Iowa Grocery Industry Association News Feed

GREENRU AWARDED MURRAY J. FOX RECYCLING INNOVATION AWARD FROM IOWA RECYCLING ASSOCIATION

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 00:00:00 CST

GREENRU AWARDED MURRAY J. FOX RECYCLING INNOVATION AWARD FROM IOWA RECYCLING ASSOCIATION

Des Moines, Iowa: GreenRU was honored with the Murray J. Fox Recycling Innovation Award for 2014 from the Iowa Recycling Association. GreenRU is a "zero-waste" recycler of organics and inedible food product, and is owned and operated by Chamness Technology Inc., an Iowa environmental services company founded in 1986.

GreenRU utilizes a system of employee training and education platforms to educate clients about the benefits of diverting food waste and developing compostable waste streams, to ensure a long-term sustainable program. “To ensure success, your employees must be trained and dedicated to both the environmental and economic goals of any recycling program from the very beginning”, said Dave Klockau, Business Development Director for GreenRU/Chamness Technology, “This is why we provide the education and training at the front end”. To date, GreenRU recycling programs have diverted over 6 Million pounds of food waste from Iowa landfills.

GreenRU encourages clients to first utilize community organizations such as food banks to divert edible food to organizations that get the food to families in need. GreenRU helps clients look upstream to reduce waste as well as learn to source separate organics for composting. “GreenRU is really one of a kind in that they provide the total package of planning, materials, equipment, operational plan, transportation and processing for a diverse set of customers, allowing ever-increasing organics diversion to occur in rural and urban Iowa, said Teresa Kurtz, Executive Director, Iowa Recycling Assoc.

Several IRA award-winners included GreenRU in their nominations as reasons for their own success in recycling. One GreenRU nominated-customer is the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City area, Hy-Vee Food Stores, which received the IRA Award for Best Business Recycling Program. Hy-Vee was awarded this honor for their comprehensive recycling efforts, and for diverting over 1,000,000 pounds of food waste in under a year through GreenRU. Another GreenRU customer, Honey Creek Resort State Park (Moravia, IA) was awarded the Best Government Recycling Program for their recycling efforts.

Founded in 1989, the Iowa Recycling Association is a membership-based non-profit organization of businesses, industry, institutions, local governments and organizations dedicated to advancing effective recycling by sharing resources, education and advocacy opportunities. In Iowa alone, the recycling industry supports over 11,400 jobs and generates $2.4 billion annually

GreenRU is a Chamness Technology Company, based in Iowa that partners with local supermarkets, restaurants, schools, hospitals and other food-service organizations to create customized organic waste diversion systems which reduce landfill waste and foster an environmentally conscious culture within the facilities they serve. GreenRU is a sustainable industry leader currently serving many successful clients across Iowa and western Illinois. Food waste collected by GreenRU is taken to state-permitted composting facilities where it is converted into nutrient-rich, soil-enhancing compost. For more information, visit www.greenru.org

Chamness Technology, Inc. is an organic waste recycler with headquarters in Blairsburg, Iowa. The company was founded in 1986 with the mission of providing sustainable and efficient disposal of organic waste for government, industry and agriculture. Chamness offers comprehensive recycling services for organic materials including composting, dewatering, dredging and land application. For more information, visit: www.ChamnessTechnology.com.

A Blue Zones guide to the grocery store

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 00:00:00 CST

A Blue Zones guide to the grocery store

By Kate Padilla, Daily Reporter Staff

Photo: Karl Levisay, store manager of Fareway in Spencer, stands with other members of Fareway's produce department. Both Spencer's Fareway and Hy-Vee stores are Blue Zones-certified grocery stores, and have maintained a commitment to providing easily accessible healthy food to customers since their certification.

(Photo by Kate Padilla) [Order this photo]

Thinking about making healthy choices is easy. But putting those thoughts into action during a weekly trip to the grocery store is much harder.

According to the Blue Zones Project, making small, healthy decisions throughout the day is the most effective way to maintain an overall healthy life. The city, and community, of Spencer supported the local Blue Zones Project all the way to becoming the first certified Blue Zones community in Iowa. In conjunction with that certification, both the local Fareway and the local Hy-Vee were also named Blue Zones-certified grocery stores.

"We were the first Blue Zones-certified grocery store in Iowa," said Karl Levisay, store manager of Spencer's Fareway. "But we decided from the beginning that we're weren't going to get certified just to say we did; we were going to commit to it."

According to Levisay, a Blue Zones-minded trip to the grocery store starts in the parking lot.

"We have Blue Zones parking spots," he said. "They're a little farther from the store, and they're labeled."

Upon walking in, the carts have a space labeled to remind customers of Blue Zones-recommended food, and a list containing Blue Zones-recommended food is available near the shopping ads. All of the foods listed are also indicated in the aisles with plaques.

"You could do our entire week from that list," he said. "They're all foods valuable for nutrition, and the plaques help attract your attention to them while you're shopping."

Both Fareway and Hy-Vee have large produce sections, which Hy-Vee dietician Amanda Scanlan noted is important in maintaining healthy nutrition.

"It's one of the healthiest section," she said. "The goal is to increase fruits and vegetables to about 50 percent of the plate. I recommend people choose at least two vegetables at each meal, to give a variety, and to double or triple the vegetables in a recipe when cooking."

