COVID-19 has reminded us more than ever that grocery and supplier collaboration is a vital strand in the social fabric. Beyond the deep-cleaning, shelf-replenishing and physical-distancing tactics that played out at the store level during the pandemic, a brighter light was cast upon the food industry.

It’s been an interesting time to be an e-learning professional with events going virtual, learning being reimagined and “zoom fatigue” impacting many of us. At the same time, it’s been exciting to see how many people have used their time during the pandemic to sharpen their skills, build leadership experience and push themselves to learn more.

FMI’s Food Protection Committee (FPC) establishes annual initiatives to focus work, allow for resource allocation and highlight food safety issues that are topical and need industry collaboration for improvement. This year, the initiatives for the FPC were identified by members and are as follows.

Our 2021 Power of Seafood report finds the biggest reason behind an increase in grocery seafood sales is consumers are trying to eat healthier (59%). In fact, 72% of frequent seafood consumers are putting more effort into making healthy and nutritious choices since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consumers enjoy of two servings of seafood per week and acknowledged the benefits of the healthy fats found in seafood.