Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/950112
association news FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA In addition to following the Specialty Food Association on Twitter for the latest updates and reminders about events and programs, be sure to follow other Association Twitter handles in dedicated areas: @SFANews: Top industry headlines from Specialty Food News, plus updates about exclusive online content. @SFACommunity: Announcements from the members-only online Solution Center, a community of industry professionals. @SpecialtyFoodFN: The Twitter account of the Specialty Food Foundation. @PresidentSFA: The Twitter account of Association President Phil Kafarakis. NEW WEBINARS AND CONFERENCE CALLS ON DEMAND How to Succeed at the Fancy Food Show Before: During, and After Series. Listen to experts share their advice on how to succeed in advance of, during, and post Fancy Food Show dur- ing this three-part video series. Speakers include Brad van Dam, Marich Pancrafted Chocolates; Tim Metzger, Tillen Farms; Doug Renfro, Renfro Foods; and Jack Acree, Saffron Road Foods. Food Safety Monday Conference Call. The complexity of the Food Safety Modernization Act has led to continuing questions from manufacturers, importers, copackers, retailers, and others in the specialty food community. During this call, Ron Tanner, VP of philanthropy, government, and industry relations, and Marsha Echols, SFA DC Counsel, provide answers and perspective and address the concerns of your fellow SFA members. sofi Award Judging Gets Underway T he judging for the sofi Awards is presently underway, with 50 seasoned food profession- als judging strictly on a blind basis, without pack- aging, pricing, or any brand identification, in the professional chef kitchen at the Specialty Food Association's offices in New York City. A team of chefs prepare the products accord- ing to the producer's instructions for tasting by the judges. Marinade sauces and spice rubs are used on proteins, for instance, and hot beverages are served hot. Judges then work independently to evaluate each product, assigning scores for different criteria on a scale of one to five. Products vying for the Gold, Silver, or Bronze sofi award in any given category are judged 70 percent on taste, including flavor, appearance, texture, and aroma, and 30 percent on ingredient quality, with consideration given to the use of ingredients in cre- ative ways. Products competing for a New Product sofi Award are judged on taste (60 percent), ingredi- ent quality (20 percent), and innovation (20 percent). The winners will be announced in April. The single product with the highest score among the thousands of entries judged, will be named the sofi Product of the Year award winner at the Summer Fancy Food Show, taking place June 30-July 2. SFA PRODUCT MARKETPLACE REVAMPED T he Specialty Food Association has redesigned its Product Marketplace for a more user- friendly experience. Buyers can access the year- round resource at specialtyfood.com/products to discover new food and beverages from 161 categories and subcategories. Users can view color product images, descriptions, and company information including Fancy Food Show booth information, if relevant. Users looking for specific types of products can use enhanced keyword search capabilities and filtering options for specific product charac- teristics. A new, monthly New Product newsletter, curating the best of new product innovations, is coming this Spring. These recordings can be found in the Learning Center at learning.specialtyfood.com. 24 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com