' bottom line. Additionally, it can help optimize inventory management, store operations and customer service, enhancing overall efficiency and productivity.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Enhanced security:&lt;/strong&gt; Technology is vital in protecting assets from theft, damage or loss through special locked cases and other theft-deterrent systems. It ensures the safety of both customers and associates through a range of advanced solutions including internal and external video surveillance systems, metal detectors and weapons detections systems.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Increased customer satisfaction:&lt;/strong&gt; Embracing technology not only enhances the shopping experience for customers by speeding up service, it also cultivates lasting loyalty and trust by demonstrating a commitment to safety and integrity.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;These solutions cannot be used (or relied on) in  a vacuum, however, and require a strategic and holistic approach to be  effective. It is also important to get all parties potentially affected by  technological changes into the same room. Asset protection professionals must  collaborate with (and gain buy-in from) departments like IT, finance and  operations. There are many compelling discussions to be explored  regarding the integration of technology-driven solutions in asset protection. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To learn more about these and other asset protection topics, I encourage you  and your team to register for the &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/asset-protection-and-grocery-resilience-conference"&gt;Asset Protection and Grocery Resilience  Conference&lt;/a&gt; on May 20-23, 2024 at the Westin Galleria in Dallas. I look  forward to seeing you there!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/asset-protection-and-grocery-resilience-conference/registration" class="button button--big"&gt;Register Now&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:8b541272-e39d-4df1-97dc-f7b098e9c762</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/04/19/traceability-is-important--but-it-must-be-done-right</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Food Safety &amp; Security</category><category>Government Relations</category><category>Priority Issue</category><category>Regulatory</category><category>Federal</category><title>Traceability Is Important, But It Must Be Done Right</title><description>Food safety is the single most important issue the food industry prioritizes every day. FMI supports strong traceability systems, but it must be done in a way that is practical, achievable, and produces measurable results in enhancing food safety.</description><pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 19:50:09 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;p&gt;By Dr. Hilary Thesmar, Chief Science Officer and SVP, Food and Product Safety, FMI&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/lettuce_farm_water.tmb-large-350-.jpeg?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=17e451c_1" style="margin-bottom:5px;float:right;margin-left:15px;" class="-align-right" alt="Lettuce_Farm_Water" sf-size="10083310" /&gt;Food safety is the single most important issue the food industry prioritizes every day. Without a safe food supply, we risk the trust and confidence of the consumers we&amp;rsquo;re committed to serving. Our first and perennial priority is focusing on prevention to mitigate the likelihood of foodborne illness outbreaks in the first place. This is why FMI and our members have worked tirelessly to ensure compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration&amp;rsquo;s (FDA) FSMA regulations. This is also why our members have already implemented robust traceability procedures that allow them to provide regulators with timely and complete information in the course of foodborne illness investigations and product recalls.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To be clear, our industry consistently and tirelessly works with FDA and our supply chain partners on prevention every day, and the food industry already does a great job at assisting in foodborne illness investigations to identify potential sources of contamination. Food retailers regularly provide regulators with critical information during the course of investigations so that necessary action can be taken. As an example, following the 2018 romaine lettuce outbreaks, we created the &amp;ldquo;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/fmi-recommended-food-safety-practices-for-leafy-greens"&gt;FMI Recommended Food Safety Practices for Leafy Greens&lt;/a&gt;&amp;rdquo; guide to increase communication across the entire supply chain, to protect consumers and the safety of products they consume, and to facilitate effective response to food safety incidents should they occur again. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;FDA&amp;rsquo;s &lt;a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-requirements-additional-traceability-records-certain-foods" target="_blank"&gt;Food Traceability Rule&lt;/a&gt; is ostensibly aimed at enhancing food safety. But, while we share the agency&amp;rsquo;s commitment to enhancing traceability, we are concerned that the rule's undue complexity and immense burdens will undercut its effectiveness. In short, without additional flexibility, the rule risks imposing significant costs on industry and consumers, while failing to measurably improve food safety. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The rule was written in a way that extends far beyond the original intent of Congress when it passed FSMA more than a decade ago. For example, the rule will require that companies collect and pass forward information that is not currently collected in the normal course of business practices. And, despite the fact that the rule was intended to cover only a limited set of &amp;ldquo;high risk&amp;rdquo; foods, the current regulation would apply to dozens of items and ingredients included in tens of thousands of products, many of which pose little demonstrated food safety risk. This means that industry will need to track and keep additional records on the hundreds of thousands of shipments that happen across the supply chain every day. The rule also requires that these records be maintained for two years &amp;ndash; significantly longer than the life cycle of perishable products &amp;ndash; necessitating substantial physical and electronic storage needs.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Despite these and multiple other challenges, the food industry is working hard to comply by the January 2026 deadline. We have put in a tremendous amount of effort to support our members in understanding and complying with the rule. We have hosted numerous &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/2023FSMASeriesOnDemand"&gt;digital seminars with GS1-US&lt;/a&gt; to educate members on the rule&amp;rsquo;s requirements, held an all-day in-person workshop with our Food Protection Committee to identify challenges and potential solutions, and developed informative resources including our &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/docs/default-source/food-safety/fsma-microsite---traceability/fmi-traceability-compliance-guide.pdf?sfvrsn=fb5c853b_3"&gt;compliance guide&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/docs/default-source/food-safety/fsma-microsite---traceability/fmi-traceability-implementation-guide.pdf?sfvrsn=2a006e5b_5"&gt;implementation guide&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;FMI is committed to working directly with FDA to provide critical flexibility under the rule to make it implementable for industry while also meeting the agency&amp;rsquo;s goal of having access to data to solve foodborne illness investigations. This requires the development of practical solutions that are flexible, interoperable, open source, and can work across the entire sector &amp;ndash; from retailers to wholesalers and national chains to single-store operators &amp;ndash; in a way that doesn&amp;rsquo;t result in increased costs for consumers and that still provides FDA with useful traceability information. For example, this is why we encourage FDA to participate in pilot programs, which will provide an opportunity to uncover real-world challenges encountered in implementing the rule and will allow both industry and regulators to identify best practices for compliance. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It also requires our partners further up the supply chain, like farmers, harvesters, packers, and suppliers to understand their own regulatory requirements under the rule and have unified systems in place to share the necessary data with their trading partners. Those solutions do not currently exist, which is why we believe the best approach is to take our time to get this right instead of rushing toward a &amp;ldquo;solution&amp;rdquo; that doesn&amp;rsquo;t work.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Like any new and complex regulatory framework, coming into compliance with this rule will be an incredible undertaking for the entire food supply chain. There is no easy solution that will guarantee compliance quickly. We believe that providing industry with additional time to identify and implement solutions to these complex problems will allow both FDA and industry to best work towards achieving the rule&amp;rsquo;s objectives. We support strong traceability systems, but it must be done in a way that is practical, achievable, and produces measurable results in enhancing food safety.