July 10, 2007
Welcome
Welcome to another issue of the FIBR Sampler, an electronic newsletter
that keeps you connected with FIBR and regional food industry issues. Tell your
friends and colleagues to sign up for this e-letter by filling out the information
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Topics covered in this issue--
President's Message
Half Full or Half Empty? Is your calendar half full or half empty? For some companies their fiscal year is just starting and some of us are wondering, "Where'd the time go, the year's half over. "The fiscal folks plan for the future because that's where the action will be. The past is done, over, finished. What you're doing now will be just a memory in a moment. Unless... You've created or done something so special we all want to know about your achievement and we'll talk about you and your work because its value is so rare we cannot not tell the world about it. So, what's new? This newsletter is about you, your company, your direction, your goals, daily battles, destination, because where you lead--people will follow.
Read this letter from FIBR for guidelines to success supplied by our members. There's a full roster of organizations in FIBR that are dedicated to assisting you and your co-workers. It matters not to FIBR if you're the head person or an employee. We're here to serve you. We're about sharing. That's why we're a Round Table for our members. No one person sits at the head of our table of business. We teach and share our knowledge of industry with you as taught by eminently qualified instructors or by our own members. Visit fibr.info Our Board Members need to hear from you when you have a question or an idea or a scheme or a promotion. All businesses are basically similar. We manufacture a product, it's distributed, it's sold. You get paid. You make a profit. Easy, huh? Not making the kind of profits you dreamed of?
FIBR has members to serve you for consultations, health plans, home-buying, credit assistance, financial aid and more. Learn and ask and do. Be. Do. Have.
Pay your dues and someday you'll be collecting dues. "The Clock of Life is wound but once, and no one has the power to tell just when the hands will stop -- on what day or what hour. Now is the only time you have to live it with a will. So don't wait until tomorrow -- the hands may then still" Herb Sorensen 106 yrs, 8 months, 3 days.
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Welcome to our newest members
- Barbara Radwin Corp
- Batchmasters
- BestFresh Foods
- Brooker Labratories
- C&H Meat Co (Eastland Corp)
- Chapman University
- Engine Co. No. 28 Restaurant
- Father Nature Lavash Wraps
- Flavors and Colors.com
- GFF – Girard’s Salad Dressings
- Helen’s Foods
- Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
- Miller’s Honey
- Nielsen Citrus Products
- Self Insured Solutions
- Triton International
- Zetlian Bakery
Please visit our Members section to see all our members and get links to their websites!
SIGN-UP TODAY! FOOD SAFETY CLASSES START IN AUGUST!
Now is the time to sign-up for the FIBR Food Safety Training Institute August session. The English language HACCP classes begin on August 22nd in Monterey Park. The Spanish-language GMP class will be held on August 20 & 21st in Los Angeles.
All classes are now open for registration! For a registrations form, class details, locations, instructors, curriculums and cost, please visit our registration page
FIBR provides quality training with unique perspectives from Industry, Academia, Consulting and the Regulatory Communities. We hope you will join the many companies and individuals who have taken advantage of this unique and affordable opportunity! Sign-Up Today!
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FIBR Announces: 2007 A Taste of FIBR
Awards Nominations Now Open!
It's that time again! Time to nominate your company or another FIBR Member company for the 2007 A Taste of FIBR Awards Presentations! Nominations are now open and must be submitted by Mail or fax no later than August 17, 2007.
A Taste of FIBR includes award presentations of the FIBR Food Processor of the Year; FIBR Safety Achievement Award; and the FIBR Community Partner of the Year. Both the Food Processor of the Year and the Safety Achievement Awards will be done through a nomination process. The requirements are simple and the judges will be members of the Taste of FIBR Planning Committees. To download our nomination form visit 2007 A Taste of FIBR nomination. FIBR invites you to nominate yourself or another FIBR company you feel deserves the award. So, send in your nominations now! Visit our members page for a list of FIBR Members.
Our annual food tasting event that showcases our member’s products and services – 2007 A Taste of FIBR is set for evening of Thursday, September 20th – Save the Date Today!!
Come see the cultural and ethnic diversity that define the Southern California Food Processing Industry. From family-owned businesses to firms with multi-state operations, FIBR Member products celebrate global flavors and ethnic and specialty food trends—from Asian Noodles and diverse Soy products to Italian, Japanese, Middle-eastern, and Gourmet Produce; from organic food items to seafood and specialty desserts. Every day you try our products at restaurants, supermarkets, school cafeterias and even on your favorite airlines. So, come have A Taste of FIBR! And networks with other food industry professionals.
If you have any questions regarding the nominations process or about, A Taste of FIBR please contact Yvette Nunez at (213) 763-2520, ext. 227.
FIBR Holds Annual Members Meeting At Federal Reserve Bank
The 2007 FIBR Annual Members Meeting was hosted on May 18th at the Los Angeles Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco in Downtown Los Angeles.
Members had an opportunity to network, review the past year's activities, benefits, partnerships and plans for the future. Also changes to the FIBR website, including an updated members list with web-links, an updated membership application, other section enhancements and the special "featured members" section were presented. For Members Only – a fully detailed members directory and access to seminar presentations and reports were added. The highlight of the meeting was a special member’s only presentation on Ethnic Food Trends by Thomas Tseng of New American Dimensions, a marketing research and consulting firm in Los Angeles. A copy of his presentation can be viewed in the member’s only section of this website.
