THE EVOLUTION OF CONVENIENCE FOOD IN AMERICA

A 1953 Birds Eye advertisement

Via Flickr user Classic Film

Meal kits, currently a niche product sold by startups like Blue Apron, could be hitting the bigtime, with big-name food companies like Tyson and Campbell Soup now entering the market. If that signals a change in the way Americans cook and eat, it’s nothing compared with the way frozen food disrupted meals in the mid-twentieth century, as Shane Hamilton explained in a 2003 paper.

The story of frozen foods starts with the familiar Birds Eye brand. Back in the 1920s, Hamilton writes, Clarence Birdseye figured out a quick-freeze method to preserve seafood, vegetables, and fruit on an industrial scale. But until the late 1940s, Birds Eye and its competitors sold frozen foods only to a limited set of high-end consumers. In 1946, Fortune magazine reported that consumers were buying more tons of pickles and sauerkraut than of all frozen foods combined.

That changed fast. In the 1940s, railcar and truck trailer makers constructed mechanically refrigerated transportation, replacing unreliable dry ice. After the end of World War II, demand rose too, thanks to growing family incomes and increasing workforce participation by women.

Only when companies began doing market research in the mid-50s did they realize they had a much wider customer base.

Hamilton writes that, in the late 40s, Birds Eye was still selling frozen food as a luxury good: A 1949 Life magazine ad, featuring a woman in elegant satin, declared the company’s frozen spinach “grander than the grandest spinach.” But new, smaller operators began taking a different tack. Quality Frozen of San Francisco sold frozen “B grade” food in plain red-and-white packaging with the low price marked in large type. Big companies fought back with advertising campaigns promising healthy, cheap, and easy food. By 1951, Birds Eye was selling its spinach as “oh, so easy on Mom—and her pocketbook.”

Transporting frozen food also became more reliable and safer in the 1950s, thanks largely to collaboration between the industry and government regulators to develop and enforce standards for handling frozen goods.

The market for frozen food grew fast. Minute Maid was a particular success story. Using a new method of freezing concentrated orange juice that the US Department of Agriculture had invented, it went from $3 million in sales in 1948 to $29 million three years later.

And yet, Hamilton writes, for years the industry assumed its customers were white, middle-class, stay-at-home mothers. Only when companies began doing market research in the mid-50s did they realize they had a much wider customer base. For instance, many working-class black families who lived in Harlem apartments without freezers bought frozen foods on a daily basis, cooking them immediately.

By the 1960s, companies were targeting specific demographics, including Jews, African-Americans, teenagers, and working women. They also returned to the luxury market, selling vegetables packaged with fancy sauces and whole pre-cooked meals.

Today, of course, those kinds of packaged meals are just what many customers are trying to avoid by buying meal kits that let them cook quick meals “from scratch.” And big food companies are hoping that will mean another new market for them.

Protecting the Food Supply Chain

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Tags: Legislation, Public Policy, and Regulations, Food Logistics, Specialized Logistics, Logistics, Supply Chain

Food producers, distributors, and retailers need to ensure safe procedures are in place to protect the food they handle. These supply chain partners need to implement inventory best practices to guarantee SKUs are in the right store or facility at the right time to better meet customer service requirements.

Inventory positioning is not guesswork. Instead, producers, distributors, and retailers should use data-driven analysis to ensure inventory is available and correctly positioned for orders to be fulfilled properly and to eliminate out-of-stocks.

Brian C. Neuwirth, vice president, marketing and sales, UNEX Manufacturing, provides these tips for properly handling and storing food products in the supply chain.

1. Implement First-in, First-out (FIFO) storage. FIFO stock rotation guarantees food freshness because the first product loaded into storage is also the first product picked for an order.

2. Use inventory positioning. Food and beverage retailers typically fill orders in cartons, cases, or partial cases from warehouses or distribution centers. To save space, they can hold inventory in multi-level storage racks designed to handle a variety of products.

3. Speed fulfillment. Shippers should identify where they waste time during fulfillment, and implement products and processes to increase its speed.

