2024 – Page 40

Vic transport company fined over driver death

VICTORIAN company D&A Martin Transport has been convicted and fined $350,000 after a truck driver died following a fall from the top of a trailer.

The company pleaded guilty in Melbourne County Court to a single charge of failing to provide and maintain plant that was safe and without risks to health.

WorkSafe Victoria investigated the January 2022 incident in Maffra which saw a truck driver fall from a trailer and later die from injuries sustained.

In January 2022, the 60-year-old driver was collecting a load of grain from a depot at Maffra in the Gippsland region in south-eastern Victoria.

The task required him to climb on top of the trailer to check the hatches.

Both sides of the trailer were fitted with guard rails which were raised by flicking a switch.

However, the front section of the right-side guard rail failed to raise, so that when the driver reached out for it while leaning forward he overbalanced and fell about 3.9m from the top of the trailer to the concrete ground below.

He was found unresponsive by another worker and died in hospital the following day.

WorkSafe’s investigation found the guard rail failed due to a lack of inspection and maintenance and repairs that had previously been made were poorly done.

The court found it was reasonably practicable for the company to have implemented a qualified inspection and maintenance regime for the guardrails, and to have ensured any faults were competently repaired or the guardrails replaced in accordance with Australian Standards if repairs were not enough to make them safe.

WorkSafe executive director of health and safety Sam Jenkin said the case sadly highlighted the potential consequences when employers neglected proper maintenance.

“It is not enough for employers to have a fall prevention device in place, they must also make sure they are in good working order to do the job they have been designed to do,” Mr Jenkin said.

“Falls from height remain a leading cause of death and serious injury in Victorian workplaces and WorkSafe will take action against any employer that fails to take the risks seriously.”

To prevent falls from height, employers should:

Eliminate the risk by, where practicable, doing all or some of the work on the ground or from a solid construction;
Use a passive fall prevention device such as scaffolds, perimeter screens, guardrails, safety mesh or elevating work platforms and ensure they are regularly inspected and maintained by a suitably qualified person;
Use a positioning system, such as a travel-restraint system, to ensure employees work within a safe area;
Use a fall arrest system, such as a harness, catch platform or safety nets, to limit the risk of injuries in the event of a fall; and,
Use a fixed or portable ladder, or implement administrative controls.

Source: WorkSafe Victoria

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Daybreak Sept. 5: Grim farm income numbers expected

USDA is due out today with its latest forecast for farm income, and the numbers are expected to be bad. Look for more new calls for Congress to pass a new farm bill to shore up incomes of row crop producers.

The last forecast, issued in February, estimated net cash farm income would drop by nearly 26% this year, well off the 20-year average.

Keep in mind: Commodity prices have tumbled amid expectations for bumper crops this fall. The latest Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer shows farmer sentiment dropped sharply in August.

But lawmakers still face the challenge of figuring out how to pay for increasing Price Loss Coverage reference prices and making other changes to commodity programs and crop insurance that would benefit farmers.

Rural co-ops to get $7.3 billion for clean energy

President Joe Biden and Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack will be in the swing state of Wisconsin today to announce $7.3 billion in federal funding for rural electric co-ops around the country to carry out clean energy projects.

Vilsack says it’s the largest investment in rural electrification since the New Deal and will create 4,500 permanent jobs and 16,000 construction jobs.

Take note: The announcement is taking place in Westby, a small town in Wisconsin’s 3^rd District, a seat currently held by Republican House Ag Committee member Derrick Van Orden. It’s one of a handful of ag districts that could determine control of the U.S. House in the next Congress. The state of Wisconsin also is considered a key battleground.

Some details: The co-ops are using $29 billion in private investments to help build more than 10 gigawatts of clean energy, which will “reduce and avoid at least 43.7 million tons of greenhouse gases annually, equivalent to removing more than 10 million cars off the road every year,” USDA says.

For example, Dairyland Power Cooperative, based in La Crosse, Wisconsin, “plans to leverage its funding for a total investment of $2.1 billion,” USDA says. Dairyland will buy 1.08 gigawatts of renewable energy through four solar installations and four wind power installations across rural portions of Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois.

House panel subpoenas Walz, USDA over pandemic food fraud scheme

The House Education and Workforce Committee has subpoenaed USDA, the Minnesota Department of Education and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, seeking information on how they handled what’s being called the largest pandemic fraud scheme in the country.

The committee’s Republican majority is seeking documents showing how Walz’s administration and the USDA oversaw Minnesota-based nonprofit Feeding Our Future. The organization allegedly defrauded USDA of over $250 million intended to feed children.

