There’s a new contender in the chicken sandwich wars but with a refreshing twist! Shake Shack introduced a Korean Style Fried Chick’n Sandwich, and in true #foodie form, the peeps at Dempsey Food went in face-first to investigate!

Since Dempsey Food supplies authentic gochujang, kimchi and other Korean ingredients to food manufacturers, they took it upon themselves to provide their professional opinion on the big question: How is it?!

Pretty interesting, huh?! Learn more, here.

Lisa Demme

Marketing Director – Thought Leadership FONA International,

Vice Chair, Bigger Table

For me, and I hope for you as well, this spring holds the promise of renewal and abundance.  I am honored to share a bit about the unique and valuable partnership that FONA International has with the Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network and Bigger Table.  Through these partnerships we have been able to connect in a deeper and more meaningful way with both our industry and local communities.

FONA’s founder, Joe Slawek, chartered our Cornerstone Membership with CFBN just before its launch 4 years ago.  CFBN’s mission of “driving inclusive food and beverage growth through industry collaboration” resonated with Joe from a business perspective.  CFBN’s inclusion of both large and small companies was a powerful concept because it’s rare to have the opportunity to positively impact and nurture entrepreneurial start-ups. This spoke to Joe’s own business story and success.

Last year, just before our worlds changed with the COVID-19 pandemic, CFBN’s charitable arm Bigger Table was born.  A core team met virtually and decided to focus on one philanthropic initiative that could deliver a BIG impact to our local communities.  Thirteen companies participated in the pilot and proved that industry members can join together for a greater cause to collectively have a tremendous impact on the community.  Through donations of ingredients, formulation expertise, packaging, manufacturing line time and general industry knowledge, high-quality nutritious products were manufactured and delivered to local food banks and pantries to help support Chicagoland neighbors during this especially challenging time.

No one in America should have to go hungry.  That’s why in 2021, Bigger Table has set sights on growing its reach and expanding food insecurity efforts.  We believe that by focusing on increasing our impact, we have the capacity to deliver at least 1.5 million servings in 2021 and up to six million servings in 2022, with delivery well beyond the Chicagoland area.  We are actively seeking companies and individuals that want to spread their generosity, support charitable efforts, and invest in a program that feeds both body and soul.

Bigger Table goes beyond generosity – at FONA, we would call it generative.  It’s not just about giving but about generating – about creating. Together with our colleagues we are creating goodwill, creating value for the community, and creating bonds and unity with one another. I encourage you to reach out to me or any member of CFBN or Bigger Table to talk about how you might join in this incredible organizational effort focused on strengthening our communities and helping eradicate food insecurity.

Like FONA and our partners at CFBN and Bigger Table, you can make a difference for your community, for our industry, and for families around Chicagoland. I invite you to join us.

Pivot Energy deployed solar energy solutions at 23 Whole Foods locations, including the Richmond CA distribution center shown above.

The Food and Beverage industry leads on sustainability. From regenerative agriculture practices to the industry's increased transparency at the grocery aisle, Food and Beverage companies understand that sustainability isn't just good for brand perception; it is a competitive advantage. However, one critical component doesn't align with Food and Beverage companies' sustainability plans: the fossil fuels powering their facilities. With consumer demand for green products and corporate leadership, Food and Beverage companies need to think beyond the shelves to stand out.

The Business Case for Sustainability

Numerous consumer studies cite the rising preference among purchasers for responsibly-sourced products and their positive impact on corporate profits. A recent report from the Capgemini Research Institute notes that “79% of consumers are changing their spending habits based on social responsibility, inclusiveness, or environmental impact.” A IBM and the National Retail Federation found survey found nearly 6 in 10 consumers surveyed were willing to change their shopping habits to reduce environmental impact. Additionally, companies with sustainability offerings see accelerated growth, as noted by the Harvard Business Review.

As proven by these studies and many others, it is evident that more and more consumers care about where and what they are spending their money on, including paying a premium for brands who deliver on environmental stewardship. With this in mind, it is important to take a holistic approach when incorporating sustainability in your brand, including the very source of energy that powers your company’s facilities.

The Movement Towards “Green” Business Operations

Food industry giants such as Danone, General Mills, and Nestle are taking critical steps to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from food production, which by some estimates, accounts for roughly a third of global GHG emissions. The COVID-19 pandemic hasn't slowed the green pledges, with new commitments announced by AMD, ConAgra, Cargill, and more within the last year.

Emission reduction efforts not only make for a differentiator in the grocery aisle, i.e., "this product was made in a facility powered 100% by clean energy," but companies can also achieve strong returns on investment for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades. This reality has been touted by many in the industry, from Environmental Social Governance (ESG) reports and investor updates. Just as brands are investing in resiliency in the supply chain, energy upgrades build resiliency into business operations.