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/food-safety-modernization-act-resource-center/traceability" class="button"&gt;FMI FSMA Resource Center &amp;ndash; Food Traceability&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:f6d3f012-cd22-4a8e-a4ec-0907fb4cff97</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/04/18/candid-conversation-about-dei-concerns</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>DEI</category><title>Candid Conversation About DEI Concerns</title><description>I am constantly amazed at the power of invigorating conversation.  In a world frequently filled with tepid exchanges and mundane interactions, it is a joy when gifted with an encounter that challenges, inspires, and opens our eyes because it is authentic, vulnerable, and filled with wisdom. These honest exchanges make us feel more alive. I had that experience last week when – on behalf of the FMI DEI committee - I got to interview Mr. Stephen Leach, Director of Inclusive Content and Engagement, Disney Entertainment/National Geographic. Leach has worked in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion space across several industries including food, hospitality, education, and now entertainment.</description><pubDate>Thu, 18 Apr 2024 12:00:05 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;p&gt;By: David Fikes, Executive Director, FMI Foundation&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/dei-blog-image.tmb-large-350-.jpeg?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=f61ab3e5_1" style="float:right;margin:10px;" class="-align-right" alt="DEI Blog Image" sf-size="5071758" /&gt;I am constantly amazed at the power of invigorating conversation. In a world frequently filled with tepid exchanges and mundane interactions, it is a joy when gifted with an encounter that challenges, inspires and opens our eyes because it is authentic, vulnerable and filled with wisdom. These honest exchanges make us feel more alive. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I had that experience last week when &amp;mdash; on behalf of the FMI DEI committee &amp;mdash; I got to interview Mr. Stephen Leach, Director of Inclusive Content and Engagement, Disney Entertainment/National Geographic. Leach has worked in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion space across several industries including food, hospitality, education and now entertainment. His wealth and diversity of experience, coupled with his winsome personality, made it a joy to probe his thinking about several thorny DEI issues. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Disney's Proactive Approach to DEI&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;Addressing the conscious, subconscious and even unconscious racism prevalent in America's past without denying, ignoring or rewriting it has been&amp;nbsp;&amp;mdash; and continues to be challenging. During Leach's tenure, the Disney team has done great work in acknowledging problematic historical representations of people of different races and cultural identities. When asked how the Disney team approached and executed this, Leach shared that they tackled it relationally and structurally. They worked on inter-staff relationships and saw the necessity of having team members representing DEI concerns assigned across multiple departments to ensure each step of a film's production was handled with sensitivity. It also meant revisiting earlier films and including acknowledgments that they were not handled with current sensitivities now prevalent. He pointed out that it is far easier to make a correction early at the initial creative stages than having to make script revisions, retape and then reanimate sequences. Catching an insensitive misstep early is crucial because if it is not caught in time, fixing it becomes economically challenging, if not impossible. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/stephen-leach.tmb-medium.png?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=18119b0a_1" style="float:left;margin-right:15px;margin-bottom:10px;margin-left:5px;" class="-align-left" alt="Stephen Leach" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;p&gt;Leach acknowledged that measurement is important if we're striving for improvement, but also agreed that DEI metrics are complicated because it is such an emotional, socially-charged issue that no one wants coldly driven by numbers and quotas. Drawing upon his diverse experience, Leach was able to share some of the ways he's been able to balance ROI expectations with the "but it&amp;rsquo;s the right thing to do" mentality, which sometimes necessitated using third-party auditing groups for content assessment. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our conversation then turned to how, politically speaking, this is a very sensitive time to be addressing DEI concerns &amp;mdash; with some major news agencies talking about a diminishing corporate focus on it and the Supreme Court's recent Affirmative Action ruling causing everyone in the corporate office to pause and take a legal look at organizational DEI programs. Leach shared some practical tips for how DEI professionals can keep company programs strong.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Leach closed out our conversation speaking candidly about how becoming a father, strengthened his commitment to DEI issues and offered the best advise his three kids offer him.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To hear his kids' best career advice and all of the insights from my chat with Stephen Leach, the conversation was recorded and can be &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/DEIexpertStephenLeachondemand"&gt;accessed&lt;/a&gt; at FMI.org.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/DEIexpertStephenLeachondemand" class="button"&gt;Watch the Recording&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/industry-topics/diversity-equity-inclusion" class="button-secondary"&gt;DEI Resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:058501c2-2049-4748-b98b-a73a948b29b2</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/04/16/exploring-innovation-and-sustainability-in-the-frozen-food-industry</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Frozen Foods</category><title>Exploring Innovation and Sustainability in the Frozen Food Industry</title><description>Frozen IQ is set to serve as a nexus for professionals to discuss the latest trends, challenges and opportunities within the frozen food sector. It will focus on innovation and sustainability.</description><pubDate>Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:00:09 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;h3&gt;A Preview of Frozen IQ Event Hosted by FMI and AFFI&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;By: Rick Stein, Vice President, Industry Relations, FMI&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The frozen food industry, a cornerstone of modern convenience and culinary innovation, is gearing up for the upcoming FMI and American Frozen Food Institute's (AFFI) &lt;a href="https://affi.org/FrozenIQ/" target="_blank"&gt;Frozen IQ&lt;/a&gt; event, June 3-5, 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas. Set to serve as a nexus for professionals to discuss the latest trends, challenges and opportunities within the frozen food sector, Frozen IQ focuses on innovation and sustainability. This year's event promises to be an exciting glimpse into the future.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="padding:5px 0 5px 0;position:relative;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/929673428?h=19c833417f&amp;amp;badge=0&amp;amp;autopause=0&amp;amp;player_id=0&amp;amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" title="Why the Saffron Road Founder Sees Value in Frozen IQ"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Adnan Durrani, Founder and CEO of Saffron Road shared how he sees Frozen IQ as an amazing opportunity for FMI and AFFI leaders to collaborate on the pressing issues in the industry. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Macro Trends and Consumer Shifts&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;David Portalatin and Sally Lyons Wyatt will start the Frozen IQ conversations by delving into macro trends currently influencing consumer behavior on food consumption and purchases. These trends are crucial for industry professionals to understand as they navigate the shifting landscape and compare retail to food service. Frozen food manufacturers and retailers must understand where and how consumers choose to eat, given changes in dining habits due to the pandemic and evolving consumer preferences.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Daypart Consumption: &lt;/strong&gt;The focal point will be on consumer shifts across different dayparts, from breakfast to late-night snacks. Attendees can expect to gain insights into which dayparts are seeing growth in frozen food consumption and how companies can capitalize on these trends.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tech Integration:&lt;/strong&gt; Technology will integrate into the frozen food aisle seamlessly. Smart packaging that monitors freshness, online ordering with doorstep delivery and meal kits tailored to dietary needs will be hot topics. The focus extends beyond the food's content and encompasses how consumers will interact with it in the coming years.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Global Influences:&lt;/strong&gt; The frozen food market is set to become more globally inspired. Attendees will learn about exotic flavors and ingredients in freezer aisles, reflecting our increasingly interconnected culinary world. From Indian spices to Japanese fusion, the diversity of options is expected to expand.