Year: 2024

The Athenaeum announces new Executive Chef

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The Athenaeum Hotel and Residencies has appointed Kevin Fawkes as its new Executive Chef, Fawkes brings a wealth of expertise, acquired over 20 years of hospitality experience.

After completing his studies at Westminster College in London, Fawkes started his culinary career as Sous Chef at famed-five-star hotel, The Savoy, in 2001.

He then went on to work in a whole host of luxury properties around the world including Sir Terrence Conran’s restaurant empire, Rosewood Hotel & Resort in Saudia Arabia, The Nai Harn in Thailand, and flagship of the Soneva Group, Soneva Fushi, in the Maldives.

As well as his impressive cooking skills, Fawkes was also brought onto the Soneva team due to his passion for sustainability, creating a special zero-waste menu. Most recently, Fawkes held the position of Executive Chef at Six Senses Zighy Bay in Oman before making his return to London to take on his new position at prestige Mayfair-located venue, The Athenaeum Hotel and Residences, in September 2024.

Kevin Fawkes, Executive Chef, The Athenaeum Hotel and Residencies

On his recent appointment, Fawkes said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be taking on the role of Executive Chef at The Athenaeum Hotel and Residences.

“After many years of cooking around the globe, London has always been a firm favourite of mine so the opportunity to return and work in a venue with such a collaborative and harmonious atmosphere is extremely exciting.”

James Brackley, Food and Beverage Manager at The Athenaeum Hotel and Residences, said: “We’re thrilled to have Kevin join The Athenaeum family, heading up the kitchen team here at the hotel. Bringing with him a copious amount of experience and expertise, we’re looking forward to both continuing and elevating our current F&B offering.”

Along with his day-to-day career, Fawkes has also been involved in a range of chef consultancy projects looking to train kitchen teams and improve overall kitchen strategy in properties such as Le Bouchon Restaurant in Bangkok and Glass Blowing House Restaurant in Plymouth.

He also played a huge role in the Soneva brand, designing and launching the handmade cheese and charcutier studio, a fun and interactive experience for guests, as well as launching the Artisan Butchery and Cheese Making Programme at the venue in 2013 and being part of the concept team for ‘Once Upon a Table’, a culinary theatre experience which showcases some of the biggest names in fine dining. As a testament to his expertise, Fawkes was crowned winner of the Iron Chef Thailand competition in both 2013 and 2015.

How to make a refreshing and sophisticated non-alcoholic Aperol

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Junk food under increasing pressure from government following Darzi report

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New public health measures are being drawn up by ministers to prevent illness and ease pressure on the NHS, including a ban on junk food advertising and increasing efforts to stop children accessing and consuming high-caffeine energy drinks.

If passed the measures would see Junk food advertisements banned from television before a 9pm watershed. The plans include all online ads for products that are high in fat, salt, and sugar being banned completely. Both measures are intended to tackle childhood obesity, and would come into force in 2025.

Evidence of the new direction of travel was apparent last month when an advert for the takeaway delivery service Just Eat that featured a McDonald’s burger was banned for not taking sufficient care to ensure that it was not aimed at children under 16.

Plans to ban children from buying high-caffeine energy drinks were detailed in Labour’s pre-election manifesto and now form part of the same public health drive anticipated to be announced as early as next month.

In the coming months, the government additionally plan to enforce a strengthened tobacco and vapes bill, extending the indoor ­smoking ban to pub beer gardens. Keir Starmer has not ruled out the idea of smoking being banned in some outdoor spaces, including pub gardens, outside restaurants, and all public buildings as ministers consider fresh tobacco curbs that some in hospitality warn would adversely affect the sector and lead to closures.

Starmer delivered a speech at the King’s Fund yesterday following a report by Lord Darzi, a former health minister, where he stated his belief that the health service was “in critical condition” after fourteen years of neglect by successive conservative governments.

Starmer and Health Secretary Wes Streeting have both made it clear they want the NHS to take a proactive role on prevention, including a new health check programme in workplaces.

Starmer is under pressure from some quarters, including Henry Dimbleby, a former children’s commissioner for England and the architect of Boris Johnson’s food plan, which Johnson ignored. Johnson and Sunak both promised bans on junk food advertising but reneged on action. Starmer clearly want’s no such repeat of inaction.