Why Solar

Solar Energy is a powerful solution for Food and Beverage companies seeking to market their sustainability initiatives to consumers while reducing operating costs for their facilities or offices.

Investing in solar energy allows companies to take greater control of their bottom line and turn an electric expense into an asset. Every kilowatt-hour of energy produced by a solar array equates to one less unit of energy purchased from the utility, which is heavily reliant on carbon-intensive fuel sources. In addition, solar energy procurement is eligible for federal tax credits and incentives (location dependent) which accelerates project breakeven and increases returns. System owners benefit from the 26% Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which equates to a 1:1 reduction in corporate tax liability. Add to this Bonus Accelerated Bonus Depreciation, these two tax vehicles alone equate to almost half of project costs recouped via tax vehicles. Additionally, many states and utilities offer incentive income atop of these benefits. These benefits make solar more accessible and are worth exploring now before some phase down.

There has never been a better time to explore solar energy for your facility. In addition to operating cost savings and incentives, the drastic drop in system costs has largely plateaued. Meaning any additional brands stay on the sidelines waiting to invest, risk losing out on valuable financial benefits while continuing to pay increasingly expensive electric bills. Additionally, if a capital outlay is not feasible, third-party ownership structures like a Power Purchase Agreement (in which a financier receives all the incentive benefits and provides a Day 1 utility rate lower than the current utility rate) make solar more accessible. There are even options for offsite solar subscriptions if a facility is not suitable for onsite solar.

Solar Energy offers a compelling investment and it is certainly the sort of company evolution worth sharing with your customers and employees. From packaging promotion to internal messaging, today’s solar energy procurers are proud to share they have made the switch to clean energy.

Getting Started with Pivot Energy

Pivot Energy is a turnkey solar developer with over 500 commercial and industrial projects nationwide. Connecting with a qualified developer like Pivot Energy ensures you have the expertise needed to properly understand your unique energy needs and effectively navigate your portfolio. Pivot is an experienced partner of the Food & Beverage industry, helping clients unlock the many benefits of solar energy. Reach out to our team today to get started with a free consultation to see how much you can save with solar!

Author: Gerald Espinosa

Contact: gespinosa@pivotenergy.net, 888.734.3033 x 709

Increasing consumption has been a known pattern from the beginning of our history. Only recently, however, a new type of consumer has emerged — the conscious consumer. This consumer is interested in the formulation of products, what values it carries and all the information about where the product came from.

These label-readers are shaping the future of the food and beverage industry today. Up next, we will tell you who these people are and what’s important to them, along with a few tips on how to reach today’s consumers.

What is a conscious consumer?

SmartBrief came up with a series of articles designing four consumer archetypes that are shaping the F&B industry. In this content, we will focus on two of them: the health-conscious consumer and the eco-conscious consumer.

These two archetypes often match the same person, but, to quote Melissa Abbott, vice president of Hartman Retainer Services at The Hartman Group, “today’s engaged, health-conscious consumer is increasingly reaching for items that promote gut health, good digestion, reduced inflammation, good neurological function and a healthy metabolism”.

Eco-conscious consumers “are increasingly paying attention to how their food is produced and showing support for businesses that demonstrate care for the environment. From plant-based meat alternatives to waste initiatives and new packaging technologies, restaurants, consumer packaged goods manufacturers and food retailers are all investing in new, innovative ways to give eco-conscious consumers what they’re prioritizing in their food choices”, according to Audrey Altmann, from SmartBrief.

But why is it important to know these two archetypes and build strategies to get to them? According to Nielsen, is expected that by 2021 sustainable-minded consumers in the U.S. will spend $150 billion on sustainable products.

How to reach today’s consumers

Considering the amount that today's consumers are expected to spend to purchase products aligned with their values, it’s important to draw strategies to reach them.

Where does food come from?

That’s the question consumers ask when choosing what to take home. According to a survey by Menu Matters, consumers want nutrition information to be easy to find, as they want to know if the product is fresh and safe and if helps them eat better.

Maeve Webster, from Menu Matters, says that: “additionally, consumers want to understand more about the food, including where it was manufactured, where the ingredients were sourced, and other more emotionally or ethically focused information like company values and practices.”

Therefore, provide labels with relevant information for your consumers in a clear way. The same survey shows that even though labels were redesigned to make information easier to find, only 7% of manufacturers are doing an excellent job at providing that information, so there’s room for improvement.

