The FMI State Issues Retreat brought together food retail grocery associations and grocery company professionals from each state to discuss state and local legislative issues of interest to the food retail industry. Among the issues discussed were clean energy and refrigeration, emerging employment issues, new issues in alcohol, plant-based food labeling, plastics and packaging, and privacy.

September is National Family Meals Month™ – the time when supermarkets across the nation unite to urge their shoppers to commit to having more family meal together each week than they have currently. According to our 2019 U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends report, 97% of families with kids consider eating meals at home with family to be important.

It’s been said that frozen foods are the original meal kit. Frozen foods cover every meal occasion: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert.

Recently, FMI’s Lucas Darnell, director, member relations and advocacy (Eastern Region), visited with Michael McQuade, owner of McQuade’s Marketplace, in Westerly, RI.