4. Monitor critical control points. Controlling access to areas and facilities eliminates potential food adulteration. Prevent unauthorized access to critical control points, and monitor movement through these areas.

5. Develop an IIoT strategy. Implement Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) processes and technology—including sensors on pallets and storage units—to track inventory so you know where products are at all times.

6. Utilize goods-to-person processes. These processes bring products to warehouse workers, reducing the travel time and searching that adds unnecessary time to fulfillment. Fewer footsteps make for dramatic productivity increases and higher efficiencies.

7. Monitor temperature. Extensive control ensures food is kept at proper temperatures, both in the warehouse and during transportation.

8. Satisfy safety regulations. Focus on meeting Food Safety Modernization Act and other requirements by performing a hazard analysis at your food facilities. A hazard analysis, along with a critical control points plan, identifies food supply chain strengths and vulnerabilities. Utilize standard processes to increase compliance.

9. Have track and trace in place. Keep a trackable history of ingredients and end products throughout the supply chain in case of a recall.

10. Pick the right storage medium. Use carton flow, pallet flow, and tilted shelving to improve picking times and increase storage density. Separate slow-moving products from fast-moving items to help improve pick efficiencies. Because most food products have a definite shelf life, moving items from storage to store shelves as quickly as possible deters spoilage.

Wasted Food Contributes to Climate Change

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Approximately one out of every four calories produced to feed people is not consumed. A 2016 report by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) says that about 40 percent of the total estimated food losses and waste in North America are a result of consumer behavior.

Recently, food waste, defined as food that is thrown away before or after it spoils, has been placed on the forefront of Americans’ minds. According to Rethink Food Waste Through Economics and Data (ReFED), awareness has increased for many reasons: to combat environmental degradation while feeding a growing population, to fix economic inefficiencies in the food supply chain, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions coming from landfills.

A U.S. survey by the International Food Information Council Foundation explored why food waste happens at the consumer level. According to the results, eaters either forget about perishable food until it’s too late (19 percent), buy too much fresh or perishable food (17 percent), cook big meals and throw away leftovers (8 percent), or serve themselves portions that are too big (7 percent).

To put food waste into perspective, ReFED published the Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste by 20 percent in 2016. The report provides a helpful visual, “If all of our country’s wasted food was grown in one place, it would cover roughly 80 million acres, over 75 percent of the state of California, and consume all the water used in California, Texas, and Ohio combined. The mega-farm would harvest enough food to fill a 40-ton tractor every 20 seconds. Many of those trailers would distribute food to grocery stores…instead of being purchased, this perfectly good food would be loaded onto another line of trucks and hauled to a landfill.”

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared that uneaten food in landfills accounts for roughly 20 percent of U.S. methane emissions. Plus, methane is about 27 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat. According to a 2016 study conducted by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), greenhouse gas emissions related to the food supply quadrupled during the last 50 years. The EPA emphasizes the problem—food is now the second-largest source of methane emission in the U.S.

The Think.Eat.Save campaign is a great example of what consumers can do to conserve food and prevent waste. This campaign, founded by Save Food as a joint initiative between UNEP, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and Messe Düsseldorf, provides consumers, retailers, and communities with advice on ways to reduce their food waste. Additionally, Think.Eat.Save advocates for food conservation in other ways, like policy recommendations.

In general, learning about the problem and taking action is one of the best ways to reduce food waste. For the average consumer, ReFED cited education as the most important way to significantly reduce food waste.

Baldor, Brick Farm Market Form Food Waste Partnership

Part of produce processor/distributor’s SparCs program

December 29, 2016, 10:39 am

L-R: Baldor's Fresh Cuts program; Brick Farm Market

As part of its successful effort to divert 100 percent of the organic waste generated in its Fresh Cuts operation from landfills, northeastern produce processor and distributor Baldor Specialty Foods has forged an alliance with Hopewell, N.J.-based Brick Farm Market, a sustainable operation that takes food from farm to market to table and back to the farm in the form of compost or animal feed.

