FOX IV Technologies will officially launch their NEW 6312 Label Printer-Applicator at Pack Expo International 2024. The 6312 is ideal for simple label print and apply applications, such as shipping labeling, as well as for small to medium size businesses looking to begin their automation journey.
Designed to be an entry level label print and apply solution, the FOX IV 6312 is streamlined and simplified. By incorporating the Postek MX series print engine, no external PC or PLC is required. With just a few taps on the LCD touch screen, the entire labeling process can be set up and ready to use – no coding experience required! The best feature; however, is its affordability. The lower cost of acquisition makes automating labeling achievable for small to medium-sized businesses.
“The 6312 is a great way to start automating your fulfillment processes,” explains FOX IV Marketing Manager Catherine Hornsby. “The large 4.5” touchscreen, built-in PLC, and simplified applicator controls makes the 6312 easy for operators to use. It can be set up on a new or existing conveyor or used with a manual trigger for semi-automatic labeling.”
“Additionally,” says Ms. Hornsby, “the entry-level price point makes automating labeling easier to justify by providing fast ROI through increased throughput, labor time savings, and minimized labeling errors. For companies ready to move to the next level, it’s a great starting point.”
The Postek MX print module is incorporated into FOX IV’s durable industrial applicator design. Labels up to 4.72” (120 mm) can be printed at speeds up to 18 ips, depending on model, and applied directly to the top, side, or bottom of a product, shipping box, reusable tote, or pallet. Systems are available with 203, 300, or 600 dpi print resolution. Other features include automated printhead pressure adjustments, a 12” OD label roll capacity, and automatic calibration for consistent high-quality printing. Several optional features are offered to customize the labeling experience, including RFID encoding and verification, 1D and 2D barcode verification, ribbon saver, and a wireless communication option.
Pack Expo attendees can experience the new FOX IV 6312 at Booth #4936 in the North Hall.
FOX IV Technologies, Inc., has been an innovator in the automated labeling and coding industry for over 25 years. They offer a full line of label printers and applicators, ribbons, labels, enclosures, printing supplies and services, material handling equipment and software solutions in order to provide fully integrated turnkey automated identification systems. The company integrates all major printing technologies into durable label printer applicators capable of operating 24/7 in a wide variety manufacturing environments. Known internationally for innovative designs, quality construction and customized solutions, FOX IV is located approximately 20 miles east of Pittsburgh, PA.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it will host a public meeting to share the agency’s enhanced systematic process for post-market assessment of chemicals in food and hear stakeholder perspectives on their proposal.
The public meeting will occur on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, from 12:30 – 4:30 PM ET. The meeting will be held in-person at the FDA White Oak Campus, with the option for virtual participation. You can register for this meeting HERE, and registration will remain open until the meeting begins.
USDA is seeking public comment on the implementation of the SUSTAINS Act, which incentivizes the private sector to support federal conservation programs by matching agency funds.
The SUSTAINS Act was signed into law through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, and was championed by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa.
“Agriculture is at the forefront of the nation’s effort to conserve our natural resources, and we want to hear from people on the ground how to implement this legislation to maximize its benefits, promote equity and assist all producers,” Terry Cosby, chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, said in a release.
The legislation allows the private sector to help fund the implementation of conservation practices to sequester carbon, protect drinking water and improve wildlife habitat. The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, Regional Conservation Partnership Program, Emergency Watersheds Protection Program are included under the bill.
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The agency is looking for public input on how to use private funding to address specific natural resource concerns. The request for information, which was scheduled to be published in the Federal Register Friday, includes questions on the program prioritization, administration, environmental benefit accounting and producer interest and participation.
NRCS is particularly interested in improving program delivery by dedicating the additional funds to increase outreach and access to underserved producers, according to the RFI notice.
Interested parties can submit comments by Sept. 16.
A barge wreck found in September last year has been confirmed as the earliest known shipwreck discovered to date in Western Australia’s Swan River, the WA Museum said. The barge was identified as one that lost in 1882 while carrying limestone from Fremantle to Perth.
