FMI - OMEGA - West Virginia Oil Marketers & Grocers Association

The food retail industry has experienced several years of new rulemakings and other regulatory actions on a scale unlike previous regulatory environments. In addition to the industry-supported Food Safety Modernization Act, new regulations cover a wide range of topics, including labor and wages, nutrition labeling, and environmental issues, among others. As the new administration confirms key agency posts and moves forward with a new regulatory agenda, we are left questioning what is in store for the grocery industry.

The world of food retail is always changing, so having the tools to make strategic adjustments and adapt requires the right talent, resources and a collaborative spirit.With that in mind FMI has designed four events in one week in one major city to promote thoughtful connections for food retail businesses.

Across the food industry, voluntary warnings – called precautionary allergen labeling (PAL) – are included on finished products, or display cases, to alert customers about potential cross-contact with an unintended allergen source.

Even as food retailers, we need to be prepared to ensure the safety and security of our employees and customers. At FMI’s 2017 ASAP Conference, Mark Seguin, founder and CEO of TBG Solutions Inc., presented a two-part workshop on “How to Survive an Active Shooter Situation.”

What we need is practical, targeted clarity, which necessitates taking the time to find out what people want to know and then presenting it to them with lucid integrity. It’s with this notion that the 2017 edition of FMI’s U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends will focus on transparency, both defining this maligned concept and getting our arms around the good it calls for while approaching it realistically and with frugal practicality.