Another element of a healthy meal is quality protein and whole grains. Scanlan said good options for protein are appropriate portions of fish and lean meats.

"All of our seafood is 'responsible choice,' which means it was caught or farmed in a responsible manner that helps the environment," Scanlan said. "Seafood is great for you -- especially salmon, because of its omega-3 fatty acids -- and it's good to have fish about two times each week."

According to Scanlan, a proper portion of meat is between four and five ounces, or about the size of a deck of cards.

"There are other great ways to get protein, that don't necessarily come from meat," she said. "Lower-fat dairies are great sources of protein."

Alison Simpson, a volunteer with the Spencer Blue Zones project, noted her family's efforts to choose Blue Zones-recommended foods in her lifestyle.

"Everything is still available, but it gives you nudges to choose foods you might not choose otherwise," she said. "One thing our family tried to do is have our girls look for Blue Zones labels, even if they're new items."

Both stores have also implemented Blue Zones-recommended foods into at least one checkout aisle.

"As parents, those aisles can be a last-ditch effort from our kids for something they want," Simpson said. "These aisles make it easy to say 'yes' to them. The choices they have are good choices."

Fareway and Hy-Vee received their Blue Zones certification two years ago. Spencer was certified the first Blue Zones community in Iowa in November.

Source: The Daily Reporter

Glidden Grocer Donald

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 00:00:00 CST

Glidden Grocer Donald "Don" IntVeld Passes

1950-2014

Donald "Don" Eugene IntVeld, 64, owner and partner with his wife, Pat, of the Glidden Grocery Store in Glidden, Iowa, for many years, died Wednesday, June 18, 2014, at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa, where he had been for a short time.

Funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 21, at United Methodist Church in Glidden with the Rev. Lorinda Hoover officiating. Organist for the service will be Mary Ross, and soloist will be Carl Wilburn singing "Amazing Grace" and "God Knows My Name." The congregation will sing "How Great Thou Art." Casket bearers will be David IntVeld, Douglas IntVeld, Dale IntVeld, Dean IntVeld, Brian Shimon, Brian Ellefson, Nelson Shimon and Bruce Nelson. Honorary casket bearers will be all of Don's grandchildren and Sheli Carter, Becky Racobs and Lenelle Larson and all loyal customers.

Merle Hay Post of the American Legion will form an honor guard at the church and give military honors at the brave. Burial will be at Merle Hay Memorial Cemetery at Glidden.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. and there will be a prayer service at 7 p.m. Friday at the church.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests that friends may if they wish contribute to a fund established in memory of Don. Memorials may be left at the church or mailed to the family.

Arrangements are by Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home of Glidden.

Source: Carroll Daily Times Herald

$9 million for Kum & Go headquarters approved

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 00:00:00 CST

$9 million for Kum & Go headquarters approved

By Matthew Patane

Photo: Looking north from Grand Avenue is the lot where Kum & Go plans to build its downtown Des Moines headquarters. The company has been quietly negotiating to buy a block of land north of the Pappajohn Sculpture Park, between 14th and 15th streets and between Grand and Ingersoll avenues. If all goes as planned, a downtown headquarters could open by late 2016 or early 2017.

(Charlie Litchfield/The Register)

Kum & Go's planned move to downtown Des Moines received financial backing from a state board today, which awarded $9 million in incentives to the project.

The convenience store chain, currently based in West Des Moines, is seeking to build a $92 million headquarters building in downtown Des Moines' Western Gateway.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority Board approved providing the company with more than $9 million at its monthly meeting Friday. Those come in addition to about $13.4 million in tax-increment financing from the city of Des Moines.

In order to receive the state incentives, Kum & Go has to create 62 jobs. Those jobs must all pay at least a wage of $18.24 an hour.

The board also approved incentives for two other companies Friday:

A to Z Drying will receive more than $600,000 in tax credits for a $5.4 million expansion at its Osage operations. The company must create 17 new jobs, 10 of which have to pay at least $13.71 an hour.
Transco Railway Products, which is looking to expand in Oelwein, will receive $418,500 in tax credits. The company has to create 16 jobs, all of which must pay at least $14.32 an hour.
The board tabled discussion on incentives for a third company, Heartland Co-op, until its next meeting in July.

Source: The Des Moines Register

QCA Store Takes 'Going Green' to New Level

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 00:00:00 CST

QCA Store Takes 'Going Green' to New Level

The Muscatine Hy-Vee is taking part in a composting program, doing its part to keep more food out of the landfill.

FOX 18 Quad Cities News and Weather

It is an important environmental mission: In some cases, nearly half of the waste stream going to landfills is food waste and other organic items. Not only does that take up space in the landfill unnecessarily because the tight packing and oxygen-poor environment means that doesn't decompose like it should, it also creates methane gas, which has been linked to global warming.

Since April, though, the Hy-Vee in Muscatine has been diverting tons of its waste to a composting facility instead.

"I don't think there's anybody who doesn't want to do the right thing and our team wanted to do the right thing, and that's what we did," said Jim Simmons, store director at the Muscatine Hy-Vee.

The store has partnered with the Des Moines-based company GreenRU to place buckets in every department to be filled with everything from bones to rinds to sugar packets - all of the food and organic waste that used to go to the dumpster.

"We put anything that can be decomposed into compost," Simmons explained.