Get your house in order

We know that quality assurance is responsible for monitoring the entire food production process, ensuring that technical specifications are met, as well as making contact with stakeholders and collecting, storing, and monitoring suppliers' documentation. In short, a lot of work.

A software that helps manage vendor documentation, automating this work, can give quality assurance professionals time to bring improvements to production and be in line with what today's consumers value: information.

Otrafy is an AI-powered supplier management system that manages and optimizes supplier quality assurance. It provides actionable insights to mitigate vendor-associated supply chain risks. Otrafy also allows users to ditch other tools, such as excel and email.

But more than that, Otrafy helps you collect the data consumers want in a readable format with Otraforms. Otrafy does not believe in the “one form to rule them all” theory.  Thereby you have the chance to apply all sorts of personalized fields to your Otraforms. Each Otraform field is designed to maximize vendor onboarding efficiency.

These added features mean fewer files, data centralization, and more convenience — all in a single interface. It’s the perfect tool for an environment with growing regulatory requirements and more demanding consumers.

Reach out to info@otrafy.com to know more about us and what we can do for your business.

BIGGER TABLE DONATES 300,000 SERVINGS OF HIGH PROTEIN COCOA MIX

Local Food and Beverage Leaders Collaborate to Build a Bigger Table and Healthier Community 

CHICAGO, IL. – Thirteen companies throughout Chicagoland worked with new nonprofit Bigger Table to address food insecurity, with the creation of a low-sugar, high-protein cocoa mix. In its first year, Bigger Table has identified opportunities, within the food and beverage industry, for innovative philanthropic paths to donate consumer-ready product where and when it is needed most.

“We have seen an unprecedented number of Chicago area residents who are facing food insecurity, in part from the difficulties brought on by the pandemic,” said Alan Reed, Director of Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network (CFBN) and Bigger Table. “Throughout this project, we aim to address food insecurity, serve our community, and provide needed warmth during this cold winter. Our partner companies have once again assembled to create a delicious, healthy, high quality cocoa, made specifically to donate to local food banks and pantries.”

As a nonprofit organization, Bigger Table brings together industry leaders to respond to the needs of communities struggling with food insecurity, with the creation of unique, nutritional products. The hot cocoa mix is made of ingredients donated by local food and beverage companies. The tasty, nutrient-rich, no added sugar, 7g of protein and 2g of fiber per serving cocoa satisfies both taste and nutritional needs. Distribution of the 300,000 servings will go to Beyond Hunger, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Northern Illinois Food Bank, Parents for Peace and Justice, and The New 26^th Ward.

All hot cocoa ingredients, time, and labor were in-kind contributions by participating organizations: ADM, Bader Rutter, CoreFX, ConnectFood, Coyle Print Group, Dairy Farmers of America, Edlong, FONA International, Imbibe, Lithotype Co., Olam Cocoa, Sweetener Supply, and Proven Partners Group which is responsible for product manufacturing. 

“This is a groundbreaking collaboration in the food and beverage industry,” said Andy Dratt, Chairman of Bigger Table. “We’ve created a unique platform for designing and producing food products that immediately and directly address food insecurity, and we hope to dramatically expand our reach over the coming years.” On the horizon, Bigger Table is in the process of planning and creating other products including high-protein vegetable chili, macaroni and cheese, and snack bars. All products will be produced in the same collaborative effort and donated to community food banks, pantries, and partners.

ABOUT BIGGER TABLE: Bigger Table is a nonprofit (501c3) organization founded by the Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network. It aims to bring together the area’s food & beverage industry to collaborate and deliver on a series of charitable and economic growth initiatives. By working together, Bigger Table believes it can work more effectively, have a bigger impact on the community, and better engage employees and the communities it serves. For more information about Bigger Table, please visit biggertable.org.

ABOUT CHICAGOLAND FOOD AND BEVERAGE NETWORK: CFBN is a regional food & beverage membership organization representing a rich variety of industry leaders, from established professionals to budding entrepreneurs. CFBN boasts a vibrant and growing membership of companies interested in connecting and learning from others and building the industry in Chicagoland. It brings people together for networking opportunities, to brainstorm great ideas, to collaborate and create to grow business.

MEDIA CONTACT:  Anna Briggs Pirila, Bigger Table, (c) 207.602.9545, anna@chicagolandfood.org

 Joel Warady, CFBN Chairman & President of Catalina Crunch.

I trust the year has started out well for all of you. As is always the case with a new year, it is an opportunity to start fresh, set new and attainable goals, and put as much of last year behind us as we commence 2021.

For those of you who know me, I’m genuinely an optimistic person. I believe that there is a solution for every problem, an answer for every question, and ultimately, we tend to overcome the obstacles that we face. I’ve never felt this more than I do now as we enter this year and it is especially true for the Food & Beverage industry.

