This Week in Retail: The Rundown on Easter Features

Pork moved into the top spot this week just in time for the holiday, claiming 25.4 percent of protein feature volume. Beef came in second, scoring 23.6 percent, with seafood closely following at 23 percent. Chicken accounted for 16.2 percent. Turkey features were bumped up to 5.6 percent, compared to 3.6 the week prior.

When comparing holiday week retail prices year-over-year, we have to go back to the week of March 26^th, 2018, as Easter fell three weeks earlier last year. Looking at the retail ham complex, ham features come in at an average price of $1.66 per pound, compared to $1.86 per pound during the week leading up to Easter a year ago. That’s an 11 percent drop YOY and should...

Worldwide Cold Storage Market Expected to Grow 

The global cold storage market size is anticipated to reach USD 212.54 billion by 2025 expanding at a CAGR of 12.2%.

The retail sector in emerging economies, such as India and China, is getting more organized and this trend is expected to augment the demand for cold storage over the forecast period. Government policies to deregulate the entry of foreign companies have increased the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the retail sectors of...

PathProven from Performance Food Group Providing First-Ever DNA Trace Back System from Farm to Plate in North America

Nearly 93 percent of all consumers are more likely to be loyal to a brand when it commits to full transparency, according to a 2017 Label Insights study from the Food Marketing Institute. The survey also revealed 74 percent of consumers would switch from the brands they usually buy to ones that provide more in-depth product information beyond the physical packaging. In Europe, the fresh meat industry has been moving toward this goal for twenty years. In the U.S., Performance Food Group Company (PFG) has been working with European technology innovator, IdentiGEN, for 10 years to align supply chains, building the first complete DNA Trace Back System to the farm. PFG has connected the information loop to provide greater accountability, improve sustainability, ensure quality, and...

United States Wins Dispute Finding China’s Grain Tariff-Rate Quotas Breaches WTO Commitments

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today that a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement panel found that China has administered its tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for wheat, corn, and rice inconsistently with its WTO commitments. Contrary to those commitments, China’s TRQ administration is not transparent, predictable, or fair, and it ultimately inhibits TRQs from filling, denying U.S. farmers access to China’s market for grain.

This panel report is the second significant victory for U.S. agriculture this year, and, together with the victory against China’s excessive domestic support for grains, will help ...

USDA Launches SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot

For the first time, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants will be able to select and pay for their groceries online, during a two-year test (pilot) launched today in New York State. In making the announcement, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue highlighted online purchasing’s potential, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) commitment to program integrity by looking carefully at the pilot. Lessons learned from this pilot are expected to inform future efforts to expand online purchasing in SNAP.

“People who receive SNAP benefits should have the opportunity to shop for food the same way more and more Americans shop for food – by ordering and paying for groceries online. As technology advances, it is important for SNAP to ...

First Look at the Commemorative Egg for the Annual White House Easter Egg Roll 

On April 22, over 30,000 families are expected to attend the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, for its 141st year. As per tradition, America's egg farmers will provide 74,000 eggs to be used for the iconic roll, decorating, and EggPops.

Also as part of the tradition, commemorative eggs have been given to the First Lady on behalf of America's egg farmers annually since 1977. Each egg is custom designed for the First Lady at the time. The handcrafted eggs have been presented to seven first ladies: Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Hilary Clinton, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, and Melania Trump. The design for this year's Commemorative Egg was inspired by ...

ANALYSIS: Turkey: Looking Down

An optimist in the turkey market might call our analysis “looking up”. This is because annual production is forecasted to come in below last year and that is considered a positive development for turkey processors...

Survey Finds Nearly Half of U.S. Diners have Tried a New Restaurant Because of Social Media Posts

MGH, a full-service restaurant marketing agency, today announced the results of a study that examined how influential a brand's social media marketing can be when it comes to driving restaurant trial and customer loyalty.

The survey determined that nearly half (45%) of U.S. diners said they've tried a restaurant for the first time because of a social media post made by the establishment itself, while 21% claimed posts could be a deterrent. Further, 22% said a restaurant's social post enticed them to return.

Results from the study demonstrated that positive restaurant-to-consumer social media engagement often leads to ...

Technomic: Shifting Consumption Impacts Menu Offerings in Canada

While red meat continues to maintain strong interest among consumers, growing concerns for health and sustainability are having an increasing impact on these staples in Canada, Technomic reveals in the 2019 Canadian Centre of the Plate Consumer Trend Report. The growing popularity of alternative proteins will increasingly encroach on beef and pork’s share of the plate.

“We are seeing a rise in vegetarian or vegan dishes which have primarily impacted beef and pork consumption. But the impact will broaden going forward as plant-based substitutes emerge for other categories,” explains Anne Mills, senior manager of consumer insights at Technomic. “Consumers are far more likely to ...