The State Government’s release of detailed 3D multibeam surveys of the Swan River riverbed played a crucial role in the initial discovery of the wreck, which was first identified by Maritime Archaeology Association WA President Patrick Morrison and his colleagues Jess Green and Ian McCann.
Following this discovery in 2023, WA Museum Maritime Archaeologist Ross Anderson undertook thorough investigations of the site and historical documents to pinpoint the wreck’s identity, age, and its historical and archaeological significance. Important factors in the identification included the wreck’s design, its precise location and depth, and the presence of a large ceramic demijohn found at the site.
This wreck holds historical importance as it highlights the role of barges in transporting bulk cargoes between Fremantle and Perth during the 19th century, before the advent of motorized transportation.
In addition to its historical value, the wreck is of considerable archaeological interest due to its well-preserved state, which provides insights into the construction and cargo handling methods of typical Swan River barges.
Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman said, “I commend the outstanding work of the WA Museum and Maritime Archaeology Association of WA for integrating state-of-the-art search technology and historical research to find and identify this historic wreck.
“WA has a rich maritime history with more than 1,600 ships wrecked off our vast coastline. It is exciting to see how new technology is unveiling further glimpses into our maritime history.
“Having identified the wreck from 1882, it is protected under the State’s Maritime Archaeology Act. While people may visit or dive the wreck, it is important to remember it is an offence to anchor on, damage or remove objects from a protected site.”
“Rice and grains continue to be a crucial component of a healthy diet, particularly whole grains, they contribute to healthier outcomes in people through chronic disease prevention. They are highly economical in terms of calories and nutrients per serving, and they are inherently sustainable in comparison to other food sources, like beef, and even more sustainable than fruits and vegetables,” said Zoe Colon, senior insights analyst at SPINS, during the webinar.
Sustainable ancient grains decline as a standalone product
In the webinar, SPINS highlighted seven major sustainable ancient grains that are growing in popularity in the US — quinoa, farro, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, teff and sorghum — which account for $41.4 million in standalone sales, according to MULO data for the 52 weeks, ending May 19, 2024.
Sustainable ancient grains “can grow in harsh conditions with minimal water and fertilizer inputs” through regenerative agriculture practices, which promotes soil health, Gina Roberts, client insights senior analyst at SPINS, explained during the webinar. Additionally, these grains can deliver high-nutrient content, with quinoa being “a great source of complete protein and amino acids,” Colon noted.
In a fall 2023 survey of 1,000 US consumers, specification management platform Specright found that 80% of consumers are more likely to trust a company with sustainability claims, and 74% said they are more likely to purchase from companies that are transparent about their sustainability practices.
Sustainable grains expect to see ‘significant future growth as a supporting ingredient’
However, as a standalone product, these seven grains declined in dollars over recent years, with sales hitting $44.7 million two years ago.
Quinoa accounts for approximately 73% of the sustainable grains market, followed by farro at 16%, buckwheat at 8%, millet at 1%, and the rest comprising 1%. Despite its prominence, quinoa sales declined by $2.4 million, while farro and buckwheat increased by $0.5 million and $0.2 million, respectively, for the same 52-week period.
Though sales are declining as a standalone product, sustainable ancient grains are gaining ground in CPG products, noted Gina Roberts, client insights senior analyst at SPINS during the webinar.
“It does not mean that they are on the decline, [or] they are leaving the shelf. It really is showing as we dive deeper into the data that these sustainable grains have a significant future growth as a supporting ingredient, so they [came] into the market as a single product, and now have this new future,” she said.
She added, “Concerns over climate change and protecting the planet have truly propelled sustainable grains to the forefront of product formulations, and it is taking that sustainable component plus nutrition in driving that force of expansion for sustainable grains into new spaces.”
Buckwheat gains ground as an ingredient for better-for-you snacks and beverages
Buckwheat — a gluten-free grain primarily grown in East Asia — has started to expand in breakfast with cereals and granolas as well in snacking and beverage category. Soba tea is a buckwheat-based beverage known for its anti-inflammatory in Asia, and buckwheat can also be used as a base for kombucha, she added.
