Refrigerated and frozen foods manufacturers use packaging graphics, text, colors, geometries, internal volumes, clarity, opacity, and ergonomic designs as nuggets of information to persuade consumers that the products they see are safe, will deliver pleasurable eating experiences, and may be enjoyed in specific or universal locations. Fundamentally, packaged messages must communicate to shoppers at the point of sale that there is a reason to believe in a product so that it is wanted.

The Refrigerated Foods Association (RFA) has announced the release of an updated Shelf Life Protocol, available now to both members and non-members. The RFA Standardized Protocol for Determining Shelf Life of Refrigerated Foods was originally developed in 2002 and subsequently revised in 2009. The purpose of the standardized protocol was to enable individual manufacturers, and/or their customers if they so desired, to determine their product shelf life and compare their stated shelf life with the shelf life of similar products produced by other manufacturers.

The 40th annual Refrigerated Foods Association (RFA) Conference was held at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando, Florida, on February 23-26, 2020. The conference included timely presentations and outstanding networking opportunities and social events, including a service project that provided 400 kids’ packs for Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.