Consumers are confused about food labels, farming methods and the marketing jargon used in the food industry. Surveys have shown that two-thirds of consumers who purchase 'all natural' or 'organic' foods are motivated by a perception that they are healthier and safer. But of course 'natural' and 'organic' foods are not identical [...]
Large Family Farms Dominate U.S. Agricultural Production Sometimes the media give the impression that US agriculture, and particularly the farming segment, is run by large corporate interests. The fact is that the US farming system is dominated by family farms as per this data from the USDA ERS. It found that family [...]
Survey Shows 46% of grocers behind in omnichannel April, 2017 - The number of brick & mortar grocers who have not deployed any omnichannel service offerings is over 46%. This according to Progressive Grocer's 2017 Report of the Grocery Industry. Omnichannel service programs provide customers with tools and messages both in-store and [...]
March, 2011 - We awoke this morning to the shocking news that supermarket grocery carts are bacteria laden, fecal carrying, ecoli-infested, poo machines. We wondered how it could be that last week this was essentially unknown to us and yet by 10AM these dirty facts were the topic of 2 stories on [...]
The USDA has explicitly stated that its organic seal is not a measure of nutrition or quality, and is “not a statement about food safety” but consumers continue to believe products bearing the USDA organic seal are safer, healthier and more nutritious.These misperceptions have been exploited by organic marketers and repeatedly peddled [...]
There's more to it than just food safety Traceability means the ability to record, track and verify a product's history and location as it moves through a supply chain. Technology such as barcodes or RFID tags along with traceability software systems make tracing almost any product possible. However, there are unique challenges and [...]