“When we look into snacking, we are seeing buckwheat flour swapping out enriched and processed flowers and coming into more better-for-you snacking items, specifically in cookies as well as in crackers, crisps [and] breads,” she said.
Similarly, the “gluten-free trio” — millet, teff and sorghum — are finding their way in a range of allergen-friendly flour, Roberts noted. Additionally, sorghum syrups have emerged as a sustainable substitute for maple syrup and cooking ingredients, she noted.
“Millet, teff and sorghum, these are all gluten-free sustainable grains, and they are commonly used as flour alternatives and flour mixes and allergen-friendly products, … but each of these sustainable grains can be used as a nutritious thickening agent as well,” she said.
The following piece is the second of three installments that sheds light on the production of Yerba Mate and its cultural and economic impacts of Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay by Klas Lundstrom. You can catch up on part one here.
*This piece contains some strong language. In an effort not to censor the people interviewed, or offend the reader we have kept the words but altered some letters with a dash (-). *
Tareferos (leaf pickers) and ADT union activists get together for a Saturday barbeque, offering pastries and soda, while the rain pounds the tin roof. There are also reviros, a typical tarefero dish made of flour and fat. The dish’s origin is said to spring out of poverty; legend has it that a mother was grieving the fact that she didn’t have the means to provide for her children. As she wept over a pot of flour, her tears provided enough moisture to make a dough out of the flour.
Daniel Rodriguéz recalls the reviro plate he had on the morning October 2, 2000, in Colonia Aurora, along the Brazilian border. It was his last meal before everything went to hell. After the meal, Daniel filled his second sack with maté leaves for the day and set off for the awaiting truck at the end of the clearing.
Photo by Klas Lundstrom
“But there, waiting, was another truck,” he remembers. “Not the one we usually drove to the mill with. This one was a real piece of s—. But what could we do? We just loaded the f—– and hopped on top of it. It’s not the tarefero’s job to ask questions.”
Off they went, and down the roadside.
Daniel retells the ordeal with vivid details and a self-empathy learned after many years of recurring nightmares. His body was broken, and the accident was followed by five years of rehabilitation – and unemployment. He couldn’t walk for a long time, and his fear of riding trucks convinced him to seek assistance from the provincial authorities.
“I was treated as if I were a criminal,” he says. “The maté company wouldn’t help me, as far as they’re concerned, there were no papers linking me to them. And in the eyes of the authorities, during a national economic crisis, I was a todo negro, someone who’s not entitled to unemployment assistance, so there was no chance in hell for me to get counseling, compensation, nada. My family and I were hung out to dry.”
He can understand why his then-girlfriend broke up with him and took their child with her into another relationship. One where there were better possibilities for putting food on the table.
“She didn’t think I would be able to walk again or work,” he says. “I was left to recuperate alone. And once I was physically healed, to keep on working as a tarafero was the only option I had. I just pray for my child to stay at school.”
Broken bones may heal, but the scars after a broken life remain. As a child, he dreamt of a career as a soccer player.
Now, as a man in his mid-40s, Daniel has limited mobility due to his accident. As he looks back, he reflects that things couldn’t have happened in any other way; the life of a tarefero is bound to social and economic structures, rooted in the region’s historical DNA.
“I was 26 years old at the time of the accident,” he says, “Now, I fear every truck transport. I have no choice, if I don’t go, I won’t get paid – but it’s a fear that never leaves my body.”
Out there, in the woods and remnants of a once staggering wilderness, are whole families living in shelters of tarpaulins and cardboard – a parallel society whose inhabitants enjoy no access to healthcare, education, or proper housing.
“They live their lives as modern slaves,” says Roque Pereira.
Tarefero camps, where minors and small children live out in the wild under horrific conditions, reach the local press in the wake of dismantling raids. “But these people’s fates, and why they are forced to live out there in the first place, seldom reach the public’s eye. And these findings are only the tip of an iceberg. There are many people out there.”