"You had to go back to the back room with the big trash can anyway so we're just doing it with a little bucket now instead of a big trash can," he added.

And those little buckets add up quickly, to enough to fill two big bins which are each hauled away twice a week. That is tons and tons of waste being diverted from the landfill.

Instead, the waste is taken to a composting facility in Eddyville, Iowa, and processed. Eventually, most of the finished product is bought by local farmers who spread the nutrient-rich soil on their fields, growing the produce we buy at the stores and completing the cycle from food to food waste to food again.

"It's just pretty neat how they do it," Simmons said.

Employees collecting the food for compost at the Muscatine Hy-Vee say it's nice to know they're making a difference:

"It helps the environment, and we don't use as many trash bags, it's less wasteful," said Robin Bishop, the store's kitchen manager. "And if someone else can use it, that's really helpful, too."

For the store, the cost to compost is about the same as having dumpsters full of waste hauled away to the landfill, but the payoff will be much bigger for the future.

"We're trying to get it to where they can take it, reuse it, and keep that stuff out of the air and out of the landfill," Simmons said.

"It's just a commitment. It really wasn't hard," he said.

Several other Hy-Vee stores in Iowa are already taking part in composting programs, and store officials in Muscatine say they're hopeful they're paving the way for other stores in the community to begin composting, too.

Source: FOX 18 Quad Cities KLJB-TV

U.S. SENATE FOCUSES ON E-CIGARETTE MARKETING TO YOUTH

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 00:00:00 CST

U.S. SENATE FOCUSES ON E-CIGARETTE MARKETING TO YOUTH

Commerce Committee hearing reviewed e-cigarette advertising and promotional practices and their appeal to kids.

WASHINGTON – Last week the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation held a hearing to review the advertising and promotional practices of electronic cigarettes, titled, “Aggressive E-Cigarette Marketing and Potential Consequences for Youth.”

Along with concerns about potential health impacts of youth exposure to e-cigarettes, some Senate members believe that the e-cigarette industry’s marketing is reaching a youth audience.

In April the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced proposed regulations concerning e-cigarettes. In response, Senate members who are supporting legislation that seeks to ban e-cigarette marketing to kids and teens were outspoken that the FDA’s proposal doesn’t go far enough to reduce e-cigarette marketing to youth.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV) said in his opening statement that as the e-cigarette industry continues to rapidly evolve, “we need to hold companies accountable for promotional activities that encourage kids to start using e-cigarettes.”

Ranking member John Thune (R-SD) commented that while he is opposed to smoking in general, he was looking forward to learning more about the apparent potential of e-cigarettes to reduce harm to current smokers. “As with most issues that we face in Congress, I believe that more scientific investigation and thoughtful discussion is needed,” he said.

Jason Healy, president of blu eCigs , a subsidiary of Lorillard, commented in his prepared testimony that blu has not waited for FDA action to address youth access to electronic cigarettes.

“We have actively advocated for and supported state legislation to prevent minors from purchasing electronic cigarettes and we require third-party age verification for online sales,” he said, adding that with the help of Lorillard, blu has adopted strict and responsible marketing restrictions that reflect “a clear focus on adult smokers while also substantially reducing youth exposure to blu ads and promotions. Our voluntary restrictions, such as limiting ad placement to media and events where the target audience is at least 85% adult, match or exceed restrictions adopted by comparable adult consumer product companies.”

Craig Weiss, president and CEO of NJoy, discussed how electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) give smokers who either cannot or will not quit a positive alternative to smoking. “We understand the grave suspicion caused by the 2012 entry to the marketplace of the first of the three major American cigarette companies. However, it is wrong to believe that ENDS are part of a grand plan by Big Tobacco to lure new smokers,” he said.

Weiss also noted that children could end up being the biggest losers of efforts to restrict marketing and adverting of electronic cigarette products.

“According to the Surgeon General, nearly six million of today’s children will adopt smoking, grow up and die prematurely from cigarette-caused disease if present trends continue. The best thing we can do for the health of all of our children … is to ensure that they grow up in a world in which neither their parents nor any of their other adult role models are smoking combustion cigarettes. … Providing smokers who cannot or will not quit with a positive alternative may be the long-sought solution to an intractable public health problem that has cost millions of lives.”

Earlier this year, NACS issued a statement of position that encourages stores selling e-cigarettes to adopt, as a best practice, a policy of treating these products as age restricted and subjecting them to the same age-verification procedures as those applicable to tobacco products.

Source: NACS ONLINE

QuikTrip Fires Up QT Kitchens Rollout

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 00:00:00 CST

QuikTrip Fires Up QT Kitchens Rollout

TULSA, Okla. – QuikTrip Corp. is introducing its new QT Kitchens concept with remarkable speed across its entire footprint, according to a Tulsa World report. The convenience store chain expects to finish the rollout at all its stores scheduled for a remodel by October, just nine months after the project began.

QT Kitchens counters offer fresh, made-to-order food and beverages, such as flatbreads and sandwiches, kolaches, specialty drinks, soft-serve ice cream and full- or by-the-slice pizzas, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

The concept is in place at all of QuikTrip's Gen 3 stores, and at more than 70 percent of its "Gen 2 1/2" stores in the Tulsa market, said company spokesman Mike Thornbrugh.

