Top News In The Produce Industry
June 15 – 30, 2021
iFoodDS Team
June 30, 2021
Amazon Brings ‘Just Walk Out’ Technology to Amazon Fresh
On June 17, Amazon opened its first supermarket with cashier-less technology in Bellevue, WA. The “Just Walk Out” system uses cameras, weight sensors and machine learning technology to know when items are removed or returned to shelves.
USDA Announces Additional Aid to Ag Producers
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced additional aid to agricultural producers and businesses as part of the USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative.
“USDA is honoring its commitment to get financial assistance to producers and critical agricultural businesses, especially those left out or underserved by previous COVID aid. These investments through USDA Pandemic Assistance will help our food, agriculture and forestry sectors get back on track and plan for the future. Since January, USDA has provided more than $11 billion of assistance directly to producers and food and agriculture business.” said Secretary Vilsack.
United Fresh WA Conference Back in Person
The annual United Fresh Washington Conference will be back in-person in Washington, DC September 20-22, 2021. The Washington Conference is an annual event that unites the produce industry to address the most pressing public policy matters, including ag labor reform, infrastructure, transportation, key COVID-19 programs, food safety, nutrition and more.
Woolworths Group to Build Two New Sydney Distribution Centres
As part of their ongoing growth, Woolworths Group’s supply chain plans to build two new distribution centers (DC) in Sydney. A new fresh food distribution center will be built in Wetherill Park and a new liquor distribution center will be in Kemps Creek. The Wetherill Park DC will replace the current fresh network in NSW and is set to service more than 280 Woolworths stores across New South Wales starting in 2023.
Mann Packing Adds Three New Products
Mann Veggie Sides, Steakhouse Style and Better Pasta, a traditional pasta alternative made with 100% vegetables, are the newest products to launch by Mann Packing.
Five New Listeria Species Discovered
A collaboration between Cornell University and Mérieux NutriSciences resulted in the discovery of five new Listeria species. Three of the newly discovered species can be grouped together with those traditional indicators for potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
Ahold Delhaize USA Continues to Open Self-Managed Distribution Centers
As part of their supply chain transformation, Ahold Delhaize USA will convert five distribution centers to self-management in 2022. Self-management in the DCs will be achieved by the use of AI for forecasting and replenishment, an integrated transportation management, system, and workforce management systems.
California Agricultural Neighbors Release Interim Report on Best Practices for Food Safety
The California Agricultural Neighbors (CAN) released an interim report “California Agricultural Neighbors: Neighbor-to-neighbor best practices to help enhanced localized food safety efforts”. As part of the effort led by CFDA and Monterey County Farm Bureau to improve food safety practices, a three-part webinar series is planned.
Online Grocery Sales Decrease Compared to May Last Year
A 16% drop in online grocery sales in the U.S. was shown in a recent survey by Brick Meets Click that compared sales from May 2020 to May 2021. According to the survey, 66.8 million households bought groceries online in May. The decrease in sales is due to factors like lower order frequency, curbside pickups or delivery methods, average order value and shrinking repeat intent rates.
“Summer Snacking Games” Sweepstakes by Duda Farms
Duda Farms Fresh Foods and Fresh Cravings partnered to increase the consumption of produce during the summer and launched “Summer Snacking Games” as part of their joint effort. Now through August 11th, shoppers can enter the sweepstakes for the chance to win one of three prizes.
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