It is understood that Dimbleby, co-founder of the Leon restaurant chain, has advised Starmer to regulate the food industry forcing it to make its products healthier. In a news conference Dimbleby said: “If we are to move from treating sickness to preventing it, it is essential that we change the way we eat. Now is the opportunity for the government to introduce policies to ensure that everyone can access the foods needed to keep them healthy, and that the food industry is regulated to stem the relentless flow of junk food that has become a lethal cultural norm.”

Research by the Food Foundation points to bad diet causing a record amount of disability among people across the UK who are obese. The Food Foundation champions changing food policy and business practice to ensure everyone, across the UK nations, can afford and access a healthy and sustainable diet.

Further indication of the new government’s direction of travel came earlier this week when Michael Barber, head of the delivery unit in Tony Blair’s government between 2001 and 2005, was appointed Keir Starmer’s adviser on effective delivery.

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Del Sol Food Company Names Sam Sommer as VP of Finance and Accounting

Del Sol Food Company, Inc., manufacturer of Brianna’s Fine Salad Dressings, John Wm. Macy’s Bakery and Café Mexicano Coffee, has named Sam Sommer as vice president of finance and accounting. 

In his new role, Sommer will be responsible for overseeing the company’s financial planning and accounting operations.

“We are excited to welcome Sam to Del Sol Food Company,” says Scott Eckert, president and CEO. “He brings strong financial expertise and a wealth of business insight to our growing portfolio of brands.”

Sommer joins Del Sol Food with more than 16 years of experience in finance and accounting. In his early career, he worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers in various financial and audit roles with international clients, and most recently, he served as chief financial officer and treasurer at Blue Bell Creameries for 11 years.

Sommer received his BBA in accounting and his master’s degree in finance from Texas A&M University.  In addition, he received his CPA in 2008.




VEMAG Introduces Flexible Filling Table for Bakeries

With the new FT722 filling table, VEMAG Maschinenbau GmbH offers a flexible and simple automation solution for bakeries.

Bakeries are looking for robust, powerful, fast and flexible machines to produce high quality baked goods despite high cost pressures and staff shortages. Furthermore, the machines should be quick and easy to clean. With these aspects in mind, VEMAG engineers developed the FT722 filling table, a new solution for bakeries to produce a variety of baked goods with exact weights. The products are portioned, deposited or loaded precisely and continuously onto trays or into baking tins.

By combining a VEMAG dough portioner with the new filling table, various baked goods can be produced from dough and batter with weight accuracy and automation. This allows bakeries to manage their staff and raw materials more efficiently and optimize their production processes. For example, biscuits and cookies can be automatically placed on trays. In addition, the filling table can be used to fill baking tins or cake rings with sponge cake or muffin batter extremely accurately, quickly, gently and precisely.

Custom shapes such as lettering, logos or trimmings are also possible. The baking trays are positioned and removed manually. The production of cookies, sponge cakes, fruit masses, muffins, brownies, gluten-free products, pound cakes or biscuits, is semi-automated. Creams, desserts and other masses can also be filled into jars, cups and other containers. This makes the FT722 ideal for use in catering companies or commercial kitchens. 

The work surface of the FT722 is mounted on a mobile stainless steel frame. This allows the attachment to be moved quickly and easily during production or to be transferred to the cleaning area. The work surface of the filling table serves as a support surface for a carrier (slide) that moves on two axes. This carrier is moved below the work surface via servo-driven kinematics. Power is transmitted by permanent magnets in the carrier and in the counterpart beneath the work surface. Customer-specific trays, forms, glass jars, etc. can be placed loosely on the carrier using an adapter. The tray is manually placed and removed at a predefined position, which can be freely selected and is automatically approached for tray/form change. By controlling the servo motors, the installed kinematics are moved in different angular lines. This allows different X-Y positions to be approached.