"We felt we've had to reach a certain critical mass to talk about it locally," Thornbrugh told the news outlet. "We've done it at lightning speed [with] crews going in and knocking out three stores every two weeks."

The scope of the rollout is a "massive project," Thornbrugh added. QT Kitchens will be installed at the majority of QuikTrip locations. The chain's 700th store is scheduled to open soon.

QuikTrip is also hiring extra staff as it installs QT Kitchens and has added approximately 2,000 employees in the past few months.

"We are especially excited to roll out this new, fresh, made-to-order concept in our hometown of Tulsa, where our community has always been incredibly supportive of QuikTrip," Chet Cadieux, chairman and CEO, stated in a news release.

Source: Convenience Store News

FDA Extends Deeming Regulations Comment Period

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 00:00:00 CST

FDA Extends Deeming Regulations Comment Period

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) extended the period to submit electronic or written comments regarding its deeming regulations by 30 days. Public submissions will now be accepted until Aug. 8.

The FDA released the proposed deeming regulations on April 24. The agency is seeking to regulate electronic cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, nicotine gels, water pipe (or hookah) tobacco, and certain dissolvables not already under its authority.

The agency already has the authority to regulate tobacco products under the Family Smoking and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, but the FDA must issue deeming regulations to extend its authority to cover additional tobacco products.

The proposed deeming regulations call for minimum age and identification restrictions to prevent the sale of such products to underage youth; requirements to include health warnings; and prohibition of vending machine sales unless in a facility that never allows minors, such as bars and nightclubs.

The open public comment period regarding deeming regulations was initially set to expire July 9.

On Friday, as CSNews Online reported, the FDA hosted a webinar to provide tips on how to make the best arguments when filing public comments. According to Dr. Allison Hoffman, associate director of the FDA's Office of Science, CTP, those submitting comments should make it clear whether they are for or against a particular proposal, and back up the claim with evidence.

To submit a comment electronically, visit www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions.

Source: Convenience Store News

Sansolo Speaks: Reinventing an Industry

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 00:00:00 CST

Sansolo Speaks: Reinventing an Industry

by Michael Sansolo

Imagine you had an acclaimed business with a solidly protected competitive advantage. What are the chances you’d give it all away.

The answer is “not very likely,” but that’s what makes the news from Tesla Motors so compelling.

No matter what business you are in you need consider this news because Tesla has done something so counter-intuitive to accepted business thinking that it may be beyond brilliant.

As reported last week in the San Jose Mercury-News, Tesla unilaterally surrendered all of its electric car patents. And let’s be clear: these were valuable patents. Tesla, if you haven’t noticed has drawn raves throughout the automotive world up to and including Consumer Reports and Motor Trend.

So the patents for Tesla’s technology clearly have some great value and now you can find them on the Internet because Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, sees the picture differently. Rather than thinking outside the box, he’s eliminating the box.

As Musk explained in a blog on Tesla’s site, the release of the patents could change the way cars are made. Essentially Musk is giving up an advantage in the small market of electric powered cars in hopes that Tesla’s patents will (pardon the puns) fuel a surge in electric car manufacturing.

In his blog Musk wrote, "If we clear a path to the creation of compelling electric vehicles, but then lay intellectual property land mines behind us to inhibit others, we are acting in a manner contrary to that goal.

"Of course, as a number of Silicon Valley experts explained to the Mercury-News, Tesla’s radical move could prove very profitable especially if electric cars start seizing a larger share of the world’s two-billion-strong automotive fleet. The benefits could range from a stunning jump in the number of electric charging stations to opening up a huge market for Tesla’s battery production.

It’s not like there aren’t precedents, especially in Silicon Valley where Tesla is based. Think about the growth of the Android phone operating system, which Google allowed to be openly sourced. There’s no way of knowing in 2014 how this move might play out in 10 or 20 years. It could be a disaster for Tesla or it might change the very cars we all buy.

Yet it still raises issues and ideas for any industry and any business on how to change the very rules of business. It calls into question a topic that was long discussed inside the food industry for 20 years by leaders like Danny Wegman and Bill Grize (then CEO of Ahold US). That is the recognition that just as there are places where businesses compete, there are many others where cooperation is far better. That thinking has fueled constant improvements in the industry from scanning to more standardized coupon designs. Could it possibly extend to changing shoppers’ attitudes on preparing meals and certainly on better understanding of food safety.

In other words, at times we really are all bigger together than we are on our own. Tesla’s big idea is about to provide an incredible case study. Don’t ignore it.

Michael Sansolo can be reached via email at msansolo@morningnewsbeat.com . His book, “THE BIG PICTURE: Essential Business Lessons From The Movies,” co-authored with Kevin Coupe, is available by clicking here .

Source: Morning News Beat

Growing support for retailer liability being challenged by insurer�s petition and retail coalition.

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 00:00:00 CST

Growing support for retailer liability being challenged by insurer’s petition and retail coalition.

WASHINGTON – With data breaches on the rise and seemingly no end to the damage that a breach can have on an organization, the issue of who pays is heating up. At the same time that NACS and a coalition of retailers have challenged the National Association of Federal Credit Unions’ a credit union's call to shift greater liability for breaches to retailers, an insurer has petitioned a court to find that it's not required to defend Michaels against a bevy of class action lawsuits resulting from a breach and a retail group challenges.

