SpartanNash Company stated that their goal for National Family Meals Month™ was to “attract, excite and engage with all of the families that shop in our store and encourage them to eat together at home again during the month of September,” according to Nathan Stock, Regional Wellness Specialist at SpartanNash Company. This is one of the many reasons why they were a Gold Plate Award winner.

Food traceability is not a goal, but rather a backbone to many goals of the food system and plays a critical role in food safety and protecting our global food supply chain. Beyond food safety, traceability plays a role in achieving food security, sustainability, defense, and protection.

Contrary to numerous media stories, Millennials are still seeking in-store shopping experiences despite their growing interest in ecommerce. Retailers are working to create energy-efficient and sustainable shopping environments to not only meet the demand of shoppers, but reduce the burden of operating costs.

Last month I traveled to San Francisco to staff the FMI and SQF food safety attendee information area at the Fancy Food Winter Show. We had a great booth experience with many attendees interested in our food safety accreditation program. In addition to assisting with food safety information, I was able to visit the show and pick up on a few trends to share with you.