Hello! I’m Kelley Rodriguez, the new editor-in-chief at Refrigerated & Frozen Foods. I am honored to be a part of this magazine and the R&FF brand.
My background is in writing, editing, and reporting for print, radio, TV, and digital formats. I am fortunate to inherit an established brand with over three decades of experience covering all things cold chain. I want to thank Michael Costa, outgoing editor-in-chief, who took over the helm at R&FF’s parent publication, FOOD ENGINEERING Magazine, and made my R&FF welcome anything but chilly.
Our cover story, Cold Foods Processors to Watch, highlights five emerging companies using innovative technology, sustainability, and creative ways to connect with their consumers to leverage growth. These processors overcame a year of manufacturing and logistical challenges, responding to changing consumer tastes while growing their brands.
I encourage you to check out our Top 5 Best New Refrigerated Retail Products Contest winners. Refrigerated & Frozen Foods has hosted this contest since 2013, but this marks the first time we’ve split frozen and refrigerated products into separate annual competitions. After a month of online voting, the top five was based on vote totals from the public. Hear from each of the winning companies in our Q&A.
This year-end issue also includes guest columns from some of the industry’s leading voices as they predict what’s to come for the cold chain in 2022.
I look forward to meeting you at upcoming trade shows, plant tours and events, and I cannot wait to dive into the cold chain, and learn about its emerging trends and technology, alongside R&FF’s readers.