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sustainability:&lt;/strong&gt; A growth imperative sustainability will be a core principle guiding the future of the frozen food industry at Frozen IQ. Attendees will discuss reducing waste, energy efficiency and responsible sourcing.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;a href="https://affi.org/frozeniq/" target="_blank" class="-align-right" style="float:right;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px;margin-left:15px;"&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/frozen-iq2024-300x250-join-me.jpg?sfvrsn=57170d78_1" style="float:right;" alt="Join me at Frozen IQ" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reducing Food Waste&lt;/strong&gt;: Experts will share strategies for minimizing food waste throughout the supply chain. From improved logistics to consumer education on proper storage, the industry will commit to fighting waste.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Packaging Innovations&lt;/strong&gt;: Packaging will play a crucial role in sustainability. The event will showcase new biodegradable materials and designs to reduce plastic waste. Companies explore compostable trays, recyclable films, and minimalist packaging without compromising on quality or convenience.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Farm to Freezer Transparency:&lt;/strong&gt; Consumers want to know where their food comes from. Frozen food producers will respond with transparency initiatives, providing detailed information about sourcing, farming practices, and nutritional content. This transparency will build trust and encourage more sustainable farming methods.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Frozen IQ 2024 will be a testament to the vibrancy and resilience of the frozen food industry. By embracing innovation and sustainability, it will not just be keeping pace with consumer demands &amp;mdash; it will be setting the standard for the future of food.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The event will be a reminder that the frozen food aisle is no longer just a place for quick meals. It will be a hub of creativity, sustainability and delicious possibilities. We can't wait to see what the future holds for this dynamic industry.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://affi.org/frozeniq/schedule/" target="_blank" class="button-secondary"&gt;Dive into the Schedule&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://affi.org/frozeniq/registration/" target="_blank" class="button-secondary"&gt;Register Online&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://affi.org/frozeniq/registration/" target="_blank" class="button"&gt;Take advantage of the Retailer discount!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:d93dd726-4f53-4d78-ae95-52bf8502be95</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/04/15/navigating-the-impending-expiration-of-the-tax-cut-and-jobs-act</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Financial Executive and Internal Auditors</category><category>Payments</category><category>Regulatory</category><title>Navigating the Impending Expiration of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act</title><description>Will Rogers famously said “The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets.”  Which is both true and the reason why - in the realm of financial management and auditing within the food retail industry - staying abreast of legislative changes is paramount. One such change that demands attention is the impending expiration of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017.</description><pubDate>Mon, 15 Apr 2024 11:00:09 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;div&gt;&lt;p paraid="1539175608" paraeid="{4f736e9e-bb42-4cb5-bb79-137afdcf21f3}{167}"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;By: Andy Harig, Vice President, Tax, Trade, Sustainability &amp;amp; Policy Development, Legislative &amp;amp; Political Affairs, FMI&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p paraid="1539175608" paraeid="{4f736e9e-bb42-4cb5-bb79-137afdcf21f3}{167}"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/tax-blog-image.tmb-large-350-.jpeg?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=c0b6b7ea_1" style="float:right;margin:10px;" class="-align-right" alt="Pie chart being cut by fork and knife" sf-size="5536860" /&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;Will Rogers famously said &amp;ldquo;The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn&amp;rsquo;t get worse every time Congress meets.&amp;rdquo;  Which is both true and the reason why &lt;/span&gt;&amp;mdash;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;in the realm of financial management and auditing within the food retail industry &lt;/span&gt;&amp;mdash;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;staying abreast of legislative changes is paramount. One such change that demands attention is the impending expiration of the &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1/text" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;white-space:inherit;"&gt;Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;. Signed into law on December 22, 2017, this act represented the most substantial overhaul of the U.S. tax code in decades. The TCJA aimed to simplify the tax system, stimulate economic growth and provide tax relief for individuals and businesses. But as we approach 2025, the expiration of key provisions in this act brings forth a myriad of challenges for the industry.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p paraid="1539175608" paraeid="{4f736e9e-bb42-4cb5-bb79-137afdcf21f3}{167}"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;Amidst these uncertainties, the &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/RedirectForm/?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fmi.org%2Ffinancial-executive-and-internal-audit-conference&amp;amp;utm_campaign=feia24&amp;amp;utm_source=blogtax_feia24_april2024&amp;amp;utm_medium=blog" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;white-space:inherit;"&gt;2024 FMI Financial Executive &amp;amp; Internal Auditing Conference&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt; serves as a vital platform for financial professionals in food retail to gain insights, exchange ideas and equip themselves with the knowledge needed to navigate the evolving tax landscape.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5 paraid="1539175608" paraeid="{4f736e9e-bb42-4cb5-bb79-137afdcf21f3}{167}"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;Politics Cannot Be Separated from Policy&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p paraid="1539175608" paraeid="{4f736e9e-bb42-4cb5-bb79-137afdcf21f3}{167}"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;With the sunset of certain provisions of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act looming, Congressional dysfunction, deep partisan divisions and the changes to the political landscape are all set to play a crucial role in determining the fate of tax policies. As we will discuss in our political update &amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/financial-executive-and-internal-audit-conference/schedule" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;white-space:inherit;"&gt;Political Predictions: Legislative &amp;amp; Regulatory Outlook&lt;/a&gt;,&amp;rdquo;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt; it's imperative to analyze how the expiration of these provisions is shaped by changing political winds and how this will impact individual companies and the industry.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p paraid="1539175608" paraeid="{4f736e9e-bb42-4cb5-bb79-137afdcf21f3}{167}"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;Given the tie-in with an election year, the policies advocated by the Biden administration over the next six months will significantly shape the trajectory of tax legislation. Will reinstating the interest deduction and full expensing pass this year (legislation languishes in the Senate), or will these issues become part of the debate in 2025? Financial executives and auditors must anticipate potential policy shifts and adapt their strategies accordingly. Whether it's a Democratic or Republican-led government, flurries of changes can be expected, necessitating vigilance and proactive planning.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5 paraid="1539175608" paraeid="{4f736e9e-bb42-4cb5-bb79-137afdcf21f3}{167}"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;Effects on Financial Executives and Auditors&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;p paraid="182376322" paraeid="{7118c708-5568-404b-8882-f585468cd2f7}{43}"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;The Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 provided significant benefits to companies, including those operating in the food retail sector. However, with its expiration on the horizon, financial executives and auditors must strategically plan how to maximize the remaining time under these provisions and prepare for the post-Act landscape. This involves assessing potential restructuring of tax codes and optimizing financial strategies accordingly.  For example &lt;/span&gt;&amp;mdash;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;while the corporate tax rate was made permanent &lt;/span&gt;&amp;mdash;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;the pass-through deduction is up for renewal, raising the possibility that the failure to do so could severely disadvantage privately held companies.  This is just one of the significant fights that the industry needs to gear up for in 2025, but there are dozens more.