Safety National, which issued a commercial general liability insurance policy to Michaels, told a U.S. District Court in Texas last week, that it shouldn't be required to defend Michaels in the breach cases because those lawsuits don't seek payout for bodily injury or property damages that the policy covers, according to an article in SC Magazine.

The insurer notes that “at least four class action lawsuits” have been filed against the retailer claiming Michaels didn't adequately protect customer data and asking for damages for the denial of privacy protections, unauthorized charges and bank fees incurred, identity theft costs as well as other costs. In turn, Michaels petitioned “Safety National provide [it] with a defense” against those claims, according to court documents.

The issue of who pays and how much will grow increasingly important as companies struggle to mitigate the financial damage done by a breach. SC Magazine cites a report by the Ponemon Institute, stating that the average cost of a data breach is $3.5 million. But as Target's December breach proves, organizations often don't have a firm fix on just how much a breach might cost. In fact, associated costs can ripple out for months, even years.

While financial institutions have routinely eaten the costs of fraudulent charges resulting from a breach, the wind is beginning to shift, with growing support for putting the onus on retailers.

In SC Magazine's 2014 Data Breach Survey, 36 percent of respondents favored national legislation that places the burden on the company, not the banks, to cover fraud-related costs — 32 percent opposed the measure.

Source: NACS ONLINE

Report details business impacts of climate change

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 00:00:00 CST

Report details business impacts of climate change

U.S. companies should treat climate change the same as any other major business threat, says a new report released today by a group led by former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and ex-New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The report, "Risky Business: The Economic Risk of Climate Change in the United States," which says climate change could cost the country billions of dollars over the next two decades, is the product of a bipartisan group of former Cabinet officers, lawmakers, corporate leaders and scientists.

In an interview, Paulson said the goal is to depoliticize the climate-change debate and instead focus on how it poses an economic risk to U.S. businesses.

"The whole point was to have a bipartisan group who agreed on the nature of the problem, which is that climate change is a huge economic risk," said Paulson, who served under President George W. Bush.

The study concludes that within the next 15 years, higher sea levels, storm surges and hurricanes could raise the annual price tag for coastal damage along the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico to $35 billion.

The report identifies specific impacts to Iowa in the next five to 25 years:

Average summer temperatures could rise an additional 1.7 to 4 degrees.
The state could experience between seven and 17 days over 95 degrees per year, (Currently, the state averages just three days over 95 degrees per year.)
Looking at the end of the century, likely impacts include:
More intense and long-lasting heat could drive up commercial and residential energy demand 5.6 to 16.2 percent.
Energy expenditures could correspondingly rise by 8.4 to 29 percent.

The authors note that under the "business-as-usual" scenario and assuming no significant adaptation by farmers, the Midwestern region as a whole faces likely yield declines of up to 19 percent by midcentury and 63 percent by the end of the century.

Source: Business Record Daily

Obama highlights issue of paid family leave

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 00:00:00 CST

Obama highlights issue of paid family leave

President Barack Obama on Monday talked about the need for flexible workplace policies and paid family leave, calling those things "basic needs," according to this story in The Washington Post.

Obama spoke on the issues at the White House Summit on Working Families.

He also signed a presidential memo directing the federal government to expand access to flexible time for workers and directed Thomas Perez, the secretary of labor, to head a $25 million initiative to help people who want to enroll in job training programs but don't have access to child care. Obama endorsed a bill sponsored by Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr., a Pennsylvania Democrat, that would protect pregnant women from discrimination in the workplace.

He did not, though, endorse a Democratic proposal in Congress aimed at providing paid leave, which would offer workers 12 weeks of leave at two-thirds of their salary up to $4,000 a month. That measure would be paid for by increasing the payroll tax contribution for workers and companies.

The president did highlight the fact that the United States is the only developed country not to offer government-sponsored paid maternity leave, which one Iowa State University professor called "mind-boggling."

In a ISU News Service release today, Susan Stewart, an associate professor of sociology at Iowa State, said that it contributes to a lot of inequality, as people in the United States have more children than residents of other developed countries.

She points out that the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 allows workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave, but it's unrealistic for most families to go that long without a paycheck. And research shows that few men take advantage of paid paternity leave, even when it is offered by their employer.

Source: Business Record Daily

Retailers May Get Chance to Opt Back In to Swipe Fee Settlement

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 00:00:00 CST

Retailers May Get Chance to Opt Back In to Swipe Fee Settlement

NEW YORK – Retailers that opted out of the $5.7 billion class-action swipe fee settlement with Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. may be able to opt back in under the terms of a plan being discussed by the card companies and a group of merchants, according to a Law360 report.

Both the companies and the class plaintiffs stated in a June 20 status report that they agree the court should sign off on a procedure and opt-in period for merchants to rejoin the settlement.

The original lawsuit alleged that Visa and MasterCard illegally fixed credit card interchange fees, also known as swipe fees. The settlement was proposed in July 2012, but 10 of the 19 plaintiffs, including all of the trade associations, rejected it.

Although discussions regarding an opt-in period are in the preliminary stages, it could mean the return of a portion of the takedown payment that the class plaintiffs returned to the defendants based on the number of parties that opted out in the case, according to the report.

"Defendants have not objected to a request for return of portions of the takedown payment to the extent that volume attributable to merchants that opt back in to the class would make the sum of the class exclusion takedown payments ... less than the amounts previously paid," the status report said.