U.S. Beef, Poultry and Egg Products Gain New Market Access in Tunisia

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today that the government of Tunisia and the United States have finalized U.S. export certificates to allow imports of U.S. beef, poultry, and egg products into Tunisia.  This announcement follows meetings between U.S. and Tunisian officials on the safety and wholesomeness of U.S. beef, poultry, and egg products.

“President Trump continues to prioritize the opening of new markets for U.S. agricultural products, and we welcome Tunisia’s agreement to begin imports of U.S. beef, poultry, and egg products,” said Ambassador Lighthizer. “New access to the Tunisian market is an important step in ensuring that American farmers and ranchers can continue to expand their exports of U.S. agricultural products.”

“I'm convinced that when the Tunisians get a taste of U.S. beef, poultry, and eggs, they're going to want more. These products coming into Tunisia are...

Dunkin’ Pilots Multi-Tender Participation for its DD Perks Rewards Program

Choice and convenience – two of the values that have helped Dunkin’ earn the loyalty and passion of its on-the-go guests – are now distinguishing the brand’s rewards program and benefiting its members in even more powerful ways. Today the brand announced a pilot of multi-tender participation in its DD Perks® Rewards Program at more than 1,000 locations across the country, giving guests the opportunity for the first time to earn DD Perks points regardless of how they pay.

Whereas previously DD Perks members could only earn points towards free beverages by paying via an enrolled Dunkin’ gift card, at the pilot locations they can now earn points whether they pay by cash, credit, debit or a Dunkin’ gift card. Guests at the participating locations can accumulate points with ...

Publix Board Member Elected, Retirees Recognized

During its annual meeting of stockholders today, Publix stockholders elected Jennifer Jenkins to the Publix board of directors, and Barney Barnett, Jane Finley and Charlie Jenkins Jr. retired from the board. The board also named Barnett as Vice Chairman Emeritus.

“I’m excited to have Jennifer join the Publix family. She will be a valuable addition to our board,” said Publix Chairman of the Board Ed Crenshaw.

Jennifer Jenkins is Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Center for the Study of the Public Domain at Duke University Law School, where she has worked since 2002. Prior to joining Duke, she was a legal associate at ...

Kroger Introduces Don Lee Farms Plant-Based Burger into Markets

Don Lee Farms is announcing the introduction of its trailblazing Organic Plant-Based Burger in nearly 2,000 Kroger® markets. The burgers will be sold in the meat section at Kroger®, Ralphs®, Dillons®, King Soopers®, Fry's®, QFC® and Fred Meyer®.

Donald Goodman, President, Don Lee Farms, said: “Working with Kroger® has been a priority for us in our pursuit to expand to where our customers want us to be. With the addition of Kroger®, we are bringing the fastest growing burger of its kind to nearly 2,000 locations in ...

Americold Realty Trust Announces the Strategic Acquisition of Cloverleaf Cold Storage

Americold Realty Trust (NYSE: COLD) (the “Company” or “Americold”), the world’s largest publicly traded REIT focused on the ownership, operation and development of temperature-controlled warehouses, announced today that the Company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held Chiller Holdco, LLC (“Cloverleaf Cold Storage” or “Cloverleaf”) from Cloverleaf management and an investor group led by private equity funds managed by Blackstone (NYSE: BX) for a purchase price of $1.24 billion (subject to customary adjustments). The closing of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2019.

Founded in 1952 and based in Sioux City, Iowa, Cloverleaf is the fifth largest cold storage provider in the United States by refrigerated cubic feet and serves over 360 customers. The portfolio to be acquired consists of ...

FSIS Proposes to Remove Dual Labeling Requirements for Certain Amounts of Meat and Poultry Products

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today that it is proposing to amend labeling regulations to remove duplicative net weight and net content requirements for packages that contain certain amounts of meat or poultry products. The proposed regulation would apply to products that are at least one pound or one pint, but less than four pounds or one gallon.

FSIS is proposing this action after receiving a petition submitted by a small meat processor in response to USDA’s request for ideas to better serve its customers ...

QDOBA Mexican Eats Adding Impossible to Restaurants Nationwide by May 28

QDOBA Mexican Eats® is adding plant-based Impossible™ to its restaurants’ menus across the U.S. Following a successful product test in Michigan, the brand has decided to broaden its offering of Impossible with rolling availability beginning April 23 at select restaurants in Brooklyn, Denver and Los Angeles. By May 28, Impossible will be available at more than 730 locations across the country, which will make QDOBA the largest Mexican fast-casual chain to serve this plant-based protein.

“During our test, we quickly learned that consumers loved our unique take on Impossible, making it an easy decision to launch nationally,” said Jill Adams, vice president of marketing for QDOBA. “Our Impossible offering appeals to both meat lovers and vegans, while also delivering on the big, bold flavors that ...

NRA Examines State of the Restaurant Industry

Restaurant businesses are growing despite some operational challenges, such as workforce development issues, demand for increased technology, and serving Millennials, according to new National Restaurant Association research.