The partnership with Brick Farm Market is a component of Baldor’s food waste initiative, SparCs (the word “scraps” spelled backwards), developed by the company’s sustainability director, Thomas McQuillan. He was concerned that Baldor, which processes more than 1 million pounds of produce per week, was discarding a worrisome amount of usable food scraps. “We had to stop referring to these food products as waste,” explains McQuillan. “It’s food. Usable, nutritious and delicious food. We just needed to find ways to consume it.”

In response, SparCs program takes a multifaceted approach to organic food waste, prioritizing human consumption whenever possible. In the case of Brick Farm Market, McQuillan worked with several partners that repurpose such produce items as cantaloupe rinds and mango pits, which are unfit for human consumption, into animal feed to be used by the operation.

Other SparCs partners are Washington D.C.’s Misfit Juicery, to which Baldor sends food trim to be made into juices, and Haven’s Kitchen, a New York-based café and cooking school, which recently created a food line consisting of soups, sauces and cookies made with scraps contributed by Baldor. Any remaining organic material not used for human or animal consumption is processed with in an on-site waste-to-water system.

“We pride ourselves on being innovators and trail blazers in all facets of specialty food distribution,” said TJ Murphy, CEO of New York-based Baldor, whose roots are in the iconic Greenwich Village grocer Balducci’s. “SparCs is just the next logical manifestation of that commitment, and we’re happy to present this sustainability model for others in the industry to adopt.”

For 2017, Baldor is working on plans to offer a dried vegetable blend, or “flour,” to add nutrients to such items as soups, smoothies and baked goods.

From seed to supermarket – food safety risks (part 1)

by Jack Lyons  27/12/2016 | 9:30 0Posted in Food Safety 

In our two-part blog series, we follow the cereal supply chain to explore the key risk areas for food contamination.

Part one:  from farm to arrival at the food processing plant.

Cereals are major sources of food, food ingredients and animal feed, and every member of the supply chain – from farmers and food processors to distributors and supermarkets – needs to ensure these products stay safe and free from contamination.

The use of cereals is widespread, not only in breads, breakfast cereals, pasta, snack foods, pastries and cakes but also in sauces, thickeners, batters and sweeteners. But there are multiple points along the supply chain where raw food products such as wheat, barley, rye, oats, millet and corn can become contaminated. If contamination does occur, any subsequent foodborne illness can be widespread.

Such contamination can lead to spoiled ingredients and poor quality food products, loss of supplies, financial loss and loss of business reputation. But more seriously, it can result in humans being infected with foodborne illnesses, which, in the most serious cases, can lead to death, and affect the economies of countries around the world.

Impact on health

Chemicals, pesticides, fungi, parasites, bacteria and viruses can all cause food poisoning and, according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, one in ten people globally fall ill every year from eating contaminated food. While most recover with no lasting effects, for others it can be far more serious, and some 420,000 will die from their illness. Of those deaths, 125,000 will be children.

Aside from the human cost, the financial impact on countries around the world is vast, with reports claiming the loss to the American economy alone as anywhere between £77 billion and £152 billion a year.

Whatever your role in the food chain, it is vital that food safety standards and regulations are adhered to, to reduce not only the cost but the impact to the consumer as well. Adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), as well as considering the seven Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles, can help minimise any risk.

Contamination during and after cultivation

Much of the contamination of cereals can be traced to the environment in which they are grown and farming practices. Dust, soil, air, water, rodents, insects, fungi and humans can all contaminate grains with microorganisms that lead to foodborne illnesses.

Cereals can also be contaminated by chemicals such as crop pesticides and cleaning chemicals used on storage containers. Improper storage of raw food products can also lead to contamination.

Types of contamination

Moulds

Contamination can occur as a result of mould growth which can spoil grain and lead to the production of harmful mycotoxins.

Environmental contamination

Increased moisture and temperature can lead to a proliferation of moulds and bacteria. Excessive rainfall can also increase the chances of mould growth. Soil may contain high concentrations of metals and other contaminants and water used to irrigate crops can spread microorganisms that cause food-borne illnesses such as E. coli, Norovirus and Salmonella.

