In This Section:
Henny Penny Acquires Refcon
Middleby Buys Danish Combi-Oven Maker
States Say Beware Of Poster-Selling Scheme
More Companies Intro Biodegradable Cup
First Food Safety Supply Chain Conference Coming In October
Turner Helps NRA Lead Industry Sustainability Program
Alliance Approves Online HACCP Training Course
This issue's Economic Report Sponsor: Enodis |
Regulatory ReportSponsor: Franke Foodservice Systems
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Henny Penny Acquires Refcon
In a move to expand its share of the foodservice equipment market, Henny Penny Corp., Eaton, Ohio, has acquired Refcon, Inc., of Norwood, N.J. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Refcon specializes in refrigerated merchandising products, including many customized designs and installations. The company's product line complements Henny Penny's, which focuses on equipment for cooking, holding and displaying hot food at high volume operations.
Refcon will continue its operations and service under the Refcon name from the company's New Jersey headquarters. Refcon products and design expertise will be offered as components to Henny Penny commercial and institutional foodservice customers.
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Middleby Buys Danish Combi-Oven Maker
Middleby Corp., Elgin, Ill., says it has purchased Houno A/S, a Danish manufacturer of combi-ovens. Terms of the sale weren't disclosed. Houno's annual sales are about $10 million, according to Middleby.
"Houno has a strong track record of technological innovation," said Middleby chairman and CEO Selim Bassoul. "The addition of Houno to the Middleby portfolio of companies allows us to further penetrate the combi-oven market, a market that's estimated to exceed $400 million worldwide."
Houno sells primarily to foodservice, c-store and retail grocery stores in Denmark, Sweden and the U.K.
States Say Beware Of Poster-Selling Scheme
Multiple states are reporting that they're aware of a fraudulent letter being sent to foodservice operators to coerce them into buying food safety posters. The letters are, in fact, advertisements from a private company that suggest you could be out of "Food Code" compliance and subject to civil fines of up to $2,500 if you don't put up their handwashing posters.
In Alaska, the letter comes from the "Food Safety Compliance Center." In South Carolina, the letter arrives from the "South Carolina Food Service Compliance Center." That state's Department of Health and Environmental Control says the letter incorrectly states that state food codes have been amended to require hand washing posters
"While DHEC does have hand-washing requirements for employees of foodservice establishments, there is no requirement that signs must be posted," said Sandra Craig, director of DHEC's food protection division. The department does offer them free, however, to encourage frequent handwashing.
Similar letters, she says, have gone to operators in North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Alabama, Iowa, Kansas and Louisiana.
More Companies Intro Biodegradable Cup
Want to sell coffee to go, but don't want the cup to end up in a landfill? Solo Cup Company, Highland Park, Ill., says it will now produce a disposable hot beverage cup with a biodegradable lining.
Solo teamed up with MeadWestvaco Corp. and Cereplast Inc., to produce the new cup. Cereplast produces the coating, which MeadWestvaco uses to manufacture coated paperboard. Solo fashions the specialty paperboard into cups.
Solo Cup is the second major disposables maker to introduce a more environmentally friendly hot cup line. Green Mountain Roasters, Waterbury, Vt., announced in July that it was switching to biodegradable cups made by International Paper's coated paperboard and foodservice divisions. IP partnered with DaniMer Scientifil LLC, on its cup. The base material for the lining in cups from both companies is a corn-based polyactic acid resin produced by NatureWorks, LLC, a standalone company owned by Cargill.
First Food Safety Supply Chain Conference Coming In October
The restaurant and supermarket industries are joining forces for the first-ever food safety supply chain conference this October. The National Restaurant Association, the NRA's Educational Foundation and the Food Marketing Institute are sponsoring the three-day event to discuss food safety and security issues throughout the distribution channel.
Program sessions include an update on food safety regulations; business continuity and pandemic planning; allergen control; a CEO panel discussion; and commodity-specific breakout sessions on meat and poultry, seafood and produce. The keynote speaker is Alfonso Martinez-Fonts Jr., assistant secretary, Private Sector Office, Department of Homeland Security.
The conference is being held Oct. 11-13 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Washington, D.C. For more information on the program or to register, go to www.foodsafetysupplychain.com.
Turner Helps NRA Lead Industry Sustainability Program
Want to learn to be more eco-friendly and save money, too? The NRA is kicking off a long-term plan to lead the industry toward more sustainable practices. Funded by an invitation-only grant from the Turner Foundation, the NRA hopes to identify environmentally friendly practices that also can reduce operational costs for restaurants.
In addition to researching sustainable practices, the association will develop education programs, business initiatives and legislative policy objectives promoting environmentally sound practices that work for restaurants. After the initial research phase is complete, the NRA will devote a section of its web site—www.restaurant.org—to the initiative.
Alliance Approves Online HACCP Training Course
The Int'l HACCP Alliance has approved an online Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point training program. "Applying HACCP Principles," a basic training course for both foodservice and retail food operations, is the first HACCP course approved by the alliance, and only the third such course available online.
Developed by Environ Health Associates and Momentum/ETOL, the course takes participants through instruction in HACCP principles and has them complete a HACCP plan as part of the training. Those who successfully complete the program receive a certificate that displays the Alliance's seal of accreditation.
The Int'l HACCP Alliance is a group of industry organizations, universities, government agencies and companies dedicated to providing educational programs that facilitate the implementation of HACCP programs in all aspects of the food chain.
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