The potential opt-in opportunity was prompted by concerns expressed by U.S. District Judge John Gleeson, who approved the settlement.

"Judge Gleeson had expressed the view a long time ago ... that because there was so much misinformation put out on settlement, he was inclined to give merchants the opportunity to opt back in if they wanted to," stated plaintiffs' attorney Craig Wildfang.

Wildfang added that while he knew of a small group of plaintiffs likely to opt back in, he did not expect a significant change to the size of the takedown payment.

The status report also noted some disagreement over how to determine whether franchisees or franchisors have the right to claim a share of the settlement fund. Defendants want the court to move forward and settle on a procedure for determining which side owns the claims, due to concerns about duplicated claims made by franchisors and franchisees from various chains. The plaintiffs asked the court to wait until the appeals to the settlement have been resolved.

The plaintiffs added that many of the disputes may need to be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Source: Convenience Store News

Take advantage of FMI educational webinars

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 00:00:00 CST

Take advantage of FMI educational webinars

Wednesday, July 9, 2 pm EDT

Key Steps to Business Social Media Success

Michael Sansolo, President, Sansolo Solutions

For a description of this webinar and to register, please click here

Wednesday, July 16, 2 pm EDT

Women 2020: The Future of Women's Leadership in Retail and Consumer Goods

Moderated by Joan Toth, President and CEO, Network of Executive Women

For a description of this webinar and to register, please click here.

Tuesday, July 22, 2 pm EDT

U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2014 Overview

Laurie Demeritt, Chief Executive Officer, The Hartman Group

Susan Borra, Senior Vice President, Communications and Strategic Planning,

Food Marketing Institute

For a description of this webinar and to register, please click here.

Wednesday, July 23, 2 pm EDT

How to Create a Local Event That Will Attract a Member of Congress, Local Media and Enhance Your Mission (It's Easier Than You Think)!

Brad Fitch, President/CEO, Congressional Management Foundation

For a description of this webinar and to register, please click here.

Wednesday, July 30, 2 pm EDT

Front of the Line: How Grocers Can Get Ahead for the Future

Sabina Saksena, Managing Director, Retail and Consumer Practice, PwC

For a description of this webinar and to register, please click here.

Be sure to review the archived FMI Connect webinars that have already been held! You can watch the webinars at your convenience - and invite other staff to join you.

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Regulatory Alert: FDA Issues Small Entity Compliance Guide on �Gluten Free� Labeling of Foods: August 5, 2014 Compliance Deadline

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 00:00:00 CST

Regulatory Alert: FDA Issues Small Entity Compliance Guide on “Gluten Free” Labeling of Foods: August 5, 2014 Compliance Deadline

On August 5, 2013, FDA published a final rule establishing a regulatory definition of the term “gluten-free” for voluntary use in the labeling of foods.¹

The rule implements part of the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004, Title II of Public Law 108-282, enacted on August 2, 2004, which directed the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue a regulation to define and permit use of the food labeling term “gluten-free.”

The final rule applies to all FDA-regulated foods, including dietary supplements. FDA’s Small Entity Compliance Guide issued today provides a plain-language question and answer overview of FDA’s regulatory requirements for use of the term “gluten-free” on food labels.

Starting August 5, 2014, the compliance date of the rule, all FDA-regulated food products labeled on or after that date and bearing the gluten-free claim must comply with the rule’s requirements. Retailers should comply with FDA’s 20 ppm definition in the regulation.

1 (see 78 FR 47154).

2 (21 CFR 101.91(a)(1))

The final rule defines the term “gluten free” to mean the food bearing the claim does not contain:

a gluten-containing grain, which is defined to include wheat, rye, barley, or a crossbred hybrid of those grains;
an ingredient that is derived from a gluten-containing grain that has not been processed to remove gluten; or
an ingredient derived from a gluten-containing grain that has been processed to remove gluten but still contains 20 parts per million (ppm) or more gluten.²

If the food inherently does not contain gluten, any unavoidable presence of gluten must be below 20ppm in order for the food to bear a gluten free claim. The final rule permits gluten-free claims on foods inherently free of gluten without any qualifying language. That is, the claim would not need to include qualifying language such as “a naturally gluten free food.”

The final rule deems a food to be misbranded if it bears the claim “gluten free,” “no gluten,” “free of gluten,” or “without gluten” but does not meet the requirements of 21 C.F.R. § 101.91. A food will also be deemed misbranded if it bears a “gluten free” or a similar claim and also bears the term “wheat” in the ingredient list or in a separate “Contains wheat” allergen statement, unless the reference to “wheat” is linked by an asterisk to a statement in close proximity that reads: “The wheat has been processed to allow this food to meet the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements for gluten-free foods.”

The final rule does not specifically require testing for the presence of gluten ingredients or finished foods labeled gluten-free however, manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that foods bearing a gluten-free claim meet the requirements of the final rule. Among other requirements, this means that any unavoidable gluten present in a food labeled gluten-free is less than 20 ppm.

FDA’s final rule does not prohibit statements such as “made with no gluten-containing ingredients” or similarly “not made with gluten-containing ingredients” provided that the statement is truthful and not misleading.