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p paraid="182376322" paraeid="{7118c708-5568-404b-8882-f585468cd2f7}{43}"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;The &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/RedirectForm/?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fmi.org%2Ffinancial-executive-and-internal-audit-conference&amp;amp;utm_campaign=feia24&amp;amp;utm_source=blogtax_feia24_april2024&amp;amp;utm_medium=blog" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;white-space:inherit;"&gt;2024 FMI Financial Executives &amp;amp; Internal Auditing Conference&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt; is the perfect forum for learning about the issues that will impact your company and collaborating with your industry colleagues on a game plan for action in 2024 and 2025. Attendees can expect &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/RedirectForm/?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fmi.org%2Ffinancial-executive-and-internal-audit-conference%2Fschedule&amp;amp;utm_campaign=feia24&amp;amp;utm_source=blogtax_feia24_april2024&amp;amp;utm_medium=blog" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;white-space:inherit;"&gt;in-depth discussions, expert insights, and practical strategies&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt; tailored to address the challenges posed by the expiration of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act. By staying informed, proactive and engaged, financial executives and auditors in food retail can effectively navigate these challenges and position their organizations for continued success in the dynamic tax environment ahead.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p paraid="182376322" paraeid="{7118c708-5568-404b-8882-f585468cd2f7}{43}"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/RedirectForm/?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fmi.org%2Ffinancial-executive-and-internal-audit-conference&amp;amp;utm_campaign=feia24&amp;amp;utm_source=blogtax_feia24_april2024&amp;amp;utm_medium=blog" class="button"&gt;Register for the event&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:5afee5f9-fbbf-4ebc-86c2-bda9aadcc91e</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/04/12/fresh-perspectives--gen-z's-approach-to-meat--seafood-and-produce-shopping</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Research</category><category>Produce</category><category>Seafood</category><category>Meat &amp; Poultry</category><category>Fresh Foods</category><title>Fresh Perspectives: Gen Z's Approach to Meat, Seafood and Produce Shopping</title><description>This initial installment in our new blog series on Gen Z grocery shopping habits will take a closer look at motivations and influences in the produce, meat and seafood departments.</description><pubDate>Fri, 12 Apr 2024 10:00:11 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;blockquote class="unquoted"&gt;This is the initial installment in a new FMI blog series on Gen Z grocery shopping habits. This series will share compelling research and cover aspects ranging from shopping behaviors to attitudes about values.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;p&gt;By: Allison Febrey, Manager, Research &amp;amp; Insights, FMI&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="mg-image--circular" style="float:right;margin:10px;"&gt;&lt;img sf-custom-thumbnail="true" src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/gen-z-series-1-meat-seafood-produce.jpg?sfvrsn=a4e495a8_2" sf-constrain-proportions="true" width="600" alt="Gen Z Grocery Shopping Habits" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;I often wish I had a crystal ball to predict the future of grocery shopping. With food fads changing at a lightning pace, just staying on top of trends feels like falling behind. While I haven't found a reliable crystal ball yet, I can seek to better understand the people who are the future &amp;mdash; Gen Z. To start my investigation of how Gen Z grocery shops, I walked around the perimeter of the grocery store with latest report releases of &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/power-of-meat-2024"&gt;The Power of Meat&lt;/a&gt;, The &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/power-of-seafood-2024"&gt;Power of Seafood&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/em&gt;and &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/power-of-produce-2024"&gt;The Power of Produce&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Meal Inspiration&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;Even youth cannot escape the eternal question of "what's for dinner." When it comes to meal inspiration, sources vary widely by generation. According to the &lt;em&gt;Power of Produce&lt;/em&gt;, the most typical source of meal inspiration is routine meals (44%), but only 36% of Gen Z cite this as their primary influence. Instead, Gen Z turns to social media, especially TikTok.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;48% of Gen Z draws meal inspiration from TikTok, compared to only 12% of Gen X.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img sf-custom-thumbnail="true" src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/gen-z-series-1-tiktok-chart.png?sfvrsn=29519078_1" style="margin:10px auto;display:block;" sf-constrain-proportions="true" class="-align-center" width="850" alt="TikTok as a Source of Meal Inspiration chart" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;p&gt;Walking around to the seafood department, Gen Z seafood consumers also often look to social media for ideas or inspiration for cooking seafood &amp;ndash; YouTube (44%), Instagram (30%), Pinterest (19%), Twitter (15%), Facebook (19%) or online influencers/celebrities (18%).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Cooking&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;Following meal inspiration, is actually cooking the meal. According to the &lt;em&gt;Power of Meat&lt;/em&gt;, Gen Z devotes less time to this than other generations. On average, Gen Z spends 24 minutes on cooking a weekday dinner, compared to 32 minutes overall.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gen Z is getting more comfortable with cooking, despite spending a small amount of time on it. Forty-three percent report getting more comfortable cooking with seafood. A majority of Gen Z seafood consumers (57%) also say they have been cooking more with seafood in the past 12 months.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Purchase Behaviors&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;While at the grocery store, Gen Z shops a bit differently from other generations. Gen Z are more likely to buy bulk produce and larger family packs of meat/poultry.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;According to &lt;em&gt;Power of Produce, &lt;/em&gt;24% of Gen Z are buying more loose/bulk produce compared to last year, compared to only 11% of Gen X.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Looking at the&amp;nbsp;&lt;em&gt;Power of Meat&lt;/em&gt;, some shoppers are changing the amount of meat they purchase in response to rising prices. Gen Z differs from older generations in buying larger family/bulk packs of meat. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;img sf-custom-thumbnail="true" src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/gen-z-series-1-bulk-chart.png?sfvrsn=7dd66de5_1" style="display:block;margin:10px auto 15px;" sf-constrain-proportions="true" class="-align-center" width="850" alt="Gen Z shopping meat/poultry chart" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;p&gt;We will continue the Gen Z discussion through this blog series. You'll hear from me and other FMI subject matter experts as we illuminate different angles on the topic. Our goal is to help the food industry make informed business decisions and learn more about this generation entering adulthood.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/our-research/research-reports" class="button-secondary" target="_blank"&gt;Research Reports&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:0d077559-e1b3-4233-9bd1-afa39032ec1e</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/04/11/top-10-reasons-to-start-planning-for-family-meals-month-now</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Family Meals</category><category>NFMM</category><category>Blogs</category><title>Top 10 Reasons to Start Planning for Family Meals Month Now</title><description>September is Family Meals Month – that special 30-day period when FMI invites you to incentivize your shoppers to enjoy the glorious nutritional, emotional and mental health benefits of sharing mealtime with their loved ones.  That means if you start now, you have four and half months to get your Family Meals Month activation plan in order. To help get you going, here are the top ten reasons you should start planning now for Family Meals Month.</description><pubDate>Thu, 11 Apr 2024 12:00:04 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;p&gt;By: David Fikes, Executive Director, FMI Foundation&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/nfmm-blog-april-24.tmb-large-350-.png?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=63817be2_1" style="float:right;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px;margin-left:15px;" class="-align-right" alt="NFMM cake" sf-size="161447" /&gt;September is Family Meals Month &amp;ndash; that special 30-day period when FMI invites you to incentivize your shoppers to enjoy the glorious nutritional, emotional and mental health benefits of sharing mealtime with their loved ones. That means if you start now, you have four and half months to get your Family Meals Month activation plan in order. