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At one point in late March during the height of shelter-in-place, make-at-home pizza kit sales rose +243.3% compared to the same time in 2019. Even during normal times, Americans eat approximately 100 acres of pizza each day, or 350 slices per second. For those making pizza at home, sometimes it helps to have a head start. 

CHEVOO, makers of gourmet goat cheese in Sonoma County, California, introduces new spreadable goat cheese in four unique flavors. These cheeses aim to elevate your bagels, toast, veggies and sandwiches, or can just be spread on crackers for a tasty snack and an upgrade over regular cream cheese.

The makers of Hormel Natural Choice premium lunch meat have launched a new line of slow-smoked products called Natural Choice hardwood smoked lunch meats. These crafted products--smoked in netting over real wood chips for over four hours--include flavors like Applewood Ham, Applewood Turkey with Garlic and Herbs, Pecanwood Ham with Sweet Black Pepper, and Pecanwood Ham with Brown Sugar.

Following nearly two dozen positive diagnoses of COVID-19 at a Ralphs in Hollywood and several protests, grocery workers represented by the UFCW Local 770 learned Monday that Kroger, which owns Ralphs and Food 4 Less, has agreed to provide free, voluntary COVID-19 testing to all members at its flagship Hollywood store. 

Foremost Farms USA will close its Chilton, Wisconsin, manufacturing facility in July 2020. Built in the 1940s, the Chilton plant makes Italian cheeses including Provolone which is sold into the foodservice market for sandwiches. The 53 employees who work at the location were informed of the company’s plans.

US Foods launched its latest COVID-19 online operator resource, the US Foods Restaurant Reopening Blueprint. The Restaurant Reopening Blueprint provides operators with a how-to for putting key COVID-19 guidelines into practice as they plan reopening efforts. The Restaurant Reopening Blueprint is informed by interviews with key stakeholders such as diners, restaurant staff and US Foods consultants and chefs. Interviews were also conducted with operators and diners in China to understand what learnings might be applicable for U.S. restaurant operations.

“What does the next normal look like, and when does it become the new normal?” A quote that applies to nearly everything right now, but in this instance, it’s referring to marketing frozen and refrigerated foods. On this week’s From the Cold Corner Podcast, I talk with Jeff Rumachik, EVP and COO of the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) about promoting cold foods to consumers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Flowers Foods, producer of Nature’s Own, Dave’s Killer Bread, Wonder, Tastykake, and other bakery foods, reported financial results for the company’s 16-week first quarter ended April 18, 2020. Sales increased 6.8% to $1.349 billion, including an estimated 6.5% to 7.5% increase attributable to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sales for the same 16-week period in 2019 were 1.263 billion.

As states prepare to reopen across the country, the Consumer Brands Association called on Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to prioritize supply chain performance and resiliency by developing a National Supply Chain Index and Performance Dashboard.

Smithfield Culinary, the foodservice unit of Smithfield Foods, the nation’s leading pork processor, has donated $25,000 to the Ferdinand Metz American Culinary Federation (ACF) Relief Fund to provide financial assistance to chefs, culinarians, and foodservice workers across America who are experiencing hardship in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.