Supermarket Perimeter - June 2019 - 13

Initially, the GMA and the Food Marketing
Institute gathered leading food manufacturers
and retailers to address the problem and recommended to narrow down or voluntary standardize date labeling to "Best If Used By" and
"Use By." Basically, "Best If Used By" indicates
items may not taste or perform as expected
but can still be consumed. "Use By" applies to
perishable foods that should be consumed by
the date on the package or then discarded.
Since the initiative began, 87% of products have adopted the streamlined phrases,
according to a GMA December 2018 survey.
The association projected a 98% adoption rate
by the end of 2019, and it expected complete
adoption by January 2020 in conjunction with
the expected FDA Nutrition Facts label updates.
The GMA noted that voluntarily standardizing the two date labels may not only reduce
consumer confusion about when to toss out
food, but also allow the food industry - not
the government - to address this labeling.
The GMA called standardized terms a proactive common-sense solution.
"They had a quick effect and promise to
have a lasting impact," the report concluded.
It's a good ﬁrst start to a big issue.

Kroger fights
waste with
fresher
avocados
The Kroger Co. recently committed to eliminating food waste
across the company by 2025.
As part of this effort, the Cincinnati-based retailer will begin
selling Apeel avocados in its home
market, with plans to expand to
other cities. Developed by Apeel
Sciences, the avocados stay fresher two to three times longer than
conventional avocados because
they have an extra, plant-based
peel that slows the rate of water
loss and oxidation."Apeel is an
innovative partner that will help
Kroger reduce food waste and
redeﬁne the customer experience
through ﬁrst-to-market technology," says Frank Romero, Kroger's
vice president of produce.

LET'S
CREATE A
MIND
EXPANDING
CUSTOMER
EXPERIENCE.
There's a reason the
foodservice industry depends
on us for signature tastes.
Our customized approach
to seasonings, sauces, food
coatings and food safety
ingredients helps create a
unique experience customers
love. Whether it's a build your
own pizza station, deli chicken
program or anything in
between, Newly Weds Foods
has the imaginative solutions
to make it stand out. Totally.

Extending meat shelf
life to reduce waste

JOLOEI - STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Fresh-cut and wrapped meat and poultry
spoils quickly, especially if shelf-life extending technologies are not incorporated. That's
because meat and poultry are nutrient-dense
substrates with high-water activity, making
them a target for microbial growth. Spoiled
product must be discarded because it is organoleptically unacceptable, making spoilage
one of the greatest forms of food waste.
Processors have a toolbox of ingredients
to assist with reducing waste while ensuring
product safety. There are ingredients that
retard oxidation, thereby improving color and
ﬂavor. There are also various approaches to

slowing the growth of spoilage microorganisms while also destroying pathogens. Of
course, starting with quality raw meat and
poultry and maintaining clean and well refrigerated manufacturing, storage and distribution
environments is paramount.
There are many technologies to assist with
slowing color loss. This includes modiﬁed
atmosphere packaging, reducing exposure to
in-store lighting and addition of ingredients
that stabilize desirable color. There are conventional generally recognized as safe (GRAS)
additives and clean-label options.
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Supermarket Perimeter - June 2019

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