There are no reliable numbers, but it’s estimated that tareferos and their families number 75,000 people in Misiones alone. Roque credits the lack of reliable numbers to political and economic interests that depend on the status quo.
“The whole industry is dependent on poor people to take on the most dangerous and least paid jobs,” he says.
One new settlement of maté workers has popped up in the outskirts of Oberá, in a valley next to a middle-class suburb. This working-class barrio, called Sapucay, is made up of shacks built with damaged wood and tin. There is limited access to running water, and the only electricity is produced by generators or stolen from nearby power lines. Dogs keep watch in sliding mud. Basic needs are ignored by authorities; fatal flooding has occurred, children are living without proper necessities, and many teenagers have already fallen into addiction.
Photo by Klas Lundstrom
The barrio is emptied during the day; most families are taking day jobs on maté plantations. A resident of the middle-class suburb next door, whose brick house sits behind a security fence, regards the inhabitants of Sapucay as “friendly ghosts,” like creations of a parallel reality.
“These people live completely beside the rest of society,” says Patricia Ocampo, co-founder of Un Sueño para Misiones (“A Dream for Misiones”), an organization that tackles child labor within the maté industry. “Misiones’s indigenous people are forced to take the least paid and most dangerous jobs.”
She points down the valley, but might as well refer to all of Misiones: “Now, they occupy land that used to be their ancestors’ home.”
* * *
On a road that cuts through the Núñez family’s outstretched, century-old maté plantation, a lonesome ant carries the remains of a leaf. Now and then the ant stops, as if catching its breath, before amending the burden and then continuing its trek to the other side of the road.
Ana María Núñez, the current farmer and steward of the Santa Inés plantation, knows this place by memory and love. She has wandered here her whole life, upon Misiones’s mineral-rich red soil, and she never gets tired of the land. She loves the interplay between nature and its inhabitants, and the untouched jungle pockets surrounding maté plantations.
“Jungle was all you found here until the first decades of the twentieth century,” Ana María explains. “Back then, in the early days, there were no roads or means of transportation, so all the harvest had to be dragged and carried through the jungle, and down to the river.”
The river, Paraná, is still there, separating Argentina and Paraguay. The plantation still holds a sense of ecological purity and social isolation, despite the proximity to the city of Posadas. At dawn, the world springs to life with the roars of brown howler monkeys, rather than traffic from Road 105.
“I’m glad that neither my grandfather nor the generation of my parents cut down this land,” she says. “All has been allowed to live on, thus making a walk here like a stroll back in time.”
The sense of timelessness is embodied not only in Santa Inés’s architecture, but in the sense that this is still a frontier; geographically isolated and far away from national capitals, and economically dependent on the earth.
Four centuries have passed since the first Jesuit missionaries set up camps, known as “Reductions,” to convert the semi-nomadic Guaraní tribes. For much of that time, the Atlantic Forest remained a hostile and impenetrable environment. But from the turn of the twentieth century, things have changed rapidly.
“People came here in search of maté trees,” says Ana María. “To them, maté was the path leading to a better life. It was their green gold.”
Photo by Klas Lundstrom
Organizing maté production in Misiones, however, turned out to be a difficult task. Maté trees grow wild and free all over Misiones, as well as in southern Brazil, Paraguay, and even in some parts of Uruguay. Still, farmers found it difficult to grow maté on fields, outside the jungle. Although missionaries learned the secrets of cultivating the plant in the countryside from their newly converted Guaraní brothers and sisters, it was a secret they never passed on. Then, in the early 1900s, a band of immigrant adventurers and entrepreneurs spent large sums of money and time to tame the herb that thousands, if not millions, of people – from Buenos Aires’s upper-class to the workers in Chilean copper mines – consumed daily.
“One of them was my grandfather,” says Ana María.
Pedro Núñez migrated from Spain to Buenos Aires in the 1870s before settling down in Posadas, then the gateway to Misiones’s maté bonanza. In 1901, Pedro Núñez became the first tourist entrepreneur to organize a river voyage to the mighty waterfalls of Iguazú, shortly prior his purchase of the piece of land that was named after his mother – Inés. Like many others, explains his granddaughter Ana María, he took a gamble and desperately tried to accustom the maté seeds to the red soil.