While we are encouraged by the fact that the vaccination process has started, we also recognize that the initiative has experienced a slow start and it is going to take us some time before 70% of the population has been vaccinated. This means that the eating at home trend will continue through Q3, and those companies that have benefited from increased meal consumption at home will continue to enjoy this uptick in revenue for the majority of 2021.

That said, both Foodservice and Restaurants will start to see their numbers go up as more people return to the office, and we get closer to herd immunity. The back half of the year should see significant increase in away-from-home consumption, and that will include restaurants, corporate cafeterias, as well as hotels and airport stores as an increasingly larger segment of the population feels comfortable traveling.

Another positive trend worth mentioning is the early indication that M&A as well as growth investments will continue to be made in the Food & Beverage category. In Chicago alone, we have already seen FONA Flavors successfully be acquired by McCormick, and Mondelez started the year with the acquisition of healthy startup Hu Master Holdings. Early indication is that this is the start of a very active year when it comes to Food & Beverage transactions.

I remain extremely bullish on the food and beverage category, and it truly is a great time to be in this space, in this city, surrounded by industry experts and professionals who are members of this great organization, CFBN. Let’s all work together as we are sure to deliver a great 2021!

Joel Warady

CFBN Chairman

EN Automation is a trusted partner and provider of innovative and reliable automation solutions to clients in all areas of food and beverage processing and packaging including bakery, ingredients, pet food, and meat processing. Their team supports automation modernization and digital transformation initiatives through roadmap development, engineering design, system implementation, project management, and business analytics. With teams located in regional offices nationwide EN Automation is equipped to provide solutions for even the most complex challenges. When deadlines press or on-site consultation is impractical, our remote capabilities provide real-time solutions with absolute confidence.

A full range of automation system integration and design services are offered, including PLC, HMI, SCADA, MES, drives, motion control, machine safety, ERP interfacing, database management, and industrial network services. They carry the highest levels of certifications from industry leading hardware and software providers as well as CSIA (Control Systems Integrator Association), ensuring that standards and processes meet rigorous industry requirements and that the solutions provided meet or exceed their customer’s expectations. Their client satisfaction is demonstrated by a 98% customer retention rate. EN Automation’s goal is helping clients to lead the way in the Food and Beverage Industry 4.0 revolution.

EN Automation is a division of EN Engineering LLC, a full-service engineering, consulting and environmental firm, headquartered in Warrenville, Illinois, with over 1800 employees in over 30 offices throughout North America.

Contact:

Mark Adelmann
Director of Business Development
EN Automation
180 N. Lasalle Street
Suite 1400
Chicago, IL 60601
630.353.4079 madelmann@enengineering.com www.en-automation.com

The Food Foundry, a growth accelerator by Relish Works in partnership with Gordon Food Service and 1871 is searching for their third cohort. They are seeking seed-stage startups innovating in the middle of the food value chain. Additional details can be found  at thefoodfoundry.com. 

Applications are open now through February 12th.

"When we come together there is so much we can do – for others, for our community, and to make the world a better place." 

- Alan Reed, Executive Director

It's a new year and we see 2021 as a year full of opportunity. For many of us networking is only taking place on virtual platforms. Although we hope this situation is not here to stay, we can all make the best of it! That is why CFBN has restructured our industry events and created enhanced virtual networking opportunities for our members this year. Additionally, we are looking for more ways to engage with YOU, our network! Do you have an event coming up, a great shout out from the local press, or cutting-edge research to share with the industry? Let us know -- we would love to share your great work with our network.  Ways we can engage: Social Media Newsletter Content for Member Newsletter News Blog Career Postings Anna Pirila, who leads CFBN’s public relations and social media efforts, is looking for new ways to highlight and incorporate members into our communications efforts. Have some interesting news to share, reach Anna at anna@chicagolandfood.org. We look forward to engaging, catching-up, and finding opportunities to network with you in 2021.

Female Strong is a 501c3 non-profit organization and a community of committed individuals that offer hands-on programs, mentorship, and experiences that build confidence in middle and high school girls. Their flagship program, the Young Entrepreneurs Academy - YEA! Chicago empowers young girls to take control of their futures in a bold and powerful way, transforming students into CEOs of their own real businesses!

Help local students launch their own enterprises and become impassioned local leaders by being a YEA! Investor Panel judge! Judges are the who’s-who in the local business community. The Investor Panel has a significant impact on the students’ ability to launch and run their enterprises and social movements. In addition, your contribution helps to support the growth of Female Strong. Learn more, below.