Using a touch panel, the baker can either enter the coordinates manually or use the pre-installed programs and storage patterns. It is also possible for the intelligent control system to calculate the depositing pattern itself by entering the tray dimensions and the desired number of portions per tray. The control system makes it easy to operate the equipment, even for unskilled employees. The FT722 impresses with its flexible, modular, compact, hygienic and mobile design. Full wet cleaning is possible.




REACH regulation under scrutiny – Food Packaging Forum

The European Commission has acknowledged issues raised by the European Ombudsman about delays in regulating hazardous chemicals under the REACH Regulation. The inquiry focused on the time the Commission takes to adopt measures based on the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) recommendations and the transparency of the decision-making process. The European Commission’s comments were published on August 26, following the initial inquiry on June 8, 2023. 

Civil society groups raised issues regarding the slow inclusion of hazardous substances in REACH’s Annex XIV, adoption of restrictions, and authorization decisions. The Ombudsman expressed concern that these delays could impact public health and the environment. Additionally, there were calls for more transparency in the Commission’s decision-making procedures (FPF reported). 

In response, the Commission recognizes these concerns but highlights the complexity of REACH, describing it as one of the world’s most comprehensive chemical regulatory frameworks. The Commission explained that internal negotiations, technical challenges, and the need for thorough analysis often lead to delays. It also emphasized that ECHA’s recommendations are not binding, requiring additional assessments by the Commission before adopting measures. 

The Commission agreed about the need to improve efficiency and noted ongoing efforts, including increased collaboration with ECHA, to streamline processes. Ursula von der Leyen, the newly re-elected President of the European Commission, has proposed simplifying REACH as part of a broader package of reforms for the chemicals industry, according to reporting from ChemTrust on July 18, 2024. 

In the past, stakeholders have expressed concerns over the continued delays in the REACH revision and have called for improvements in the regulatory process (FPF reported and here).  

 

References 

European Ombudsman (August 24, 2024). “The risk management of dangerous chemical substances by the European Commission.” 

Eline Schaart (September 4, 2024) “Commission admits REACH deadlines ‘unrealistic’ in probe by EU watchdog.” Chemical Watch News & Insight 

Michael Warhurst (July 18, 2024) “European Commission President von der Leyen is re-elected and re-commits to European Green Deal and revision of EU chemicals law REACH.” 

European Environmental Bureau (April 11, 2022) “NGO key demands to improve REACH.” 




Usdaw wins “fire and rehire” battle

London, UK: Trade union Usdaw has won a Supreme Court battle against Tesco over so-called proposals to ‘fire and rehire’ workers on less favourable terms. This was the final stage of a long-running legal battle in England – a similar case involving workers at the Livingston site has been stayed in the Scottish courts.

Usdaw took legal action over the supermarket chain’s proposals to fire staff at Daventry and Lichfield distribution centres and rehire them on lower pay in 2021. The case affects roughly 50 people who work in those centres. After the High Court ruled in the union’s favour in 2022, Tesco successfully appealed against the decision the same year. The union then took the case to the country’s highest court, with five Supreme Court justices ruling unanimously that Tesco should be blocked from dismissing the staff.

The case arose after Tesco planned to close some of its distribution centres in 2007 and offered staff ‘retained pay’ for them to relocate. In 2021, the chain wanted to bring ‘retained pay’ to an end and told staff that the enhancement would be removed in return for a lump sum, or their contracts would be terminated and then reoffered on the same terms, but without the increased salary. Usdaw argued that ‘retained pay’ was described as ‘permanent’ in the workers’ contracts, meaning it could not be removed.

The Supreme Court judges ruled that it was “inconceivable” that both Tesco and the union members intended for the supermarket to have the right to fire workers and rehire them on lower pay “whenever it suited Tesco’s business purposes to do so”.

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary, said: “Usdaw has been determined to stand by its members in receipt of this valuable benefit that constituted a key component of their pay. We recognised that they had been afforded this payment because of their willingness to serve the business and it was on that basis that we agreed with Tesco that it should be a permanent right.

“When we said permanent, we meant just that. We were therefore appalled when Tesco threatened these individuals with fire and rehire to remove this benefit. These sorts of tactics have no place in industrial relations, so we felt we had to act to protect those concerned.