“But they couldn’t pull it off, and no one understood what they did wrong; they had the seeds, the climate, and the tools to make it happen – but the trees just wouldn’t grow.”
It wasn’t until the maté farmers let the seeds pass through the digestive system of birds that they started to grow, and when the trees began to pop up, the forest made way for plantations. The plantations then paved the way for an industry whose importance to the producing countries’ economy – and national identity – cannot be underestimated.
“To me, as a maté farmer, above all, it’s a way of life,” says Ana María.
She leads the way through hidden jungle pockets and fields. She halts, points at changes in the soil, or embraces trunks and whispers to them. In the background, the noise of tractors and chainsaws shred the silence. Days of harvesting are busy and noisy. For the Núñez family, the autumn harvest marks the end of a waiting game with Mother Nature.
“It takes time and patience to have maté trees grow without the use of chemicals and pesticides,” she says. “If you choose to cultivate maté in a sustainable way, one must look after the soil and let nature do her job. Now, we can enjoy the harvest and make way for the beginning of the next crop cycle.”
Photos were taken and kindly provided by the author, Klas Lundstrom.
About the author: Klas Lundstrom (b. 1982) is a self-taught writer and journalist based in Stockholm, Sweden. He started writing as an eleven-year-old trying to cope with the death of his father. Author of numerous nonfiction books on, e.g., the U.S. uranium industry and its social and environmental impacts, Latin America’s forgotten regions, and East Timor’s walk from Indonesian occupation to U.N. colony. As a reporter, he has contributed numerous media outlets throughout the years, e.g. The Guardian, The Jakarta Post, and TT, Sweden’s equivalent to Associated Press. He has lived in both Brazil and Uruguay and is a dedicated yerba maté consumer and hopes that his reporting on the maté industry can help other consumers understanding the business, and thus make more ethical and aware choices regarding products, companies, and origin.
The first Chick-fil-A restaurant in the Canadian province of Alberta opened this week, part of the company’s previously announced plan to open up to 20 restaurants in the province by 2030. Alberta native Karleen Rhodes is the owner-operator for the new restaurant, which is located in West Edmonton Mall’s food court. It is open for dine-in and pick-up from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
“We are thrilled at the response from Albertans who are excited for Chick-fil-A,” Rhodes said in a statement. “I am really honored to bring Chick-fil-A’s delicious food and signature hospitality to Edmonton and can’t wait for everyone to enjoy their first bites.”
The new location will employ approximately 100 part- and full-time employees. Additionally, Rhodes’ restaurant will participate in Chick-fil-A’s Shared Table program, which redirects surplus food from the restaurant to local soup kitchens, shelters, food banks, and non-profits.
Chick-fil-A plans to open three new restaurants in Alberta this year as part of its broader goal. They will open in Calgary and Edmonton and are the first to open outside of Ontario since the chain made its debut in Canada in 2019.
“Alberta has an incredible growth story and is an exciting place for us to continue our expansion in Canada. We can’t wait to offer new guests in the province an authentic Chick-fil-A experience,” vice president of international Paul Trotti said in a statement earlier this year.
This debut in Alberta is part of the company’s long-term investment in the country. In 2022, it announced plans to open seven to 10 restaurants per year in the market, including additional units in Ontario. There are currently 13 existing locations across Ontario. These new openings also fit in with Chick-fil-A’s broader international development plans. Last year, the company announced a $1 billion initiative to expand its presence to five international markets by 2030. The company said it plans to open restaurants in Europe and Asia by 2026.
Canada is a growth target for several American chains of late, including Jimmy John’s, Jersey Mike’s, Taco Bell, Burger King, and Chipotle. According to a recent report from Circana, the market experienced 11% growth in visits last year and 18% growth in sales, with QSRs generating about 67% of all foodservice visits.
Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) are ubiquitous in our environment (FPF reported), leading to chronic exposure in humans (FPF reported and here). Despite their prevalence and potential health risks, the fate of these particles in the human body remains poorly understood.
Physiologically-based toxicokinetic (PBTK) models are quantitative computational tools used to predict the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of substances within the body. For engineered nanoparticles in medical settings, PBTK models help scientists understand how these particles interact with biological systems, ensuring safety and efficacy.
A recent study by Chi-Yun Chen and Zhoumeng Lin, from the University of Florida in the US collected data from in-vitro, ex-vivo, and in-vivo studies to assess the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of MNPs. Published in Environment International in April 2024, their research aims to fill this MNP fate gap by reviewing the information necessary to construct a preliminary PBTK model for MNPs.
MNPs enter the body primarily via ingestion and inhalation; absorption through the skin is mostly insignificant except for MNPs intentionally used in personal care products. Both membrane-crossing and endocytosis, the uptake of matter into the cell by forming a membrane-surrounded vesicle, are relevant pathways for MNPs to get into cells. Membrane-crossing is mainly possible for smaller and negatively charged MNPs.
Distribution studies in animals show that MNPs accumulate in the spleen and the liver, with small particles being the most mobile. Human tissue samples also demonstrate that these small particles (< 10 μm) can reach the brain, placenta, and testis (FPF reported, here and here).
During metabolism, MNPs are not easily broken down in mammals, instead a “biocorona” of proteins on their surface is formed. These surface changes alter the particle’s binding affinity to structures in the body, e.g. increasing sorption to blood serum protein. The unmetabolized particles are primarily excreted via feces instead of urine. Smaller particles linger longer in the body, showing experimental half-lives of up to 37 hours in animal models.
The study highlights significant differences between MNPs and engineered nanoparticles used in medical applications. These differences “pose significant challenges when attempting to apply PBTK models originally designed for engineered nanoparticles to [MNPs]”. Unlike specially engineered particles, MNPs have diverse shapes, sizes, polymer types, and compositions, with the added complication of previous weathering.
Most studies on the toxicokinetic behavior of MNPs investigated standardized polystyrene beads (FPF reported, and here) and often used in-vitro or mice models, limiting the generalizability of the results. To create more accurate PBTK models the authors recommend that future research consider a broader range of factors beyond particle size and surface charge, including polymer type, shape, surface biofilms, and biocorona. They also emphasize the importance of studying inhalation as an exposure route, the effects of repeated doses versus single doses, and the translation of findings from model systems to the human body.
A complementary review by Myriam Borgatta and Florian Breider from the University of Lausanne and EPFL in Switzerland also emphasizes the need for better inhalation data. They found that particles smaller than 1 μm can reach deep lung regions, causing various toxic effects such as alveolar injury and breathlessness. MNP-associated chemicals may contribute to lung toxicity and potentially enter the bloodstream, leading to systemic exposure. The review points to the limited number of studies investigating the inhalation of MNPs, and they call for “a multidisciplinary approach [that] will enable a comprehensive understanding of the toxicological effects of [MNPs] via inhalation”.
Summit Carbon Solutions CEO Lee Blank said the company’s carbon dioxide pipeline is crucial for the future of Midwest agriculture, and that Summit is pushing ahead with trying to win over landowners in Iowa and South Dakota.
“Our company is going to be built on permits, and we have to go get the permits, and that’s what we’re currently working on,” Blank said at a meeting of the American Coalition for Ethanol in Omaha.
The five-state, 2,500-mile-long project is intended to gather carbon dioxide form ethanol plants throughout the upper Midwest and deposit it at a site in North Dakota.
The company now is starting the process of getting a permit for its expansion routes in Iowa.
Next week, the company will begin 23 public meetings in Iowa to talk to landowners who may be affected by those lines, Blank said. “Not everyone there is all that happy to think about the project coming across a particular property,” he said.
Blank said the company would be applying for the second permit in Iowa 30 days after the public meeting process has concluded. He said he hoped the approval process would be shorter than it was the first time. “I truly hope it doesn’t take 34 months, because that’s what the first permit took … start to finish,” he said.