Rodents

Rats and mice attack crops, causing damage and infecting them with disease-causing microorganisms. They are known to carry more than 60 diseases, some of them life-threatening such as typhoid and leptospirosis. Besides eating produce, rodents contaminate it with urine, faeces and hair and can create a fire risk by chewing through electrical cables in storage areas.

Insects and other pests

Beetles, ants, flies, moths, aphids, grasshoppers and slugs to name but a few can all damage crops, making them more susceptible to mould growth and reducing the quality. Insects, such as cockroaches, can also carry and transfer harmful microorganisms.

Pesticides

It is important for producers to use permitted pesticides applied according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It is also the responsibility of businesses along the supply chain to ensure that the products they handle or process do not have unsafe levels of residual pesticide or have been treated with banned products earlier in the supply chain.

Contamination during grain storage

Storage of harvested grain can be a key point of contamination. If storage and drying conditions are not optimal, for example, storage containers contain old residues, then crops can become infected with moulds and fungi. Rodents can damage grain and insect infestations can occur. Adopting a HACCP approach to grain storage can minimise or eliminate contamination.

Stored Product Insects are the world’s most expensive pest. Click here to find out why.

Cleaning

Storage containers, grain bins and equipment used for harvesting need to be cleaned regularly. Even small amounts of grain from previous harvests can increase the risk of insect infestation or mould contamination.

Old grain should be moved to separate bins, monitored for infestation and fumigated if necessary.

Any bins used for new grain should be vigorously cleaned and checked for damage, such as cracks or holes, and be repaired.

Areas around containers, such as perforated floors and ducts, also need to be kept clean and any dust or spills from previous grain stored needs to be swept or vacuumed up to discourage rats and mice.

If there are areas that can’t easily be reached producers need to consider fumigating and places where insects are likely to hide need to be cleaned.

Vegetation around grain silos, where rodents and other pests could find shelter, should also be removed.

Temperature and humidity levels

This can increase the activity of mites, insects, moulds and fungi if not monitored properly.

A cool grain storage temperature increases the length grain life, reduces germination loss, maintains the quality and reduces the risk of infestation.

A cool storage temperature prevents insects breeding and therefore cooling it immediately upon storage can reduce the risk of contamination.

Drying grain with hot air to a temperature higher than 40°C before cooling will also kill most insects in a day. Aerating grain to ensure a uniform air flow can help to reduce moisture levels, also reducing the risk of mould, sprouting or fungal growth.

Monitoring stored grain

Regularly checking grain stores, weekly or fortnightly, is vital to help spot and deal with any contamination. It’s important to check for insect infestations, signs of damage to the kernels and any rodent damage.

Pesticides

Pesticides for treating surfaces and the grain itself need to be applied correctly and legally, ensuring only approved chemicals are used, applied by trained personnel according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Transport of grain for processing

Once harvesting and drying have taken place, cereals are often transported by trucks, ship or rail to processing plants. From dirty transport to the produce being open to the elements — the wind, rain, dust and debris — there are plenty of opportunities for contamination.

Sea

Grain is transported in bulk containers or bagged in standard containers. If those containers are not cleaned properly between shipments then old grain can remain, increasing the risk of contamination with mould.

Damp conditions, common at sea, can also increase humidity and the risk of contamination or lead to spoilage, mould growth or self-heating.

Particular attention should be paid to grains being transported from cold to hot regions because of temperature changes.

Inadequately cleaned containers can also result in insect infestation by weevils or grain moths, for example.

Different types of grains need to be kept separate from each other to avoid cross-contamination.

Road and rail

Just as with ships, grain transported by road or rail can become contaminated.

The remains of previous consignments and foreign matter all pose a risk, potentially harbouring insects which can contaminate grain.

If grain containers are not properly secured, debris and rodents can get in. Containers also need to be designed to minimise the risk of contamination from dust and fumes and to allow for adequate cleaning.