“We were very disappointed with the outcome in the Court of Appeal but always felt we had to see this case through. We are therefore delighted to get this outcome, which is a win for the trade union movement as a whole.”

Neil Todd, a partner at law firm Thompsons Solicitors, which represented Usdaw, says: “This is a fantastic judgement for Usdaw and the members concerned. Those in receipt of retained pay were promised unequivocally that they would be afforded a permanent benefit under their employment contract if they agreed to remain with the business and support it when it needed them most.

“They were then threatened with ‘fire and rehire’ when Tesco considered that the benefit had served its purpose. This decision illustrates that a court will intervene to give effect to the parties’ intentions when entering into a contract. It also demonstrates that a right to an injunction is available regarding a breach of contract of employment when damages are not an adequate remedy, as was the case here.

“The injunction will prevent this important right from being stripped away. The litigation has been hard fought, but we are delighted to achieve an outcome that we consider just in all circumstances.”




Biden-Harris administration takes aim at de minimis exemption

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Dive Brief:

  • The Biden-Harris administration plans to limit the types of goods that can be shipped via the de minimis exemption while enhancing information collection for such shipments, according to a Friday announcement.
  • Although not yet officially issued, through multiple notices of proposed rulemaking, the administration would exclude shipments containing products covered by certain tariffs from using the de minimis exemption while requiring additional data, such as tariff classification numbers and the filing of Certificates of Compliance, at time of entry.
  • The administration also urged Congress to pass reform legislation by the end of this year, specifically calling for the exclusion of import-sensitive products like textiles and apparel from de minimis eligibility.

Dive Insight:

The actions being taken by the Biden-Harris administration come after more than a year of mounting pressure to reform or eliminate the de minimis exemption. Most recently, House democrats in a letter asked President Joe Biden to use executive authority to update policy related to the exemption.

According to the administration, Section 301 tariffs make up roughly 40% of U.S. imports. Its proposed rulemaking would eliminate de minimis eligibility for such shipments, as well as those covered by Section 201 and 232 tariffs.

“Improving compliance obligations these new rules will ensure that foreign businesses cannot exploit the de minimis privilege, protecting American consumers and disadvantaged American companies,” the Retail Industry Leaders Association said in a statement emailed to Supply Chain Dive. The organization noted it still opposes section 301 tariffs on consumer goods.

”We also believe that as long as such tariffs remain in place, they should be applied evenly and fairly,” the RILA said.

In terms of enhanced information collection on de minimis shipments, the Biden-Harris administration is proposing the inclusion of 10-digit tariff classification numbers and the name of the person claiming the exemption with each shipment. Such action “will improve targeting of de minimis shipments and facilitate expedited clearance of lawful de minimis shipments,” per a fact sheet from the administration.

Another element of the actions announced Friday would require consumer product importers to file certificates of compliance electronically with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Consumer Product Safety Commission when a shipment — de minimis eligible or otherwise — enters the U.S.

“American workers and businesses can outcompete anyone on a level playing field, but for too long, Chinese e-commerce platforms have skirted tariffs by abusing the de minimis exemption,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo in a statement. “With these new actions, the Biden-Harris Administration is standing up for American consumers and cracking down on Chinese companies’ efforts to undercut American workers and businesses.”

The Biden-Administration said that “further comprehensive de minimis reforms are needed,” specifically by congressional action. Beyond formalizing many of its proposed rules in legislation, the administration is also calling on Congress to pass previously proposed de minimis reforms related to fentanyl shipments.

To date, multiple pieces of legislation have been introduced in both chambers, including The Import Security and Fairness Act in June 2023, the End China’s De Minimis Abuse Act in April and the Fighting Illicit Goods, Helping Trustworthy Importers, and Netting Gains for America Act (Fighting for America Act) in August. However, no legislation has been passed by either the House or the Senate.

The de minimis exemption, which currently allows companies to avoid duties and taxes for imports below $800, has been part of U.S. trade law for nearly 100 years, but its use by e-commerce giants like Temu and Shein has pushed it into the spotlight. The exemption has buoyed air cargo and parcel delivery demand, but its impact on other sectors has been more muddied.

