Global demand for fresh food exceeded 2.2 billion tons in 2015

Euromonitor International has published data on the global fresh food market in 2015, which experienced a 2% volume growth over 2014 to reach 2.2 billion tons.

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ICL Food Specialties opens expanded facility in St. Louis

ICL Food Specialties has opened its newly expanded research and development center in St. Louis.

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Prinova to distribute Lycored’s natural colors in U.S., Canada

Prinova, a supplier of ingredients, flavors, and value-added nutrient fortification products, has announced a new partnership with Lycored.

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Private equity firm acquires pork rind snack manufacturer

Wind Point Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm, has acquired Evans Food Group, a global manufacturer of branded and private label pork rind snacks.

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Frozen vegetables recalled; onions in them could carry Listeria

At least two frozen vegetable blends produced by the Pictsweet Co. are under recall because chopped onions in the products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Officials from Pictsweet in Bells, TN, were not immediately available for comment today. A recall notice from a regional grocery chain in St. Louis states the implicated onions came from Oregon Potato Co., doing business as Freeze Pack.

The Schnucks grocery chain recall of Pictsweet brand “Seasoning Blend” and “Steamable Spring Vegetables” today, just one day after Reser’s Fine Foods recalled 19 refrigerated salads from 29 states because of possible listeria contamination from chipped onions. The Reser’s recall did not name the onion supplier.

Corporate officials with Reser’s and Oregon Potato Co. did not immediately respond to calls for comment. The April 10 recall by Reser’s stated certain Safeway and Walmart branded salads were made with the potentially contaminated onions.

As of this afternoon, no recall notices for the onions or other products containing them had been posted by Pictsweet Co., the Oregon Potato Co. or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Listeria monocytogenes is a microscopic organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, pregnant women, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems.

Healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeria infections can cause miscarriage and stillbirths among pregnant women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The recalled frozen vegetable products are:

• Pictsweet Seasoning Blend, 12-ounce, UPC: 7056096902, Best by date: 4/2/2018; and
• Pictsweet Steamable Spring Vegetables,10-ounce, UPC: 7056097826 Best by date: 3/19/2018.

Schnucks is offering refunds to customers who return the recalled products. Customers can contact the Schnucks consumer affairs department at 314-994-4400 or 1-800-264-4400.

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Reser’s Fine Foods Recalls Salads

Reser’s Fine Foods, Inc. of Beaverton, Oregon is recalling nineteen refrigerated salad items due to notification from one of our ingredient suppliers that Listeria monocytogenes may be present in one lot of onions that was used in the manufacture of these salads.  

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometime fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and individuals with weakened immune systems. Healthy people may suffer only short term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.  Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant woman.

The recalled refrigerated salads were distributed to retailers and distribution centers in the following states: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, SD, TN, TX, UT, WA, WY, and British Columbia.

The retail product is sold in plastic containers and is marked with a Use By Date and the #10 at the end of the line of printing.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recall was the result of a notification from one of our onion suppliers that the bacteria may be present in one lot of onions used in the manufacture of these refrigerated salads.  No other items were manufactured using this lot of onions.

Consumers are urged not to consume these products.

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Can edible utensils cut down on plastic waste?

A former groundwater researcher in India has developed a line of edible utensils called Bakeys.

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