Grocery Manufacturers Association - food industry company news 
Food safety - the US Food Safety Modernization Act
31 October 2011
This has been a momentous year regarding food safety in the US not because of any single, high-profile contamination but because the country has witnessed the first comprehensive reform of its food safety laws for 70 years.
Food safety - the challenge of US reform
31 October 2011
US reform of the country's food safety network is aimed at making the Food and Drug Administration focus more on prevention, rather than being a reactive on the issue. This part of the just-food briefing looks at the problems of passing and implementing the planned reforms.
US: Food makers should use one labelling system - study
25 October 2011
Food items on sale in the US should carry a uniform set of nutrition labels to enable consumers to buy healthier products, a study has argued.
US: Diamond Foods CEO Mendes joins Hormel board
28 September 2011
Diamond Foods chairman, president and CEO Michael Mendes has joined the board of US food group Hormel Foods.
US: Former Campbell food safety boss Dunaif joins GMA
4 August 2011
US food industry body The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) has appointed former Campbell Soup Co. executive George Dunaif as VP of food safety and technical services.
The just-food management briefing - GM - consumer protection
31 May 2011
The second part of our briefing looks at the main safety issues associated with GM - as defined by the WHO - and the differences between regulation in the EU and the US.
US: Food trade body GMA names Darragh in policy role
25 May 2011
The Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents US food manufacturers, has named a key lobbyist in the biotechnology industry to a newly-created role to push its members' interests in the global policy arena.
UPDATE: US: CSPI slams Nutrition Keys labelling scheme
25 January 2011
A US public interest group has slammed Nutrition Keys, a new front-of-pack nutrition labelling system launched by the Grocery Manufacturers Association and Food Marketing Institute.
US: Manufacturers launch 'Nutrition Keys' labelling system
25 January 2011
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) in the US have launched a front-of-pack nutrition labelling system called Nutrition Keys.
Talking shop: Eyes on Wal-Mart as major health initiative begins
21 January 2011
The news that Wal-Mart Stores is to reformulate thousands of its packaged food products through the lowering of sodium and sugars has garnered a mix of reactions from industry watchers, many of whom believe the initiative may now cause a ripple effect throughout the sector.
US: Industry claims US ethanol law will drive up food prices
10 November 2010
US food industry groups have attacked the law change that allows fuel containing 15% ethanol to be used in cars, claiming the new regulation will force up food prices.
Editor's choice: the highlights on just-food this week
5 November 2010
This week has seen a raft of financial results that have given us a chance to gauge the health of the sector. It's been a mixed bag - Kellogg's sales and profits slid - but there were positives to take from the likes of Kraft Foods and Unilever. Elsewhere, Wal-Mart Stores has its eyes on emerging markets expansion, we have had analysis of Whole Foods Market's performance and a discussion of public health policy in Canada.
Focus: US industry takes initiative on front-of-pack labelling
4 November 2010
The Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute have announced the launch of a new industry-led front-of-pack nutrition labelling system in the US. Ben Cooper assesses how it might be received by policymakers and campaigners.
US: Food industry launches front-of-pack labelling plans
28 October 2010
US food manuafcturers, retailers and wholesalers have announced plans for new front-of-pack labels based on information that shows calories and nutrients to limit.
The just-food management briefing - how to green your supply chain - part II
25 October 2010
The development of company policy on sustainability not only needs to include suppliers but also the wider NGO sphere - from government and unions and from farming groups to aid charities. Here the briefing discusses examples of established bodies that incorporate broader stakeholder involvement.
Focus: Washington will welcome food industry engagement
13 October 2010
As US food companies and campaigners await the publication today (13 Oct) of research into front-of-pack food labelling by the Institute of Medicine, Ben Cooper looks at how industry is engaging both with government agencies and public interest groups on the food labelling issue and on advertising food to children.
FDA gets tough but leaves scope for co-operation
9 March 2010
The action taken by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week against 17 food manufacturers underlines its resolve in addressing food labelling. But, Ben Cooper writes, the FDA has left the way open for industry to be involved in the development of future policy and it appears to be an opportunity food companies are keen to grasp.
Mrs Obama moves to tackle childhood obesity
9 February 2010
The launch in the US today of a major initiative on childhood obesity, to be led by First Lady Michelle Obama, underlines the administration’s commitment to tackling the problem. Ben Cooper looks at the implications for food companies and for self-regulation.
US: Del Monte chief to head GMA
26 January 2010
Rick Wolford, the boss of US food group Del Monte Foods, has been appointed chairman of industry body The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA).
UPDATE: US: Food makers want "holistic" plan on heart disease
11 January 2010
US food manufacturers said today (11 January) that they backed plans to cut the level of salt eaten by consumers - but said lowering the risk of heart disease needed more than targeting one nutrient.
US: Industry under fire over marketing to kids
16 December 2009
US consumer groups have again put the marketing of unhealthy foods to children in the spotlight and raised questions over the rigour of industry self-regulation.
Obama taking food self-regulation to task
2 November 2009
President Obama has made tackling childhood obesity and nutrition a key priority. The FDA’s recent announcement on nutritional labelling demonstrates the administration’s willingness to act in areas where it deems self-regulation to have been ineffective, Ben Cooper writes, and this proactive approach may not be confined to food labelling.
US: Grocery manufacturers welcome supply initiative
3 August 2009
US grocery manufacturers have welcomed the establishment of an initiative that aims to improve the safety of increasingly global food supplies.
COMMENT: White House food safety move lacks substance
13 July 2009
While any move to improve US food safety will likely be welcomed by consumers and the industry alike, Katy Humphries suggests that last week’s announcement from the White House does not go far enough to tackle some of the more pressing challenges facing the sector.
US: Obama to toughen food safety standards
8 July 2009
The Obama administration has unveiled a series of measures designed to toughen food safety standards and strengthen the enforcement powers of regulatory bodies in the US.
US: House mulls increased scrutiny of food supply
28 May 2009
The US House of Representatives is considering a bill to modernise the country's food safety system, including steps designed to create a more transparent supply chain and to inspect processing facilities more often.
US: GMA calls for food safety reform
7 April 2009
A US food industry body has thrown its weight behind calls for reforms to food safety legislation in the wake of a number of high-profile safety scares.
US: Obama moves to boost food safety
16 March 2009
President Barack Obama has signalled his intention to improve US food safety on Saturday (14 March), with the formation of a Food Safety Working Group and two top appointments at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Peanut butter scare revives calls for reform
23 January 2009
Once again, a food safety scare has swept across the US causing fresh concern among US consumers and repeated calls for reform of how the country regulates its food supply. Dean Best examines the impact of the peanut butter salmonella outbreak.
US: GMA calls on Obama to increase FDA funding
16 January 2009
US food industry representatives have called on president-elect Barack Obama to increase funding to the US Food and Drug Administration in a bid to improve the security of the nation’s food supply.
Related research
Food Containers new US industry forecasts for 2013 & 2018
This study analyzes the US market for rigid and flexible food containers. Product segments covered include folding cartons and other rigid paperboard containers (including set-up boxes, aseptic cartons, paperboard tubs and composite cans), various rigid plastic containers, steel and aluminum cans, and glass bottles and jars used in retail (e.g., supermarket) and selected foodservice bulk and portion control food packaging applications.
Low- and No-Sodium Foods and Beverages in the U.S.
Low-sodium/salt and no sodium/salt foods and beverages are a major food trend for 2010. Although such foods have been around for decades, most have not met with enthusiastic consumer response because of taste issues or insufficient concern on the part of buyers about the benefits of reducing sodium intake.