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Top 10 Reasons to Start Planning Now:&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;ol reversed="" style="font-weight:bold;"&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight:normal;"&gt;2024 will be the 10-year celebration of Family Meals Month and you&amp;rsquo;ll want to be a part of the action as we hit double digits.&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight:normal;"&gt;Early planning is the most effective way to prevent the FOMO you would feel in September when everyone else is enjoying Family Meals Month.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight:normal;"&gt;Your family will take it personally and dial back on your birthday presents if your company is not heavily involved in celebrating family meals month. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight:normal;"&gt;If you start now, you can snag all the great activation ideas before your competitors hear about them.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight:normal;"&gt;Recall that feeling last August when you were in the thick of family meals month planning and you thought, &amp;ldquo;Gosh, I wish we&amp;rsquo;d thought of this sooner, with more time this could be really cool,&amp;rdquo; you don&amp;rsquo;t want to repeat that scenario.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight:normal;"&gt;More than 90% of shoppers say they want to have more family meals, according to a June 2023 Family Meals Barometer survey, so why not gain some positive points with your shoppers by inspiring and helping them accomplish what they already know is a good thing to do.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight:normal;"&gt;Remember the feeling as a kid how time during the school year expanded, while summer break months appeared to collapse, lasting all of a week and half? The truncation of time during the summer doesn&amp;rsquo;t get any better with age. Spring is the best time to plan for the fall. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight:normal;"&gt;The cultural definition of family has expanded to include the kin we choose as well as those to whom we are blood related, which create all kinds of new family meal possibilities to explore and encourage. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight:normal;"&gt;Encouraging and facilitating deeper youth involvement in meal preparation is a great idea, but these seemingly spontaneous activations require careful planning and thorough preparation to be successful. Plant the seeds now if you want a September bloom.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight:normal;"&gt;With end of school activities, followed by summer vacation plans, weekend getaways and summer camp schedules, followed by the flurry of back-to-school preparations, September will arrive sooner than you think. It's wise to start taking action now!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you need assistance with &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/family-meals/toolkits" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"&gt;planning&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;your family meals activation, &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/family-meals/Partners" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"&gt;exploring a partnership&lt;/a&gt; or learning about how other companies have&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/family-meals/award" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"&gt;celebrated family meals&lt;/a&gt;, feel free to contact us at &lt;a href="mailto:FamilyMealsMonth@fmi.org" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"&gt;FamilyMealsMonth@fmi.org&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="mailto:familymealsmonth@fmi.org" class="button" target="_blank"&gt;Contact the Family Meals team&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:caecd3f7-8aea-4889-b62c-d57d41f88859</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/04/10/uniting-for-innovation--the-nonfoods-grocery-community-gathering-in-may</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Nonfoods</category><title>Uniting for Innovation: The Nonfoods Grocery Community Gathering in May</title><description>Join us as experts from the nonfoods grocery sector unite for Beyond Aisles: Unlocking Nonfoods Potential, offering an exciting platform for networking, discussions and collaborative efforts toward innovation and growth.</description><pubDate>Wed, 10 Apr 2024 12:00:09 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;div class="mg-image--circular" style="float:right;margin:10px;"&gt;&lt;img sf-custom-thumbnail="true" src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/nonfoods-event-leslie-sarasin.jpg?sfvrsn=99c6a5d9_1" sf-constrain-proportions="true" width="600" alt="Leslie Sarasin at the Nonfoods Event" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;By: Tom Duffy, Senior Advisor, Nonfoods Community Development, FMI&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the bustling heart of Arlington, Va., a curated event is set to unfold for the second year from May 14-16, 2024. Join us as experts from the nonfoods grocery sector unite for &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/nonfoods-event"&gt;Beyond Aisles: Unlocking Nonfoods Potential&lt;/a&gt;, offering an exciting platform for networking, discussions and collaborative efforts toward innovation and growth.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Picture this: a room filled with unique perspectives and experiences in the world of nonfoods retail. This gathering is a community-driven initiative to ignite creativity and explore new horizons. We're thrilled to see nonfoods professionals from AWG Wholesalers, Claire's, The Clorox Company, Purina, Simply Good Foods and more have registered, promising a diverse and insightful gathering.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;A Space for Inspiration&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;The spirit of collaboration is at the core of this event. In an opening session designed to inspire, FMI, &lt;a href="https://www.barrowsglobal.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Barrows&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href="https://www.circana.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Circana&lt;/a&gt; leaders will encourage attendees to challenge the status quo and embrace fresh perspectives. Beyond mere commerce, this event transcends into fostering a vibrant community of thinkers ready to shape the future of nonfoods grocery sales.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Exploring Trends and Insights&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;Participants will dive into trends and insights shaping the nonfoods sector. Experts from Barrows will share case studies on retail design, showcasing innovative approaches to captivate today's consumers. Circana, with its wealth of market data, will shed light on growth opportunities within consumer-packaged goods (CPG) retail.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Imagine the energy in the room as attendees absorb these insights and discuss how to integrate them into their individual strategies. Be part of a dynamic exchange of ideas where each contribution adds to the group's collective wisdom.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Understanding Consumer Behavior&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;One of the most intriguing sessions, led by FMI's Vice President of Research &amp;amp; Insights, Steve Markenson, will tap into nonfoods consumer behavior. He will highlight &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/power-of-nonfoods-at-retail-2023"&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Power of Nonfoods at Retail&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, a comprehensive consumer research study conducted by FMI, enabling attendees to gain a better understanding of the factors that influence consumer choices. This session explores the human element behind every purchase decision.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;From Ideas to Action&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guided by moderators from Barrows, participants will form workgroups to tackle specific challenges, brainstorm barriers and opportunities and work together to develop innovative solutions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;A Community in Action&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;The sense of community this event fosters genuinely makes it unique. It revolves around connections, friendships and the collective determination to drive change.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The event will culminate with a closing session featuring insights and perspectives from Simply Good Foods and Acosta, offering a powerful conclusion to the collaborative efforts and discussions. This gathering exemplifies the power of coming together in a world where collaboration is vital. The nonfoods grocery community is a force for innovation and progress. As we look towards May 14, we anticipate the sparks of creativity, the connections that will be made and the transformative ideas that will shape the future of our industry.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Get ready for a vibrant and enlightening gathering!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/nonfoods-event/agenda" class="button-secondary"&gt;Event Agenda&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/nonfoods-event/speakers" class="button-secondary"&gt;List of Speakers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/nonfoods-event/registration" class="button button--big"&gt;Register for the Event&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:0a033928-e106-481e-887d-a57ce548d587</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/04/09/building-a-cyber-resilient-food-supply-chain</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Technology</category><category>Cyber Security</category><title>Building a Cyber-Resilient Food Supply Chain</title><description>As our reliance on technology to streamline operations and enhance efficiency grows, so does our vulnerability to cyber threats that can disrupt this delicate system.