From the Cold Corner

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa talks foodservice distribution and restaurant reopening after COVID-19’s complete disruption of the industry, with Jim Osborne, SVP of customer strategy and innovation at US Foods. Volume foodservice—restaurants, hotels, catering, schools, and more—accounts for approximately 1/3 of the food produced in the country. We also discuss US Foods’ sudden shift to retail distribution while restaurants were closed, and how pack sizes were (and were not) modified for store shelves.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa discusses strategies for marketing and promoting cold foods amid the COVID-19 pandemic with Jeff Rumachik, EVP and COO of the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA). They also detail the NFRA’s 75th anniversary plans, and the unforeseen coronavirus challenges to scheduled events and awards in celebrating that milestone birthday. (Intro and outtro guitar performed by Tad Wilkes).

Food Engineering magazine (a sister publication to Refrigerated & Frozen Foods) Editor-in-Chief Casey Laughman talks with Brian King, Owner and President of A M King, about how food processing and distribution operations are being severely impacted by COVID-19. Facilities are suspending operations to protect employees while the food chain is being jeopardized. Companies must develop new strategies for operating at full production while ensuring the health and safety of their workforces.

Sponsored by: A M King

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa spoke with John Calloway, general industries marketing manager for Regal Beloit Corporation, about the company’s washdown motors for food processing, how the IoT (Internet of Things) is creating new efficiencies for motors, and also how Regal Beloit is pivoting its business strategy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa spoke with Josh Knott, president of the Refrigerated Foods Association (RFA) and also president of Knott’s Fine Foods in Tennessee, about why the health of those working along the cold chain is more important than ever, and how consumers are creating chaos through perceived shortages and stockpiling.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa spoke with Dematic’s Tom Swovick about the future of cold storage and logistics through the lens of automation, and what solutions might be out there to help ease the strain on the cold chain from COVID-19 disruptions. Swovick also details Dematic’s virtual tradeshow plans while industry conventions are shut down.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa spoke with Hiperbaric’s Roberto Peregrina about the latest trends in High Pressure Processing (HPP) and what the evolution of HPP might look like in the future. They also discussed COVID-19’s impact on Hiperbaric’s business, and what the company is doing instead of tradeshows to connect with F&B processors while travel is shut down.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa interviewed Lowell Randel from the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) about the latest developments regarding COVID-19’s impact on the cold foods supply chain. Hear what on-the-fly adjustments the industry is making in response to crushing demand for retail refrigerated and frozen foods, plus the innovations that have been developed to move inventory faster, and help protect truck drivers in the current social distancing climate. Also, find out how the GCCA and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States partnered to quickly create and distribute hand sanitizer to those that need it.

PACK EXPO 2019: Packaging for Perishables

Marina Mayer, editor-in-chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, interviewed packaging experts on the show floor to discuss trends in packaging for produce and other perishables.

Here we have Joe Albert, vice president of sales and marketing, global wrapping technology for Signode.

More and more companies are getting into automated storage retrieval systems. But, doing so can sometimes present challenges in packaging for a cold room environment. Discover how Signode overcomes these challenges with regards to packaging for perishables.

PACK EXPO 2019: Packaging for Perishables

Marina Mayer, editor-in-chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, interviewed packaging experts on the show floor to discuss trends in packaging for produce and other perishables.

Here we have Bill Chastain, senior vice president of Harpak-ULMA.

Branding, value-added and single-unit packaging are the driving forces behind the shift in packaging for produce. Harpak-ULMA discusses how this change impacts the development of new packaging equipment.