For example, manufacturers are split over the impact of the exemption on U.S. production. While groups like the National Association of Manufacturers have espoused the benefits of de minimis, other parties, particularly those in the textile and apparel sector, are less convinced.

The Biden-Harris administration specifically noted the deleterious impact the de minimis threshold is having on U.S. textile and apparel manufacturers. As part of its proposed reforms, the administration announced its intention to increase procurement from U.S. sources and to continue to prioritize enforcement efforts against illicit textile and apparel imports.

“This is an important, common-sense reform and critical first step,” said Kim Glas, president and CEO of the National Council of Textile Organizations, which has been a vocal supporter of eliminating the de minimis exemption, in a statement. “We amplify the need to expedite rulemaking to the fullest extent possible and appreciate [the administration’s] strong engagement with our industry.”




Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd collaboration to launch in early 2025

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd operational collaboration Gemini Cooperation is slated to launch in February 2025, an official release said. The team-up seeks to “deliver a flexible and interconnected ocean network with industry-leading schedule reliability above 90% once fully phased in”.

With around five months to launch, the companies recently shared an update covering finalized service maps and how the network has evolved since the announcement in January 2024. The logistics giants are also presenting an alternative Cape of Good Hope network due to the ongoing disruptions in the Red Sea.

“Reliability, connectivity, and sustainability are the keywords in the networks we are presenting today, and we are pleased that we now can give our customers full transparency about how we will deliver a best-in-class ocean network so they can begin planning despite a highly dynamic situation,” said Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen.

Gemini Cooperation is expected to announce which network it intends to put to sea in February 2025 some time in October.

“We are looking forward to the launch of our completely redesigned network next year, and we are happy to reconfirm that our schedule reliability target remains unchanged irrespective of which network we will phase in. We believe our collaboration will raise the bar for reliability to the benefit of our customers and set a new and very high standard in the industry,” added Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc.

Depending on which network the cooperation will phase in, the new network consists of either 27 or 29 efficient ocean mainliner services supported by an extensive network of 30 agile, intraregional shuttle services. The collaboration will comprise of either 300 or 340 vessels.

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Florida International University professor named USDA fellow

FIU horticulturist Amir A. Khoddamzadeh was selected as one of nine science fellows for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship Program.

The program offers faculty from Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Hispanic-Serving School Districts the opportunity to work collaboratively with USDA to gain insight into the federal government and to build a more diverse pipeline into public service and the agricultural sector.

The 2024 cohort — including education, high school, and science fellows — spent one week in Washington, D.C., this summer to learn how USDA services and programs can benefit them, their students, and their communities. They also each got to spend an additional week at a location of their choice to collaborate with top scientists from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, Food Safety and Inspection Service, or the U.S. Forest Service.

Khoddamzadeh chose to go to Riverside, California, and work with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in the Agricultural Water Efficiency and Salinity Research Unit. That connection will pay off for the agroecology graduate students working on salt stress adaptations and regenerative agriculture in his Conservation and Sustainable Horticulture Lab as he introduces them to the ARS scientists he met out west.

Next year, Khoddamzadeh will host members of USDA agencies on campus so they can interact with students and recent graduates interested in internships and other opportunities.


Mr. Khoddamzadeh

“This fellowship has provided me with invaluable opportunities to enhance our research collaborations and to foster the development of our students,” Khoddamzadeh said. “I am deeply honored to be part of such a distinguished program and look forward to contributing to our shared goals by informing the students about the great opportunities and internships with different agencies at USDA.”

The E. Kika De La Garza Fellows Program is a key component of USDA’s Hispanic-Serving Institutions National Program, dedicated to supporting a 21st-century agricultural workforce through professional and workforce development. In partnership with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the program has provided high-quality internship experiences to more than 3,000 interns since 1994.

“This year’s class of fellows is the largest so far and a testament to the program’s success,” said Lisa R. Ramírez, director of USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement.

For Khoddamzadeh, this fellowship is another way to give his students opportunities for success. Earlier this year, he spent his sabbatical at the USDA ARS Subtropical Horticultural Research Station in Miami. Now, there are six graduate and five undergraduate FIU earth and environment students working on projects related to climate change and adaptation to various ornamental plants and food crops.

Source: FIU.




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