1998: a world of opportunity.The new year presents a convenient opportunity to assess the business environment, identify the challenges and opportunities which it presents, and appraise appraise v. to professionally evaluate the value of property including real estate, jewelry, antique furniture, securities, or in certain cases the loss of value (or cost of replacement) due to damage. the ability of various segments to succeed. As this ritual is performed within the food industry, there is reason for optimism for the frozen food category. A number of challenges facing the food industry play to the strengths of the frozen food industry, and create a world of opportunity in 1998. Feeding the World The United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. population represents only about 4.5 percent of the world's population. Efforts to eliminate trade barriers and enhanced means of transportation have increased the ability of United States businesses to broaden the reach of their products and compete to feed the remaining 95 percent. The conveniences of freezing technology and demand for food products high in quality present unique opportunities for the frozen food industry in the global economy. The industry already has excelled in this expanded marketplace. Between 1990 and 1996, frozen vegetable exports from the United States nearly doubled from 469.2 million pounds to 933.5 million pounds. In addition to seeking and capitalizing on export opportunities, the frozen food industry will need to work hard and in cooperation with the entire food industry to open new markets in 1998. Unfortunately, protectionism is becoming synonymous with synonymous with adjective equivalent to, the same as, identical to, similar to, identified with, equal to, tantamount to, interchangeable with, one and the same as populism populism Political program or movement that champions the common person, usually by favourable contrast with an elite. Populism usually combines elements of the left and right, opposing large business and financial interests but also frequently being hostile to established on the United States political scene. As is evident by Congress' postponement of the vote on legislation to grant the President so-called "fast track" negotiating authority, education efforts to promote the importance of America's leadership on trade are needed sorely. Charter Member of HMR HMR Hazardous Materials Regulations HMR Human Resources HMR Home Meal Replacement HMR Hamrun (postal locality, Malta) HMR Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont (Montréal, Canada) Trend Domestically, few trends have received more attention recently than that known as home meal replacement (HMR). This trend plays undeniably to the strengths of frozen food products. In fact, the frozen food category merits consideration as the charter member of the HMR trend. If the HMR phenomenon describes the time-starved family unwilling to sacrifice quality in their eating occasions, frozen food products are the ideal HMR solutions. The convenience of frozen dinners and entrees, as well as frozen fruits, vegetables and other products as value- added items, is well-known. Additionally, new developments have enhanced quality and begun to overcome prior prejudices. The challenge for the frozen food industry in 1998 is to build upon its partnerships with the retail and foodservice trades and to continue to promote the quality of its products. A Safe Technology In 1997, the food industry was the victim of political opportunism Opportunism Arabella, Lady squire’s wife matchmakes with money in mind. [Br. Lit.: Doctor Thorne] Ashkenazi, Simcha shrewdly and unscrupulously becomes merchant prince. [Yiddish Lit. and media sensationalism sensationalism, in philosophy, the theory that there are no innate ideas and that knowledge is derived solely from the sense data of experience. The idea was discussed by Greek philosophers and is shown variously in the works of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, George . Isolated incidences of foodborne illness A foodborne illness (also foodborne disease) is any illness resulting from the consumption of food. Although foodborne illness is commonly called food poisoning, this is often a misnomer. and high-profile public policy initiatives put the issue of food safety in the news. While working with the food industry as a whole to separate misrepresentation misrepresentation In law, any false or misleading expression of fact, usually with the intent to deceive or defraud. It most commonly occurs in insurance and real-estate contracts. False advertising may also constitute misrepresentation. , inaccuracy in·ac·cu·ra·cy n. pl. in·ac·cu·ra·cies 1. The quality or condition of being inaccurate. 2. An instance of being inaccurate; an error. and blatant deception from facts and sound science, the frozen food industry in particular has an important story to tell. The freezing technology, in numerous instances, can inactivate in·ac·ti·vate v. 1. To render nonfunctional. 2. To make quiescent. in·ac  ti·va pathogenic organisms. And, as many cases of foodborne illness are
associated with improper food handling temperatures, frozen foods are
inherently very safe products. That is a story worth telling in 1998.
5 A Day In 1998, the frozen food industry must continue to spread the positive message about the high nutritional value of frozen food products. The frozen-specific 5 A Day - the COOL Way/message remains a simple, yet effective tool in this effort. The goal of 5 A Day is to encourage the consumption of five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. It is backed by findings of the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute that eating fruits and vegetables as part of a low-fat, high-fiber diet high-fiber diet High-residue diet, high-roughage diet Nutrition A diet with ≥ 13–20 g/day of crude dietary fiber. Cf Low-fiber diet. may help reduce the risk of cancer. Through the 5 A Day - the COOL Way/message, the American Frozen Food Institute American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) is a trade association and lobbying group based in McLean, Virginia for manufacturers and distributors of frozen food. AFFI promotes frozen food to consumers and other groups, and organizes conventions for its members. (AFFI) works hard to increase the awareness of this message among consumers, and to present the frozen food aisles as the ideal meal solution for the 5 A Day goal. Importantly, promotions involving this simple and effective message have increased sales throughout the entire frozen food category - including those of dinners and entrees. The frozen food industry should look at 1998 with tremendous optimism. While the food industry as a segment of the economy remains highly competitive, many of its challenges play to the strengths of frozen food products. The ability of the frozen food industry to capitalize on its advantages now will increase opportunities for success well into the future. The American Frozen Food Institute is the national trade association that has represented the interests of the frozen food industry for over 50 years. Its 560 corporate members account for more than 90 percent of the frozen food production in the U. S. |
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