To date, 70 individuals have been charged for their parts in the scheme and five have been convicted of fraud.

The committee originally sent a subpoena to USDA in 2022 seeking information about the agency’s role. In the cover letter of the latest subpoena, Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., said USDA’s production of the requested information has been “neither timely nor fully responsive.”

“As the chief executive and the highest ranking official in the state of Minnesota, you are responsible for the MDE and its administration of [federal child nutrition programs],” Foxx said in the cover letter to Walz’s subpoena. “Statements in the press by you and your representatives indicate that you and other executive officers were involved, or had knowledge of, MDE’s administration of the FCNP and responsibilities and actions regarding the massive fraud.”

The latest subpoena requests specific documents and communications related to Feeding our Future, and gives USDA, Walz and MDE until Sept. 18 to comply. None are required to testify.

Walz response: A spokesperson for Walz called the fraud “an appalling abuse of a federal COVID-era program. The state Department of Education worked diligently to stop the fraud and we’re grateful to the FBI for working with the Department of Education to arrest and charge the individuals involved.”

And USDA’s: “As has been well documented, the scheme by those associated with Feeding our Future began in 2020 under the previous administration, and charges were brought against the aforementioned individuals in 2022. Defendants associated with Feeding our Future are facing litigation by the Department of Justice. USDA does not comment on ongoing litigation and refers inquiries on the matter to the Department of Justice.”

Airlines to lawmakers: Bigger, longer tax incentive needed

A coalition representing airlines, biofuel producers, Boeing, and other segments of the aviation industry is calling on Congress to provide a larger and longer-duration tax incentive for sustainable aviation fuel.

The Inflation Reduction created two incentives for SAF, a 40B tax credit that expires at the end of this year, and the 45Z clean fuels tax credit that starts in 2025 and lasts for three years.

In a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee, the SAF Coalition says the 45Z credit doesn’t last long enough and, depending on the carbon intensity of a particular fuel, may not be worth as much as the expiring 40B credit.

“Along with extension of the 45Z credit, enhancing the value of the credit will further support the long-term investment needed to bolster U.S. SAF leadership,” the letter says.

Broadband providers: Loss of Universal Service Fund would imperil projects

A federal appeals court ruling that the funding mechanism for the Federal Communications Commission’s Universal Service Fund is unconstitutional could raise broadband rates for rural Americans and cancel around $1.9 billion worth of deployment projects over the next few years. That’s the finding from a survey of 200 broadband providers by the NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association.

Without these funds, consumers would need to make up the difference through fee increases. A rate increase of this size would “more than double the $30 affordability gap created by the expiration of the Affordable Connectivity Program,” according to an NTCA press release,

Some 68% of respondents said they would need to cancel deployment projects slated for next year, while 71% said they would need to cancel projects for 2026.

Take note: The USF is still operating as normal. The 5^th Circuit has given the FCC until Sept. 30 to petition the Supreme Court to take up the case. If it doesn’t, the court’s judgment will take effect.

Final word: More than 47 million people lived in food-insecure households in 2023, according to USDA’s annual Household Food Security Report, released Wednesday. An estimated 13.5% of U.S. households struggled with food security last year, which is up from previous years. Read more about USDA’s latest report here.

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BMPA calls for new veterinary agreement with EU in Meat Industry Manifesto

The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) has called for the government to press ahead with negotiating a new veterinary agreement with the EU, in a new Meat Industry Manifesto.

Launching the manifesto, the BMPA warns that the British abattoir industry is under threat from falling farm production, increasingly onerous trade barriers and a systemic labour shortage and points out that abattoir numbers have declined from around 2500 in the 1970s to just 203 today.

“This should worry UK consumers and government alike because, once we go beyond a tipping point where we don’t have a viable abattoir industry, it will lead to a sharper decline in domestic farming, a heavier reliance on imported meat and the loss of a key pillar of UK food security. It’s already happening. Growth is turning to decline,” the association said.

“This might be a contentious statement, but the meat processing industry can survive without British livestock. If necessary, British meat processors could replace meat from UK reared animals with imported meat, and just focus on processing and packaging products for sale. But British livestock farmers can’t survive without abattoirs.”

The 20-page manifesto includes a number of changes the association would like to see, as the new government settles into power.

“The single thing that would bring the biggest benefits to the UK food supply chain and British shoppers alike is a veterinary agreement with our biggest trading partner, the EU,” it states.

Defra secretary Steve Reed has promised to negotiate a new veterinary agreement with the EU to ‘cut red tape at our borders and get British food exports moving again’.