</description><pubDate>Tue, 09 Apr 2024 12:00:11 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;blockquote class="small"&gt;This is the second installment of FMI's Technology Blog Series, which explores digital innovations for the food industry and shares compelling insights from our research.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;p&gt;By: Doug Baker, Vice President, Industry Relations, FMI&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/technology-blog-series-2-cybersecurity.tmb-large-350-.png?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=b45bfba2_1" style="float:right;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:10px;margin-left:10px;" class="-align-right" alt="Technology Cybersecurity" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;p&gt;The food supply chain, stretching from farm to table, is a vital artery of modern life and is increasingly integrated with digital technology at every step. Technology streamlines operations and enhances efficiency from smart farming equipment that monitors crop health to sophisticated logistics platforms that ensure timely delivery. However, as our reliance on these technologies grows, so does our vulnerability to cyber threats that can disrupt this delicate system. Recognizing, fortifying against and mitigating the impact of potential attacks targeting these vulnerabilities is a crucial concept known as cyber resilience.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Key Vulnerability Points Along the Food Supply Chain&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;Every link in the food supply chain has digital vulnerabilities, underscoring the need for comprehensive cybersecurity strategies. Each point represents a potential entry for cyber threats.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;In farming and production, smart equipment and data analytics play a pivotal role in maximizing yields and managing resources but also introduce risks of unauthorized access and data manipulation.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;During processing and packaging, digital systems are essential for tracking the journey of food items, ensuring they are safe and correctly labeled. A breach from bad actors could lead to mislabeled products or contamination risks.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The distribution and logistics phase relies heavily on software and networks to manage the flow of goods. A cyberattack on these systems can cripple the supply chain, leading to delays or loss of goods.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Finally, at the retail and consumption end, point-of-sale systems and databases holding consumer data are attractive targets for cybercriminals, threatening not just operational continuity but also customer privacy.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Strategies for Building Cyber Resilience in the Food Industry&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;Building cyber resilience in the food supply chain requires a multifaceted approach, combining best practices for individual stakeholders, collaborative efforts for industry-wide security and the &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/industry-topics/technology"&gt;strategic use of technology&lt;/a&gt;. For individual stakeholders, including farmers, processors, and retailers, this begins with foundational practices such as regular updates and patch management for software systems, coupled with comprehensive employee training on cybersecurity awareness and phishing prevention. Additionally, standardized redundancy, backups and emergency recovery processes and infrastructure are critical for mitigating the worst impacts of cyberattacks. These steps are crucial in creating the first line of defense against cyber intrusions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Collaborative efforts are essential at an industry-wide level. This includes sharing information on threats and vulnerabilities through platforms like Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs), industry-specific organizations that share information on cyber threats and facilitate the sharing of data and intelligence between companies.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, implementing standardized cybersecurity protocols across the supply chain can help unify companies against common threats. Leveraging advanced technology can also play a pivotal role in enhancing security. For instance, blockchain technology can offer unparalleled traceability and transparency, while artificial intelligence and machine learning can be used for sophisticated threat detection and response mechanisms.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the modern age, the resilience of the food supply chain against cyber threats is not just a matter of technological safeguarding, but a foundational component of global food security.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://rhisac.org/fmi/" target="_blank" class="button"&gt;Cybersecurity Resources for FMI Members&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:1d97f8c0-cc5c-45bf-aa9c-2e733d331c7c</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/04/08/a-total-eclipse-of-the-cart</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Events</category><title>A Total Eclipse of The Cart</title><description>Today, April 8, 2024, the cosmos will treat us to a celestial spectacle: a solar eclipse. As the moon aligns perfectly with the sun, casting its shadow upon the Earth, millions will have the opportunity to witness this awe-inspiring event.</description><pubDate>Mon, 08 Apr 2024 11:00:10 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;p&gt;By: Morgan Griffin, Communications Specialist, FMI&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/total-eclipse-of-the-cart.tmb-large-350-.png?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=8b515d59_1" style="float:right;margin:10px;" alt="Total Eclipse of the CART" class="-align-right" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;p&gt;Today, April 8, 2024, the cosmos will treat us to a celestial spectacle: a &lt;a href="https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/"&gt;solar eclipse&lt;/a&gt;. As the moon aligns perfectly with the sun, casting its shadow upon the Earth, millions will have the opportunity to witness this awe-inspiring event. For those fortunate enough to be in the path of totality, the experience will be truly unforgettable. To celebrate this rare celestial spectacle, the food industry is responding with out-of-this-world ideas.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;While you might witness your own community celebrations, here are some ways in which our industry is capitalizing on this phenomenon:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wegmans: &lt;/strong&gt;48&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.wegmans.com/news-media/press-releases/select-wegmans-stores-will-close-for-30-minutes-in-observance-of-the-solar-eclipse-on-april-8-2024/#:~:text=WHAT%3A%20Wegmans%20today%20announced%2C%20stores,opportunity%20to%20view%20the%20eclipse."&gt;Wegmans stores&lt;/a&gt; in the path of totality will close for 30 minutes to allow employees to join in on the fun.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kroger: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/kroger-grocery-store-prepared-for-a-busy-eclipse-weekend-in-northwest-ohio/512-15eaac7e-1ab4-4eb5-b1ed-60780e62c3e3"&gt;Ohio locations&lt;/a&gt; and others in the path of totality will be stocked up on essentials and offer deals on sun and moon themed products, as well as hosting viewing parties in store parking lots.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Meijer: &lt;/strong&gt;The grocery chain is promoting &lt;a href="https://www.meijer.com/shopping/c/collections/solar-eclipse.html"&gt;an eclipse meal&lt;/a&gt; of Milky Way, Sunny-D, and Moon Mist, along with offering supplies to celebrate.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Natural Grocers: &lt;/strong&gt;On April 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;, Natural Grocers is offering &lt;a href="https://investors.naturalgrocers.com/2024-03-21-Natural-Grocers-R-Offers-Customers-Free-Eclipse-Viewing-Glasses-with-Purchase,-at-Participating-Stores-for-Upcoming-Solar-Eclipse"&gt;free eclipse glasses&lt;/a&gt; with purchase. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SunChips:&lt;/strong&gt; SunChips is celebrating with an exclusive solar eclipse chips &lt;a href="https://www.fritolay.com/sunchips-celebrates-solar-event-with-exclusive-eclipse-inspired-flavor-release-and-partnership-with-astronaut-kellie-gerardi"&gt;giveaway&lt;/a&gt; during the 4 minutes and 27 seconds of totality. The chips were created in partnership with Kellie Gerardi, an astronaut and researcher.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Amid this cosmic event, grocery stores stand as pillars of the community, bringing people together with celestial-themed offerings and celebrations. These retailers aren't just places to pick up essentials&amp;mdash;they're hubs of activity, fostering a sense of wonder, and camaraderie and being part of the historical community event. As families prepare to witness the eclipse, they can also grab eclipse-themed snacks and beverages from their local stores and even their needed glasses, enhancing the experience. These initiatives highlight how grocery stores go beyond mere shopping destinations, and how they are integral parts of community shared experiences.