For new and seasoned members alike – the meeting provided a look into FIBR's current direction and a look at future activities. Planning Meetings for 2008 take place in December and now is a great time to share your thought and ideas for a brighter FIBR Future! Please share your ideas and comments at ynunez@fibr.info.
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Bi-Annual Southern California Meet Your Inspector’s Forum A Great Success!
FIBR held it’s Bi-Annual Southern California Meet Your Inspectors Forum on the morning of April 19th at Cal Poly Pomona’s Bronco Student Center.
The well-attended event featured presentations on the New Cal-Code Law and How It effects your company; ALERT: An FDA Bioterrorism Preparedness Program, a presentation of The Southern California Wholesale Food Facility Construction Guide [a co-operative effort of the Regional Wholesale Food Processing Committee(RWFPC)] and a overview of CalOSHA’s Consultation Services – which is emphasizing the food processing industry in 2007.
The program then continued with an All-agencies Questions & Answers Session where attendees were invited to "ask any questions they’d like" – this friendly, open environment was a great precursor to the networking and "face to face" meetings of inspectors from various local, state and federal agencies – which concluded the program. Participants spent this time asking plant-specific questions, collecting brochures and other information and putting "a face to the name" of their regulatory partners.
Many thanks from FIBR and the members of the RWFPC to all of the program participants who unselfishly shared their expertise and time with the Southern California Food Processing Community. Without your cooperation and participation – the program could not have been such a success!
Again- A BIG FIBR THANKS to:
Members of the RWFPC: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego, Orange Counties and the City of Vernon! And to …
CalOSHA, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S Department of Agriculture!
Members can find copies of the Los Angeles County’s Cal Code Presentation and the ALERT Presentation by U.S. F.D.A. in the Members Only section.
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FIBR And CMTC Co-Host Continuous Improvement Seminar
In February, FIBR and the California Manufacturing Technology Consulting (CMTC) kicked-off the new year by presenting Continuous Improvement Programs: Key to Maintaining A Competitive Edge! The networking breakfast meeting held in Monterey Park was opened by FIBR President, Don Whittemore, who was followed by a quick overview of CMTC’s - FIBR member benefit - the Small Business Advantage Program – and encouraged members to sign-up and take advantage of the free business service.
The Continuous Improvement Program was presented by Mr. James Gilbert, Senior Consultant at CMTC. Mr. Gilbert shared information on how continuous improvement programs can improve operational efficiencies by identifying and eliminating "non-value" activities and processes. The principals behind Continuous Improvement programs help to reduce costs, shrink lead time and improve your products quality. All of which, of course, improves your customer service!
Everyone attending the networking breakfast and seminar received a wealth of information and left armed with enough knowledge to take back to the plant and analyze if Continuous Improvement Programs was right for their company.
FIBR would like to thank CMTC for brining quality and timely programming to its members. For more information about CMTC visit their website at www.cmtc.com
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INTERESTING WEBSITES FOR FOOD PROCESSORS
Here are a few websites we think you will find of interest to your business:
Food Ingredients First – A on-line newsletter focused on food ingredient technology and food product development.
www.foodingredientsfirst.com
Supermarket Guru – This site is full of lots of interesting stuff about supermarket/grocer news with a lot of focus on new products and their potential for success.
www.supermarketguru.com
Lean Trimming and Heard on the Hill – The official National Meat Association on-line newsletter
www.nmaonline.org
Here are samples of articles reprinted from this site (with permission) that we thought you would find of interest: DEMAND FOR MEAT PACKAGING
Demand for meat, poultry, and seafood packaging is projected to increase 4.2 percent annually to more than $8 billion in 2011. Gains will in part be attributable to increased meat, poultry, and seafood production, with changes in packaging practices, according to the "Meat, Poultry, & Seafood Packaging," a study from The Freedonia Group Inc., a Cleveland – based industry firm. The increased prevalence of case-ready meats and greater requirements for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) will boost packaging demand, according to the Associated Press.
Freedonia Group Inc. believes that flexible packaging demand will outpace rigid packaging. Growth will be driven by robust gains for pouches and continued healthy prospects for high-barrier film. Pouch opportunities will result from the further penetration of retort pouches in place of cans, greater usage in initial launches of new products, and inroads by stand-up pouches in traditional bag applications for frozen meat, poultry, and seafood. High-barrier film demand will benefit from heightened requirements for value-added packaging materials for extended shelf life and protection from puncturing during shipping and handling.
As a result of their Meat, Poultry & Seafood Packaging study, Freedonia Group Inc. has come to the conclusion that poultry and seafood applications will log above-average advances, benefiting from trends toward healthier eating. Packaging opportunities will present themselves offering convenience in preparation and storage due to a steady stream of innovative and higher-margin poultry products. Anticipated advancements in the smaller ready-to-eat market, where growing demand for prepared foods will drive expanded availability of such foods by retailers. The processed market will expand with the overall industry average, driven by ongoing new product introductions of higher-margin, convenience-oriented processed items.
VINEGAR AND LEMON JUICE APPROVED AS NATURAL PRODUCTS
SIS has determined that a blend of distilled vinegar and lemon juice concentrate may be used in products bearing the claim "natural." Vinegar is specifically accepted from the definition of "chemical preservative" in 9 CFR 301.2. The use of the fruit juice concentrate added to the vinegar is primarily used for the enhancement of the meat flavor and will not delay or accelerate the rate at which the meat spoils.
FIBR Hopes you will give these websites a look and find them of interest.
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