In its manifesto, BMPA says a common veterinary agreement would be ‘a simple, pragmatic solution that would restore our two-way trade in food to the efficient, cost-effective system it was before, but without the need to re-join the EU’.

“A common veterinary agreement would simply formalise the UK’s adherence to the food standards that it must already follow in order to trade with the EU. And it would do away with the mountain of red-tape and extra cost that the industry is currently labouring under.”

Alongsie, this the manifesto calls for ‘formal alignment with EU sanitary and phytosanitary regulations’ to facilitate trade both ways.

It urges the government to ‘match British Standards with those of our new trading partners with whom we sign free trade agreements’ and for ‘any requirements or standards that are developed from newly developed environmental metrics should be proportionate, so food producers can reasonably comply with them’.

You can read the full manifesto, including more recommendations, HERE

BMPA CEO Nick Allen said: “Since we left the EU the British meat industry has come under pressure from increased bureaucracy, tougher trade barriers and worker shortages. Government policy has played a dominant role and shaped the current trading environment.

“But many policy decisions have been made in a departmental vacuum, without a full understanding of the impacts and unintended consequences they will have on different parts of the food chain. Often, one problem is fixed, only to create another.

“We see the election of a new Labour government as an opportunity to re-set how government and industry work together to share on-the-ground intelligence that will help shape pragmatic, workable policies that strengthen Britain’s long-term food security. Our Meat Industry Manifesto sets out that ideal big picture and offers practical solutions to achieve it.”

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Hy-Vee streamlines c-store food ordering tech

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Dive Brief:

Hy-Vee has partnered with food tech company Deliverect to simplify grab-and-go, curbside pickup and delivery ordering at the grocer’s Fast & Fresh convenience stores, the companies announced on Tuesday.
Deliverect’s solution automates the ordering process by taking customer input from kiosks and digital platforms and sending it directly to that store’s point of sale system. Deliverect has also built a customer curbside notification solution for Fast & Fresh, according to the announcement.
West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee joins a growing list of retailers streamlining their food ordering technology stack as labor challenges persist and fresh options become a priority.

Dive Insight:

With automated ordering, workers at Fast & Fresh can focus their time and attention on creating food rather than taking orders. Deliverect’s solution also provides automated order status updates and lets menus update from a central location, further saving work hours.

“Convenience stores are at an exciting juncture as they begin to play alongside restaurants in the food delivery arena, and technology is necessary to make this shift successful,” said Noah Hayes, Americas vice president at Deliverect.

Hy-Vee and Deliverect began their partnership with a three-month pilot program in January. Deliverect’s software ties directly into Fast & Fresh’s Market Grille Express foodservice stations, which are found at around 70 of Hy-Vee’s 190 convenience stores, as well as its mobile app.

Fast & Fresh also uses Deliverect’s analytics to make data-driven decisions about its menu.

The retailer is already seeing an impact. Jennifer Lambert, senior VP of IT strategy and planning for Hy-Vee, said these integrations “have dramatically increased the speed of our curbside pickup service while providing us with key insights to keep our operations running smoothly and our customers happy.”

Belgian tech company Deliverect works with more than 50,000 establishments in 52 countries and has partnered with brands like Burger King and Little Caesars.

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Philly’s Latin Love Affair: Latino Restaurants Celebrated During Restaurant Week

If there were any doubt about the popularity of Philadelphia’s Dine Latino Restaurant Week, social media analytics should clear that up. Last year, the event inspired 940,000 social media impressions. Dine Latino Restaurant Week – which returns starting Sept. 15, as part of Hispanic Heritage Month – celebrates Latino-owned restaurants, allowing them to showcase their authentic flavors and traditions.

The week-long event, now in its ninth iteration, celebrates some of the most creative of the United States’ 101,009 restaurants that serve Latino or similar food (per pewresearch.org).

“Dine Latino Restaurant Week not only showcases the culinary brilliance and cultural diversity of Latino-owned establishments, but also provides crucial support and recognition for these businesses,” said Jennifer Rodriguez, president and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The week features an expansive list of Latino-operated restaurants, highlighting a broad array of culinary styles. There’s no cost to the participating restaurants, which will offer free appetizers or dessert (with the purchase of a pair of dinner entrees).

Additionally, the GPHCC will host a Dine Latino Chef’s Tasting event with Nicole Marquis, founder of Hip City Veg, Bar Bombon, and Charlie Was a Sinner. Attendees can indulge in a plant-based culinary journey crafted by the creative minds behind some of Philadelphia’s favorite vegan establishments. The intimate gathering offers an opportunity for foodies to interact with a featured chef while gaining insight into the stories behind the creators.