The 2019 State of the Restaurant Industry Report, a comprehensive look at trends and sales projections for the industry, culled and analyzed economic data, along with responses to surveys sent to restaurant operators and consumers.

Hudson Riehle, Association Senior Vice President of Research & Knowledge, shared takeaways from the report, discussed how he expects business to perform throughout 2019 ...

PODCAST: African Swine Fever—Changing the Protein Landscape and Economy

Russell Barton sits down to discuss the severity and implications of African Swine Fever, herd losses, impact on exports, and a firming market. Also covered: Easter holiday impact on hams.

Tech Trends Driving Changes in Restaurants, Report Says

Gen Z and millennial expert Jason Dorsey says people refer to Gen Z and millennials as “tech savvy.” But that’s not necessarily true, says Dorsey. He says they’re actually “tech dependent” -- and that’s a different thing altogether.

That may be how they engage with restaurants too. From baby boomers to Gen Xers, generational attitudes toward restaurant technology notably differ, according to National Restaurant Association research delivered in a recent webinar.

• When asked if restaurant technology -- which can include everything from smartphone apps to tableside tablets and order kiosks -- increases convenience, 60 percent of all ...

How Food Trucks are Adding a Fresh Twist to Casual Dining

As the appetite for trying new foods grows and consumers actively seek out new dining experiences, the traditional lines between eating out in restaurants or tucking into street food are blurring.

Food trucks are one of the main reasons why.

Whether they specialise in luxury noodles, artisan pizza or tacos with a twist, growing numbers of street food traders that started off life in food trucks are making the transition to bricks-and-mortar stores.

It all adds up to a more exciting local dining scene, says Ian Hanlon, director at JLL Foodservice Consulting.

“Today’s food trucks offer high-quality ingredients and often champion local produce ...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Hog Slaughter

The Urner Barry hog slaughter poll for the week ending 4/20/19 resulted in an average industry participant response of 2,408,000 head...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

Popeyes Launches On-Demand Delivery With Postmates

Postmates and POPEYES® announced today that they've partnered to bring their delicious fried chicken direct to your door. With more than 2,000 POPEYES locations in the US, customers across the country can have their favorite Cajun dishes delivered. Postmates knows that POPEYES wouldn't be the same without that hot, flakey biscuit, so they are giving customers one for free when they order through the platform. To further celebrate the new partnership, Postmates is waiving the delivery fee on POPEYES orders with the promo code BISCUITS.

"Over the years we've made hundreds of thousands of deliveries from POPEYES, so we are thrilled to officially partner and work closely with them to continue to ...

CDC Suspects Ground Beef is Source of Latest E. coli Outbreak

As of Friday, April 12, 2019, 109 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O103 have been reported from six states. The CDC is reporting the 109 illnesses that the PulseNet laboratory network has confirmed are part of this outbreak. States are now investigating additional illnesses that might be a part of this outbreak.

Illnesses began on dates from March 2, 2019, to March 6, 2019. Ill people range in age from less than 1 year to 83 years, with a median age of 18. Of those infected, 53 percent are female. Out of 81 people with information available, 17, or 21 percent, have been hospitalized. No deaths and no cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome have been reported at this time. Illnesses that occurred after ...

Aramark Launches its First Dedicated Plant-Forward Dining Concept, the Twisted Beet

Aramark, the largest U.S. based food service company, is putting a twist on comfort food, with the launch of its first dedicated plant-forward dining concept, The Twisted Beet.

Proof that eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring, The Twisted Beet’s plant-forward comfort food menu puts a healthy spin on dishes like meatball subs and mac and cheese, and emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes, but still offers a proportionately small quantity of animal protein.

Aramark research shows that 60 percent of consumers want to reduce their meat intake and 62 percent want to eat more vegetables. In response to growing demand, Aramark has expanded its menu selections to ensure it’s providing the choices that ...

Panera Bread Takes On Breakfast to Eliminate Trade-Offs Between Morning Convenience And Quality

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day; yet mornings can be hectic, and the quickest option isn't always the best quality option. To usher in a new era of breakfast on the go, Panera is refreshing its offerings, focusing on new menu items and an elevated coffee platform to meet the untapped consumer demand for a convenient, yet high-quality, delicious breakfast.

Many of today's fast breakfast options include frozen, microwaved food items that lack flavor or nutritional value; and made-to-order foods can often come with a wait time that impacts the morning commute. Panera's 100% clean breakfast options ...

Denver Processing LLC Recalls Raw Pork and Beef Products Produced without Benefit of Inspection

Denver Processing LLC, a Denver, Colo. establishment, is recalling approximately 13,865 pounds of raw pork and beef products that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection and outside inspection hours, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The raw pork and beef items were produced on April 9, 2019. The following products are subject to recall ...