As forecasts for economic growth have slowed during the past three months, prices for many key metals and other materials used in foodservice equipment have fallen in line with most other markets. But while there is still a lot of uncertainty, prices for steels appear to have bottomed out in August and have been on…

It was hardly a surge but nonfarm payrolls in the United States grew by 103,000 in September, according to data released Friday, Oct. 7, by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The numbers beat most analysts’ expectations and helped ease fears of another round of recession. The unemployment rate held steady at 9.1%. The numbers…

The latest consensus forecasts from 50 leading econometric forecasting organizations surveyed monthly by Blue Chip Economic Indicators outlines a U.S. economy plagued by sluggish real growth for years to come. And the short-term outlook for the next 18 months is particularly restrained. The consensus forecast for growth of real gross domestic product in 2011 rose…

We’ve said for months that the current recovery of the foodservice equipment and supplies market is unusual. While E&S sales usually lag operator fortunes, in this recovery increased capital spending anticipated an upturn in operator sales. And sales have continued to rise most of this year. The August version of the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s newly issued

A fatal car crash last month has prompted Amherst, N.Y., to require safety barriers in front of any new restaurants built there. The measure is in response to recent crashes in the area in which motorists drove into buildings, either killing or injuring patrons and employees inside. In the most recent incident, a motorist crashed…

Academic, private-sector and government forces have jointly created the world’s first global food-safety training facility. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the University of Maryland’s Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, and Waters Corp. opened the

The death toll from an outbreak of listeria first linked to tainted cantaloupes has risen to 21, and a total of 109 people have been sickened across 23 states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Oct. 7. According to the Wall Street Journal, the death toll from the current outbreak is on…

Filippo Berti has been appointed chairman and CEO of Ali Group North America, a division of