“We’re thrilled to partner with restaurants both within and beyond Philadelphia,” Rodriguez said, “celebrating a diverse range of culinary offerings.”

Participating restaurants include the likes of:

Adelita
Arepa Grub Spot
Casa Mexico
Café con Leche
El Merkury
El Mezcal Cantina
El Mictian
El Vago
Frida Cantina
Izlas Latin Cuisine
Los Cuatro Soles
Mamajuana Café
Mixto
Mole Poblano
Plaza Garibaldi
San Lucas
Tamalex Bar & Grill
Tierra Colombiana

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Nura expands ingredients business with 3 new products

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Dive Brief:

California-based Nura has launched several new ingredient products, including Yestein Yeast Protein, Postbiotics EF-2001 and beLP1 and its sweetener Madblend Stevia Extract Blend.
The company is focusing its new products to address the latest consumer trends of healthier, eco-friendly ingredients and will allow more CPGs to create products in alignment with these ideas, said Caydie Carrizosa, marketing manager at Nura in a press release.
The company’s product expansion comes on the heels of a research & development initiative expansion, which involved application-specific ingredient recommendations, including guidance throughout the process of ideation to manufacturing. The company also has plans to open a new R&D innovation center.

Dive Insight:

Nura’s Yeast Protein product is a vegan alternative to traditional protein sources. The protein product comes in a powder form in both savory and neutral offerings. It also has a complete amino acid profile.

The company’s new postbiotics product known as Postbiotics EF-2001 is designed to support the gut microbiome and its new Stevia Extract blend, Madblend. is a natural sweetener solution described as low calorie, and is meant to improve taste and stability in food products.

The protein ingredients market is projected to grow to $86 billion by 2028. As more consumers are flocking to the macronutrient, they are also paying closer attention to the source of the ingredient itself.

In addition to nutrition, proteins are widely used for their functional properties. These include texturing, emulsifying, solubility, stabilizing and binding. These properties have allowed food manufacturers to lower their raw material costs as they act as substitutes for food additives.

The company’s new sweetener solution, Madblend, offers a low calorie alternative to sugar.

Across the globe, most consumers (55%) are concerned about their sugar intake, according to a report from HealthFocus International, and sugar reduction is the number one dietary trend globally. As a result, many companies have been turning to stevia and monkfruit products to deliver on the sweet taste sugar conventionally gives to food.

Nura’s new product has a sucrose-like taste, the company said. The is produced through Fluid Bed Technology — a process that turns dry powders into soluble, ready-to-use products, to ensure uniform, rapid drying and even distribution of high-intensity sweetness.

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French Gourmet and ShellsbyDesign announce merger

WEST DES MOINES, IA — Midwest Growth Partners, a private equity firm specializing in succession planning and growth capital investments in food and agriculture, announced the merger of Sparks, NV-based French Gourmet and Garner, IA-based ShellsbyDesign.

French Gourmet manufactures artisanal croissants, Danish pastries, dough shells and puff pastries, serving an assortment of foodservice businesses, including hotels, cafes, and independent and in-store bakeries.

“French Gourmet’s extensive product offerings and market reach will enable us to execute on the vision I’ve had for our company since co-founding the business 15 years ago,” said David Lichtenstein, co-founder of ShellsbyDesign. “We look forward to joining forces with the French Gourmet team to support our combined customers’ success with enhanced premium product offerings.”

As part of the merger, Lichtenstein will continue to serve as director of operations at the Iowa facility.

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Omaha Steaks now official protein provider for Kansas City Chiefs

Omaha Steaks is kicking off its first-of-its-kind professional sports partnership with the world champion Kansas City Chiefs as the team’s official steak and protein provider. This collaboration is designed to both enhance player performance through access to high-quality protein and elevate the fan experience for all of Chiefs Kingdom, offering fans exclusive promotions on Omaha Steaks premium products both in stadium and at home.

As part of the multiyear agreement, Omaha Steaks is introducing the new Strips 4 Steaks Promotion – anytime a Chiefs player causes the opposing team to fumble and the Chiefs recover the ball at GEHA Field Arrowhead Stadium, fans will receive four free Bone-In New York Strips (10-ounce) on a $99 or more purchase on OmahaSteaks.com/ChiefsNYStrip. The player who stripped the ball will also be rewarded with a colossal 36-ounce King Cut Strip Steak.

