The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement

The United States, Mexico and Canada concluded negotiations for a new trade agreement to replace NAFTA in September 2018 and on Jan. 29, 2020, US President Donald Trump signed the new trade deal. Mexico passed the agreement in June 2019 and Canada approved the deal on March 13, 2020. Under the USMCA, all food and…

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FDA Uncovers Mislabeled CBD Products

A preliminary study by the US Food and Drug Administration found many products containing cannabidiol (CBD) are mislabeled, containing either significantly more or less CBD than advertised. Nearly a quarter of food products tested by the agency did not meet their label claims, according to a report sent to the House Appropriations Committee obtained by Hemp Industry…

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Federal Targets for Reducing Foodborne Illness won’t be Met, CDC says

A review of Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) data for 2019 found that, compared with the previous three years, the incidence of infections caused by foodborne pathogens increased for Campylobacter, Cyclospora, STEC, Vibrio, Yersinia, while incidence of infections was unchanged for Listeria, Salmonella and Shigella. FoodNet identified 25,866 cases of infection, 6,164 hospitalizations, and 122 deaths in 2019. The overall…

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Chick-fil-A Will Start Selling Bottles of its Signature Sauce

Starting in April, the 16-ounce bottles will be sold in Florida at Publix, Target, Walmart and Winn-Dixie stores for around $3.49. It’s the first time that Chick-fil-A will sell its products in retail stores. The move is part of Chick-fil-A’s broader strategy to reach people outside of the restaurant. “Increasingly, our customers are searching for ways…

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FDA Campaign Alerts Consumers to Changes in Nutrition Facts Label

The US Food and Drug Administration has launched an initiative designed to help consumers use the new Nutrition Facts Label appearing on packaged foods. The campaign called “What’s In It For You?” includes videos and educational materials. “This campaign highlights that the new Nutrition Facts Label has been designed to assist consumers in making better…

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Pesticide meets Environmental Protection Agency re-Approval

The Environmental Protection Agency in January ruled that a chemical manufactured for agricultural weed control is not a carcinogen and creates no risks to human health when used as directed. At the same time the agency has compelled further mitigation measures to ensure pesticide sprays target certain pests and curb glyphosate resistance in weeds. The…

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Craig Wilson Reflects on 20 Years as American Recruiters Franchise

– Craig Wilson, CFSP, American Recruiters Franchise Owner – CHICAGO It was May, 1999, and I was finishing up a consulting project for Carl Carieri, who was at the time, the co-owner with Gino Scialdone, of American Recruiters. Their successful Executive Search Firm was positioning itself to roll out a franchising model for recruiters who…

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Fresh Bowl Introduces Chef-Made Vending Machine Food in “Closed Loop” Reusable Container Program

Fresh Bowl, the New York City-based food technology company that has introduced chef-created vending machines using a “closed loop” reusable container program — has received $2.1 million in a round of seed funding led by venture capital companies, Betaworks and Ground Ventures, with participation from Tuesday and Mana Capital. Venture fund Bling Capital led the company’s first pre-seed…

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Sanitation Strategies: Keep it Simple

During a Christmas past, one of my daughters received a knitting kit with several rolls of yarn and needles accompanied with knitting directions. This daughter was actually quite intrigued by the thought of making herself an attractive scarf for the approaching cold, windy months in Chicago. Shortly after opening, she began reading the directions but…

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