However, unless the label of the food including such a statement also bears a gluten-free claim, consumers should not assume that the food meets all FDA requirements for a gluten-free food. Advisory statements such as “made in a factory that also processes wheat products” are also permitted provided that the statement is truthful and not misleading. However, FDA notes that they would need to evaluate food labels on a case-by-case basis to determine whether a specific advisory statement included along with a gluten-free claim would be potentially misleading to the consumer. Any food whose label bears a gluten-free claim, regardless of whether it also has an advisory statement, must meet all the requirements of the final rule.

For more information please contact FMI’s Regulatory Counsel, Stephanie Barnes at sbarnes@fmi.org or 202-220-0614

Disclaimer: This guidance is provided by the Food Marketing Institute as a service to its members and does not constitute legal advice. As legal advice must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case and laws and regulations are frequently changing, nothing provided herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent counsel.

Sources: FMI and FDA

County adds e-cigs to smoking ban

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 00:00:00 CST

County adds e-cigs to smoking ban

Johnson County Board of Supervisors adds e-cigarettes to the county smoking ban.

By Kristen Baron

Johnson County residents will not only have to watch where they smoke, but also what type of nicotine product they will smoke.

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors voted to 3-2, with Supervisors Terrence Neuzil and John Etheredge dissenting, to add “alternative nicotine products,” as well as “vapor products” to the list of products prohibited to use on Johnson County properties.

The decision will go into effect immediately, but the Board of Supervisors will wait until next week to update the Johnson County employee handbook in order to provide some clarification.

In February, the Johnson County Board of Health found that e-cigarettes were easily comparable in harmfulness to regular cigarettes, and encouraged law and policy makers to prohibit their use as they would with regular tobacco products.

Johnson County Supervisor Janelle Rettig said at Thursday morning meeting that not all nicotine products fall under the new prohibition.

“Alternative nicotine product does not mean the patch or gum,” she said. “The industry is changing the names of these products every day, but they are still putting out vapor and carcinogens.”

In July of 2008, the Iowa Smokefree Air Act went into effect, which banned smoking in almost all of Iowa’s public places and enclosed areas in places of employment, as well as some outdoor areas.

The Iowa City City Council also added several outdoor areas, including parts of the Pedestrian Mall, smoke-free in August 2008.

Some officials believe the updated ban will become too restrictive.

“I’m not going to support this,” Neuzil, the Board chairperson, said. “I think it’s a little too restricted.”

He believed that people should be able to use a vapor cigarette in the parking lot of the Administration building, which this amendment would no longer allow.

Etheredge also voted against this new addition.

“I think there should be a difference between inside buildings and outside buildings,” he said.

Etheredge added that alternative tobacco products have helped many people stop smoking cigarettes, and believes that their use outside would not present any true harm.

Source: The Daily Iowan

Fruit and vegetable prices going up as California drought continues

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 00:00:00 CST

Fruit and vegetable prices going up as California drought continues

Photo Raul Taborga of Denny's Organic Farm sells vegetables and berries grown in Nipomo, Calif., at the Marina del Rey farmers market. By DAVID KARP

BY BRIANNA SACKS

Fresh fruits and vegetable prices will go up an estimated 6% in the coming months, the federal government said Wednesday, as California’s ongoing drought continues to hit price tags in grocery stores across the country.

"You’re probably going to see the biggest produce price increases on avocados, berries, broccoli, grapes, lettuce, melons, peppers, tomatoes and packaged salads,” said Timothy Richards, a chair at the Morrison School of Agribusiness at Arizona State University.

In its monthly report on the food price outlook, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the price of fruit and vegetables will continue to rise.

As farmers continue to battle for water in the summer months, The USDA’s Economic Research Service reported that California’s drought has the potential to increase food price inflation above the historical average in coming years.

Although the department is sticking with its overall forecast that U.S. food prices will increase by up to 3.5% this year over last, it cautioned that the cost of meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables will jump.

California farmers produce half of the nation’s fruits and vegetables, and most of its high-value crops such as broccoli, tomatoes and artichokes.

But the rising cost of water has forced farmers to idle about 500,000 acres of land and produce less, making certain foods more expensive.

“Lettuce prices increased the most and that’s a direct result of the California drought,” said Annemarie Kuhns, an economist with the USDA. “Almost 70% of the nation’s lettuce is grown in California.”

The department now expects 2014 U.S. fresh fruit prices to jump by up to 6%, up from its May projection of about 4%. A devastating citrus disease in Florida also sent citrus prices up 22.5% this year.

Consumers will also see a bump in dairy prices due to increased demand.

Drought conditions in states like Texas and Oklahoma have also driven up beef prices 9% this year, and the department expects that hike to continue.

“The drought in 2012 damaged a lot of feed crops,” Kuhns said. “As a result we have the lowest herd size in the U.S. since 1951.”

California’s three-year drought is also affecting staple crops such as rice, which could also cost 10% to 20% more this year, said Daniel Sumner, director of the Agriculture Issues Center at UC Davis.

Swelling prices have been an ongoing trend after the parched state survived its driest year on record.

Food prices rose half a percent in May, the largest hike since August 2011, according to the U.S. Labor Department, and California farmers expect the hikes to continue.

“Consumers will see rising food prices because farmers have had to significantly curtail production due to lack of water,” said April Mackie, an advisor for the American Farm Bureau.