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Retailers are urging customers to &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7k2hVPqwbY"&gt;grab their essentials&lt;/a&gt; prior to the event as lots of Americans travel to states and cities in the path of totality. Many are offering &lt;a href="https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/viewers-filters"&gt;solar viewers and filters&lt;/a&gt; so eclipse celebrators can view the Sun&amp;rsquo;s light safely.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Whether you're a seasoned stargazer or simply curious about the wonders of the universe, the solar eclipse is an event not to be missed. So, gather your viewing gear, and prepare to witness nature's grandeur unfold before your eyes. It's a moment that reminds us of our place in the cosmos and the beauty that surrounds us each day.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:1d69dc70-231c-4168-af21-db039cdf0a0b</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/04/05/photo-friday--annual-meat-conference</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Education</category><category>Retail Operations</category><category>Meat &amp; Poultry</category><category>Fresh Foods</category><title>Photo Friday: Annual Meat Conference</title><description>It was such a joy to come together at AMC 2024 with our meat retail family, catching up and tasting the newest innovations in the industry.</description><pubDate>Fri, 05 Apr 2024 10:00:02 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href="https://www.meatconference.com/?__hstc=95758467.f9ab89430bd3cb7f728ff95913656dbe.1708731375639.1712237041213.1712251874222.134&amp;amp;__hssc=95758467.7.1712251874222&amp;amp;__hsfp=851621926" target="_blank"&gt;Annual Meat Conference&lt;/a&gt; is hosted by FMI and the Meat Institute. We welcomed over 2,400 attendees and filled nearly 30,500 square feet of exhibit space &amp;mdash; breaking all records! It was such a joy to come together with our meat retail family, catching up and tasting the newest innovations in the industry. Our educational sessions were a hit, diving deep into emerging trends and exciting opportunities. We look forward to seeing everyone next year, March 24-26, 2025, at the World Center Marriott in Orlando, FL!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fmigallery/collections/72157722685486467/" target="_blank" style="margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px;"&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/amc-collage.jpg?sfvrsn=d69178d6_1" title="View the Collection" alt="Annual Meat Conference 2024 - photo collage" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/power-of-meat-2024" class="button"&gt;Download the Power of Meat&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fmigallery/collections/72157722685486467/" target="_blank" class="button-secondary"&gt;View the Photo Collection&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:0fb62614-1b52-4318-8436-8d67f7e11012</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/04/03/what's-top-of-mind-now-for-the-fresh-foods-industry</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Fresh Foods</category><category>FreshForward 24</category><title>What's Top of Mind Now for the Fresh Foods Industry</title><description>The fresh industry entered 2024 with trepidation after a year in which inflation pressured unit growth. Executives are optimistic about the ability to turn things around but emphasize that collaboration will be needed to help alleviate challenges on price and other fronts.</description><pubDate>Wed, 03 Apr 2024 12:00:03 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;p&gt;By: Rick Stein, Vice President, Fresh Foods, FMI&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/grocery-bag-w-fresh-food.tmb-large-350-.jpg?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=5bc83ea3_1" style="float:right;margin-bottom:10px;margin-left:10px;" class="-align-right" alt="Fresh Foods" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;p&gt;I'm finally off the road &amp;mdash; for the moment.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That's because I'm back from a whirlwind series of March fresh foods conferences and trade shows that helped me gain a clearer understanding of the industry's current mood. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;My overall take is that the industry is optimistic about its ability to overcome pressing challenges while recognizing it will require a lot of near-term work.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The March conferences were the Southeast Produce Council's Southern Exposure in Tampa, Seafood Expo North America in Boston and the Annual Meat Conference &amp;mdash; from FMI and Meat Institute &amp;mdash; in Nashville. These were excellent events with strong attendance and engagement.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here are my perspectives on what I learned from these events.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Collaboration Takes on New Importance &lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;The fresh industry entered 2024 with trepidation after a year in which inflation pressured unit growth. Executives are optimistic about the ability to turn things around but emphasize that collaboration &amp;mdash; including between retailers and their vendor partners &amp;mdash; will be needed to help alleviate challenges on price and other fronts. It's clear to me that trading partners are already stepping up the number of collaborative conversations. At the same time, retailers are focused on enhancing operational strategies &amp;mdash; in areas ranging from shrink to inventory management &amp;mdash; to maintain good business performance.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Price and Quality Eyed as Crucial Strategies&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;FMI's latest reports on fresh categories underscore how much consumers are focused on price.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Price is growing in importance among seafood consumers and influencing their decisions on where to shop for this category, according to &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/power-of-seafood-2024"&gt;The Power of Seafood&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Produce shoppers are focused on price and promotions in combination with ripeness and appearance, as relayed in &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/power-of-produce-2024"&gt;The Power of Produce&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Promotions, price comparisons and channel-shifting are key areas of emphasis for meat shoppers, as stated in the&lt;em&gt; &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/power-of-meat-2024"&gt;Power of Meat&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;While consumer decisions on where to shop are influenced by price, their choices on which items to buy are influenced by quality and appearance. Consumers are insisting on the best items &amp;mdash; from cuts of meat to pieces of fish. The upshot is that both price and quality need to be key strategies for the fresh industry.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Meal Solutions Front and Center &lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;The industry is more focused on how to help consumers find meal solutions. There's more emphasis on providing recipes, teaching shoppers how to use cooking equipment and tapping into influencers to spotlight solutions. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Fresh executives also underscore the need for relevant messaging within categories. This includes playing up the points that seafood isn't that expensive on a per-portion basis and that produce can be incorporated into any eating occasion. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;FreshForward Will Help Build Momentum&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/fresh-forward" style="float:right;margin-top:15px;margin-bottom:5px;margin-left:25px;" class="-align-right"&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/fresh-forward-ad.png?sfvrsn=f7a8b7a4_2" style="float:right;" alt="Fresh Forward" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  4. &lt;p&gt;These March events did a great job illuminating fresh trends and developments. FMI's upcoming &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/fresh-forward"&gt;FreshForward&lt;/a&gt; conference, set for August 5 to 7 in San Diego, will keep the momentum going.&amp;nbsp;