In South Dakota, the company is meeting with landowners to win their approval for the pipeline route before reapplying for approval of the project.
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Blank said he personally went to South Dakota to meet with landowners who “just simply don’t like us or don’t like our project.”
He said the company will continue having those meetings and conveying the message to landowners, “If you like it, we’ll survey. If you don’t like it, we will move on and try and survey someone else that does.”
In North Dakota, the company is waiting on a decision from the state on both the sequestration site and the pipeline. The hearing process is completed.
He said the company was less concerned about winning approval in Nebraska and would leave that process for later.
The ultimate goal of the pipeline is to lower the carbon intensity scores of participating ethanol plants, making it easier for them to qualify for federal and state incentives and find new markets in products such as sustainable aviation fuel.
Blank said corn growers need to find new domestic markets as they face increased competition from foreign producers.
“We have got to internalize the usage of our corn crop, and we have a way to do that, and it starts with the pipeline,” he said.
Cooke USA employees Jaelyn Matthews and Alex Johndro at Cooke’s Cross Island salmon farm site in Machias Bay.
Eastport, Maine, USA – Cooke USA is proud to celebrate 20 years of aquaculture operations in Maine to supply fresh Atlantic salmon to grocery stores and restaurants throughout New England and the United States.
Cooke has over 200 employees throughout the state and is one of Washington County’s largest employers – a region devoted to aquaculture and fishing in the Gulf of Maine. Today, the company operates certified marine farms in Down East Maine, a salmon processing plant in Machiasport and three land based freshwater hatcheries — two in western Maine and one in eastern Maine.
“Maine’s iconic seafood industry is a key part of our state’s heritage and a cornerstone of our economy. For two decades, Cooke USA has been a leader in seafood production in Maine, employing hundreds of people in high-quality, good-paying jobs,” said Maine Governor Janet Mills. “I congratulate Cooke as it marks 20 years in Maine and thank this family-owned business for its extraordinary contributions to the Maine economy.”
Cooke’s core purpose is ‘To cultivate the ocean with care, nourish the world, provide for our families, and build stronger communities’.
“Twenty years ago this month in 2004 with the acquisition of Atlantic Salmon of Maine, we aimed to stabilize Maine’s salmon farming industry through improved efficiencies to support Maine’s working waterfront and provide jobs,” said Glenn Cooke, CEO of Cooke Inc. “We have many long-term employees who have been with us from the start, and we thank them for their dedication and are grateful to all those who have joined us over the years to grow a sustainable local business.”
“Cooke, and salmon aquaculture in general, is woven into the fabric of Washington County’s economy. Not only does the company provide direct employment to dozens of people in Eastport and throughout Washington County, but it also supports numerous other businesses that provide goods and services year-round, helping sustain the region’s ocean-based economy,” said Chris Gardner, executive director of the Eastport Port Authority and chairman of the Washington County Commission. “Congratulations to Cooke on 20 years of business in Maine.”
“Congratulations to Glenn Cooke and the Cooke family. Cooke has been a valued contributor to Maine’s aquaculture community and seafood economy,” added Sebastian Belle, executive director of the Maine Aquaculture Association. “The company is family-owned, regionally based and competitive with well-established sales and marketing channels, and that it has operations here in Maine gives the state a seat at the table in the global salmon arena.”
Cooke annually purchases over $10 million dollars in goods and services from hundreds of Maine-based small businesses and Cooke employees and the company give back to their communities through volunteering and sponsoring local events and charitable organizations, such as The Eastport Salmon & Seafood Festival, Eastport Pirate Festival, Machias Wild Blueberry Festival, Rangeley Lakes Historical Society, Rangeley Region Health and Wellness for Seniors, Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center, Down East Hospice Volunteers and the Washington County food pantry turkey-a-thon.
The 20th anniversary includes the rollout of a refreshed brand logo from Cooke Aquaculture USA to Cooke USA, matching Cooke Inc.’s company-wide initiative to create a cohesive identity across its global seafood operations in 14 countries.
