More than 1100 snack food executives and suppliers from 38 countries are attended SNAXPO 2011 in Orlando March 20-23, where they gained insight and knowledge at educational sessions as well as from trade show exhibitors and their counterparts from across the industry.
"This is the place to be if you are in the snack food business," said Tom Dempsey, President, Utz Quality Foods, Inc. "Innovation, contacts, friends, invaluable information -- it's all here at this show."
A former top Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official advised member company executives during Monday's general session to act now to comply with provisions of the new Food Safety Modernization Act.
"This is the most important food safety law in our lifetime. This will change the entire landscape of what is regulated by the FDA," said A. Joseph Levitt, a partner at Hogan Lovells US LLP. Martin J. Hahn, also a partner at that firm, is SFA General Counsel.
Levitt detailed specific responsibilities that food manufacturers will have under the new law, including the need to create a detailed food safety plan and an accompanying record keeping system so required information can be provided to FDA inspectors when they come calling.
Other sessions Monday covered front-of-pack labeling, implementing a continuous improvement culture, and commodity/ingredient risk management.
The exhibit floor opened at 1:30 p.m. and traffic was heavy, with lots of business taking place.
State of the Industry Report Presented
On Tuesday, March 22, the annual State of the Industry report was presented by Sally Lyons Wyatt, Senior Vice President, SymphonyIRI Group.
Health and wellness, the need to satiate appetites, offering products that go beyond sweet and savory, being conscious of sustainability, and the fact that brands are now gaining against private label were all top lines offered by Wyatt in her presentation.
While consumers are still concerned about the economy, confidence is returning and many shoppers are now seeking brand name products at good prices on a regular basis, rather than constantly searching for bargains or switching to lower cost private label, she said.
View the complete State of the Industry report
Earl Wise Inducted into SFA Circle of Honor
The late Earl Wise, Sr., founder of the Wise Potato Chip Co., was inducted Tuesday into the Snack Food Association's coveted Circle of Honor during SNAXPO 2011.
The award, which recognizes the achievements of snack food industry executives who have been leaders in their companies and the Association, was accepted by Bruce Brown, President, Fairchester Snacks, and Mike Scott, Chief Executive Officer, Wise Foods, Inc.
Today, Wise Foods, Inc. has 900 employees and 2,500 routes, and continues to thrive, with members of the Wise family still working there.
Sustainability & the Bottom Line
Three industry leaders, in a Tuesday morning seminar, discussed ways companies in the industry can improve their operations to be more sustainable, eliminating waste, saving energy, improving the environment and increasing profit at the same time.
Bob Shearer, Chief Executive Officer, Shearer's Foods, Inc., took attendees through the process that has resulted in Shearer's Foods constructing a new snack food plant that achieves all of those objectives. Burke Ewers, Senior Vice President of Sales, Lime Energy, and Michael Muyot, President & Founder of CRD Analytics, discussed ways that companies can achieve those objectives and then quantify the results.
Innovations in Ingredients
Since 2005, Dow AgroSciences LLC has replaced nearly a billion pounds of "bad" fats with its healthier oils, according to David Booher, the company's group leader, healthy oils. He was one of four presenters who talked about healthier formulating for snack foods during a March 22 education session.
George D. Lutz, quality assurance and technical services manager, Cargill, Inc.'s Salt Business Unit, discussed sodium reduction and options snack manufacturers have for reducing sodium content. Hanneke Veldhuis, business development manager, DSM Food Specialties, addressed the acrylamide issue, and covered some options for reducing acrylamide in snack foods.
Gordon Gregory, vice-president and general manager, ADM Edible Bean Specialties, noted that beans are the only food product that are mentioned twice in the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid, when talking about how snack manufacturers can increase the fiber and protein content of snack foods by using bean grits and flours in their products.
Heard on the Show Floor
Jeff Higgins, President, Savor Seasonings -- "The number of people that I've been able to see and talk to has been very beneficial. We've been able to discuss their businesses and what they are looking to do. All of these talks have been substantive and productive."
Scott Smith, President, Shearer's Foods, Inc. -- "It's been great so far. We've seen a lot of people on the trade show floor and the educational sessions have been terrific. The State of the Industry address this morning provided important insights that we need to focus on regarding how the markets are changing and how we need to respond."
Steve Mires, Sales Service Manager, Maddox Metal Works -- "Yesterday was the best show we've ever had. This is the best that SFA has ever had. Our lead retrieval was over 15 feet long last night. We couldn't believe it. We've never done that before and we've been coming to SNAXPO since the '80s."
Carl Glick, Vice President, Sales, Polymer Logistics. -- "I didn't know what to expect because this is our first time here. But we've made a lot of contacts and the people we are talking to matter. We've developed leads that we hope to turn into business. We'll be back."
Gregg Drewelow, Business Development Manager, Former's International, Inc. -- "This is for us a show that we can't afford to miss. It is a great opportunity to meet with the decision-makers of companies that are so important to us. We do business with so many folks here. It is a good opportunity to meet with them face-to-face."
Mike Shragher, Executive Vice President, Sigmaplast/SIGMA Trading USA -- "It's our fourth year at SNAXPO. It's a good opportunity to see a lot of familiar faces in one place. We've developed concrete leads and we'll put some quotes together for some people."