  5. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;FreshForward is our annual gathering of senior-level retailers and suppliers in the fresh sector. This year's conference will spotlight three highly important education tracks: &lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Emerging Consumer Trends&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Technology and AI&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Sustainability and Packaging&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;FreshForward focuses on how to advance fresh and features many opportunities for networking and collaborative breakout groups. That last point is crucial because the industry is increasingly aware of the need for collaboration to solve its biggest challenges. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I hope you'll take the opportunity to &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/fresh-forward/registration"&gt;register now&lt;/a&gt; for FreshForward so we can continue the industry's most important discussions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/fresh-forward/registration" class="button"&gt;Register for FreshForward&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/our-research/research-reports" class="button-secondary"&gt;Research Reports&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:f7bd4b35-f699-4c74-b142-275b8dcaac3a</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2024/03/29/unlocking-fresh-potential--the-power-of-produce</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Fresh Foods</category><category>Produce</category><category>Research</category><title>Unlocking Fresh Potential: The Power of Produce</title><description>In a world where health and well-being reign supreme, the importance of fresh produce in our daily lives cannot be overstated. As a long-time champion of the fresh foods industry, I've been privy to invaluable insights regarding the pivotal role that produce plays in nourishing our bodies, fostering community, and championing global sustainability initiatives.</description><pubDate>Fri, 29 Mar 2024 11:00:04 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;p&gt;By: Rick Stein, Vice President, Fresh Foods, FMI&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/pop-2024-cover.tmb-large-350-.jpg?Culture=en&amp;amp;sfvrsn=d9221de0_1" style="float:right;margin:10px;" alt="PoP 2024 Cover" class="-align-right" sf-size="100" /&gt;&lt;p&gt;In a world where health and well-being reign supreme, the importance of fresh produce in our daily lives cannot be overstated. As a long-time champion of the fresh foods industry, I've been privy to invaluable insights regarding the pivotal role that produce plays in nourishing our bodies, fostering community, and championing global sustainability initiatives. Enter the &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/power-of-produce-2024"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Power of Produce&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; report&amp;mdash;our annual touch-base with all things fruits and vegetables, shedding light on the crucial factors influencing consumer decisions in the grocery store.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Price, Quality, and Appearance: The Triple Threat&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;It's no secret that price often drives consumer decisions when it comes to selecting where to shop. However, when it comes down to what ends up in their baskets, quality and appearance take center stage. Consumers are increasingly discerning, opting for produce that not only fits their budget but also boasts superior quality and eye-catching aesthetics. Food retailers must strike a delicate balance between affordability and premium offerings to cater to the diverse needs and preferences of their clientele.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Embracing Produce Uses: Snacking, Breakfast, Dessert&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;The modern consumer is embracing a more holistic approach to nutrition, incorporating fresh produce into a myriad of meal occasions beyond just lunch and dinner. From vibrant vegetable snacks to refreshing fruit-based breakfasts and guilt-free desserts, the opportunities to elevate produce consumption are endless. According to the &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/power-of-produce-2024"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Power of Produce&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, a staggering 51% of produce shoppers are eager for innovative ideas on incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables into their snacking routines. By capitalizing on these emerging trends, food retailers can not only drive sales but also foster healthier eating habits among their customers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Tackling Food Waste Concerns Head-On&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;The report reveals that while consumers are shopping more frequently, they're purchasing less produce by volume due to apprehensions about spoilage and waste. By implementing strategies such as providing smaller portion options, optimizing production planning, and offering sustainability education, retailers can empower shoppers to make informed choices while minimizing food waste. Integrating considerations of functionality and environmental impact into packaging decisions can further bolster sustainability efforts and resonate with eco-conscious consumers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Educating Consumers: The Key to Increased Consumption&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to making healthier food choices. Retailers have a unique opportunity to educate consumers about the nutritional benefits of fresh produce, empowering them to make informed decisions that align with their health and well-being goals. By providing nutrition education, offering guidance on portion sizes and showcasing practical tips for seamlessly integrating produce into all meal occasions, retailers can foster a deeper appreciation for fresh fruits and vegetables while driving increased consumption.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.myplate.gov/resources" target="_blank" class="button"&gt;MyPlate Resources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/power-of-produce-2024" target="_blank" class="button-secondary"&gt;Download the Power of Produce&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">urn:uuid:5b1642cc-5704-4e0f-b00a-92408e27fcae</guid><link>https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2023/04/25/how-gen-z-is-grocery-shopping</link><a10:author><a10:name> </a10:name></a10:author><category>Consumer Behavior &amp; Trends</category><category>Research</category><title>How Gen Z is Grocery Shopping</title><description>As a young Millennial, I find myself wondering how similar, or dissimilar, I am to Gen Z. While only a few years separate us, we are in different stages in life. I am a few years into my career, married, and a homeowner. On the other side, much of Gen Z is just graduating from college, entering the workforce, and figuring out how to live on their own. It’s curious how only a few years of difference can affect our grocery shopping habits. To learn more about how Gen Z is grocery shopping, I turned to U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2023 series and the Shopping Trends report.</description><pubDate>Tue, 25 Apr 2023 12:00:04 Z</pubDate><a10:content type="text">&lt;p&gt;By: Allison Febrey, Manager, Research &amp;amp; Insights, FMI&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img sf-custom-thumbnail="true" src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/2015-community-outreach-awards-fb/infographic-gen-z-and-millennial-shopping.png?sfvrsn=e024aacb_1" style="float:right;margin:10px;" sf-size="100" class="-align-right" width="500" alt="Infographic Gen Z and Millennial Shopping" sf-constrain-proportions="true" /&gt;&lt;p&gt;As a young Millennial, I find myself wondering how similar, or dissimilar, I am to Gen Z. While only a few years separate us, we are in different stages in life. I am a few years into my career, married, and a homeowner. On the other side, much of Gen
  6.    Z is just graduating from college, entering the workforce, and figuring out how to live on their own. It&amp;rsquo;s curious how only a few years of difference can affect our grocery shopping habits. To learn more about how Gen Z is grocery shopping,
  7.    I turned to &lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/our-research/research-reports/us-grocery-trends-2023"&gt;&lt;em&gt;U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2023&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; series and the &lt;em&gt;Shopping Trends&lt;/em&gt; report.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Where Gen Z Grocery Shops&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;While overall, consumers shop at Supermarket and Mass channels, Gen Z is less likely to shop at Supermarkets than other generations. In the past 30 days, only 70% of Gen Z have shopped at a Supermarket, but 84% of Gen Z have shopped at a Mass store. As
  8.    they adjust to adulthood, Gen Z may be finding the convenience of tackling all their errands, grocery or otherwise, at one store valuable. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;Gen Z and Online Grocery Shopping&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gen Z is also shopping for groceries online more frequently than other cohorts. Gen Z comprises 11% of online-reliant shoppers, up from 6% in 2022. They also spend 20% of their grocery shopping dollars online. Boomers, on the other hand, only spend 10%
  9.    of their grocery shopping dollars online. Gen Z has grown up with the internet, so they are certainly comfortable shopping online in general. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h5&gt;More Alike Than Different&lt;/h5&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here is a commonality I share with Gen Z&amp;mdash;both Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to enjoy grocery shopping than older generations. In fact, 48% of Gen Z likes or loves grocery shopping, compared to only 29% of Boomers/Matures. Personally, I enjoy
  10.    finding new products or getting inspired to cook something new while grocery shopping. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.fmi.org/our-research/research-reports/us-grocery-trends-2023" class="button"&gt;Download U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2023&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</a10:content></item></channel></rss>

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