“Great football is made even better with great food, which makes our new partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs the perfect pairing,” said Nate Rempe, president and chief executive officer of Omaha Steaks. “We’re excited to bring the Omaha Steaks ‘Strip’ Steaks Promotion to Chiefs Kingdom. It’s an unbelievable offer – 40 oz. of free New York strip steak – that will have fans around the country waiting anxiously for the Chiefs to force and recover a fumble.”

Omaha Steaks will maintain a significant presence at GEHA Field at Arrowhead with in-stadium signage, branded signage in the Tailgate Suites presented by TFL, a dedicated concession stand on the CommunityAmerica Club Level and Omaha Steaks products available stadiumwide. The partnership will also be amplified on TV, social media, Chiefs.com and the Chiefs mobile app, along with inclusion in segmented emails to Chiefs Kingdom Rewards Members, offering fans exclusive promotions on Omaha Steaks premium products.

“We’re delighted to welcome Omaha Steaks to the Chiefs family,” said Kim Hobbs, vice president of partnership strategy and development for the Chiefs. “Their commitment to quality and their appreciation for our unrivaled fanbase aligns perfectly with our organization. Together, we look forward to enhancing the Chiefs Kingdom experience with their premium products.”

The Omaha Steaks partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs kicks off at the first home game of the season on Sept. 5 at 7:20 p.m. Central.

Source: Omaha Steaks

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Mr Gatti’s Pizza announces key executive promotions

Mr Gatti’s Pizza announced today the promotions of two key executives: Travis Smith has been promoted to executive vice president and Ryan Morris has been promoted to senior vice president of real estate and general counsel.

“Travis and Ryan have demonstrated incredible dedication and played key roles in our brand’s success,” said Jim Philips, CEO of Mr Gatti’s Pizza. “With Travis focused on increasing the brand’s presence and revenue and Ryan leading our Walmart project, we know we are in great hands. These promotions are a testament to our trust in their abilities to help build a strong future for Mr Gatti’s Pizza.”

As the new executive vice president, Smith will lead the brand’s overall expansion strategy, concentrating on increasing sales and optimizing operations. Since joining Mr Gatti’s in June 2019 as Vice President of Marketing, Smith has revitalized the brand’s marketing strategies. His proven track record and deep industry knowledge will be key to driving the brand forward.

In his new role as senior vice president of real estate and general counsel, Morris will spearhead the brand’s recently announced strategic partnership with Walmart to open 92 new locations within their stores. Morris, who joined Mr Gatti’s nearly five years ago as corporate counsel, will now oversee all legal and real estate aspects of this significant expansion.

These executive promotions underscore Mr Gatti’s commitment to growth and innovation as the brand continues to build on its legacy as a pizza household name, one slice at a time.

Mr Gatti’s Pizza, originally launched as The Pizza Place in Stephenville, Texas, in 1964, underwent a transformation when it relocated to Austin in 1969. Along with the move came a significant rebranding, adopting the name “Gatti” in homage to the maiden name of founder James Eure’s wife. The 1970s marked a period of rapid expansion for the chain, as it pioneered the combination of high-quality dining and entertainment under one roof. Today, Mr Gatti’s is a beloved name in the regions it operates, embodying James Eure’s vision across more than 230 active and forthcoming locations in Texas and the Southeastern U.S. For more details, visit mrgattispizza.com or contact us at 817-546-3500.

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Aldi hiring more than 13K new employees

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Dive Brief:

Aldi US announced Wednesday that it plans to hire more than 13,000 store and warehouse employees.
The discount grocer will also raise its national average hourly pay for associates with starting wages for store and warehouse roles being $18 and $23 per hour, respectively, based on market and position.
The hiring surge comes ahead of the holiday season and store openings the discount grocer has in the pipeline, according to the press release.

Dive Insight:

Aldi currently employs more than 49,000 associates and operates just shy of 2,400 U.S. locations.

As part of its hiring push, Aldi noted that all employees working more than 30 hours per week have access to healthcare insurance and paid time off, the announcement noted.

The grocer added that it aims to set up its associates for long-term employment and success. Seventy percent of Aldi’s assistant store managers and more than 30% of store managers started as store associates for the company, and all of its executive leaders began their Aldi careers in one of the discounter’s stores, according to the press release.

Interviews for the open positions will take place during National Hiring Week, which runs from Sept. 9-15.

Aldi has seen rapid growth stateside this year, starting with an announcement in March that it plans to open 800 new stores in the U.S. by the end of 2028 as part of a goal to increase its U.S. footprint by 30%. This news followed Aldi’s announcing in August 2023 plans to acquire Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket from Southeastern Grocers

During its inaugural supplier event in May, Aldi executives announced that the discounter is adjusting how it typically works with supplier partners in preparation for its store expansion plans.

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