Mackie also works for a large, 7,500-acre strawberry and vegetable farm in Salinas, Calif. She said the drought will boost the prices of her crops next season, and Americans should expect to pay more for fresh food as the years go on.

“We are seeing issue with the water levels within our wells, so we will have to plant less crops next season and that’s what increases U.S. prices,” said Mackie.

The Salinas farm planted more strawberries this season because they use less water, cutting production of lettuce, broccoli and other veggies by 25%.

"We have conservatively projected that the average American family will spend about $500 more on food this year because of the drought," said Paul Wenger, president of the California Farm Bureau. "But with what we are hearing from farmers, we expect that number to go up."

Source: Los Angeles Times

FMS The Pulse: Negative Sales Continue in Week 3

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 00:00:00 CST

FMS The Pulse: Negative Sales Continue in Week 3

Independent grocers report their same store sales were down 0.71% in the third week of June, compared to the same time period in 2013. This is the third straight week of negative sales figures.

Earlier this week, the Bureau of Economic Analysis released its final estimate on 2014’s first quarter GDP and the results were downright grizzly. In Q1 2014, US gross domestic product dropped 2.9%, the worst quarter since Q1 2009. Economists point to several factors that contributed to the terrible quarter: a brutal winter for much of the country likely caused big interference with construction, production, and big purchases like car and auto sales. Another reason was that spending on healthcare was revised from a 9.1% increase to a 1.4% decrease. The trade deficit increased as well, while Europe remains economically weak and expanding nations start to lose steam. All in all, the news for the first quarter was bad, but initial data for the second quarter indicate a rebounding Q2. If there’s one positive outlook ok the BEA’s disheartening report, it’s that it’s hard to imagine Q2 being any worse.

Same Store Sales % Change from last year

June (5 Weeks Ending 06/29/2014)
Week 3 (Week Ending 06/14/2014)   -0.71%
Week 2 (Week Ending 06/07/2014)   -1.07%
Week 1 (Week Ending 05/31/2014)   -0.99%

Same Store Sales – Previous Months

BGBC Tax Update: Comp Time or Overtime?

Do you have employees who work overtime? Would you rather provide them comp time (time off) rather than overtime pay? For employers trying to maintain a consistent payroll, comp time can be an attractive option to keep hours worked under control.

If you offer your employees a comp time arrangement, you need to be very careful how the arrangement is structured due to various federal and state laws regarding compensation and overtime. Generally you cannot offer employees straight comp time instead of paying overtime, but there are options available to keep your wage costs as low as possible.
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FMS The Pulse: No Improvement in Week 2 of June

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 00:00:00 CST

FMS The Pulse: No Improvement in Week 2 of June

The story in week two of June was much the same as the first – independent grocers reported their sales being down 1.07% compared to the same time period in 2013.

This week the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its consumer price index report for May. The pace of inflation on food at home items has been ramping up, with prices increasing 0.7% in May. Almost all of the major groups within the index increased – meat/poultry/fish/eggs (+1.4%), fruits/vegetables (+1.1%), dairy (+0.6%), nonalcoholic beverages (+0.4%), and other (+0.3%). The one group that didn’t increase was cereals/bakery (-0.1%). In the past 12 months, food at home prices have increased 2.7%.

The index for all items increased 0.4% in May and has risen 2.1% in the past 12 months.

Same Store Sales % Change from last year

June (5 Weeks Ending 06/29/2014)
Week 2 (Week Ending 06/07/2014)   -1.07%
Week 1 (Week Ending 05/31/2014)   -0.99%

Same Store Sales – Previous Months

BGBC Tax Update: Net Operating Losses

Sometimes, due to economic conditions or simply from major expenditures that may be incurred in certain years, your business may report losses in a given year. These business losses, called Net Operating Losses (NOL), can provide tax relief for other years before and/or after the loss year.

When a Federal NOL occurs, it can be carried back 2 years from the loss year then carried forward up to 20 years until it has been exhausted. Depending on your situation, there may be no need to carry the loss back. Therefore, an election may be made to waive the carryback period, allowing the full NOL amount to be carried forward and utilized against future income.
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Retailers officially file swipe fee deal appeal

psellner@iowagrocers.com — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 00:00:00 CST

Retailers officially file swipe fee deal appeal

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation (NRF) and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) were in court Monday asking an appeals court to overturn the credit card swipe fee settlement with Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc.

The two groups argued that a federal judge approved the deal after it was negotiated by only a handful of merchants. In addition, they claim the settlement fails to bring the fees under control.

"The truth is there is no settlement with the retail industry, only an agreement with a handful of merchants who do not represent the industry as a whole," said NRF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Mallory Duncan. "Given that the judge knew this backroom deal was opposed by a broad range of small and large retailers alike and allows these fees to continue to skyrocket, it clearly should never have been approved. This is a serious mistake the appellate court needs to correct."

On Dec. 12, U.S. District Judge John Gleeson gave final approval to the $5.7-billion settlement, bringing to a close a class-action lawsuit that alleged Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. illegally fixed credit card interchange swipe fees, as CSNews Online previously reported.

In turn, both retailer organizations filed notices of appeal with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York earlier this year, and followed up Monday with a joint brief before the court.

"The retail community remains fully committed to fighting this flawed settlement and addressing the fundamental lack of competition in the electronic payments market," RILA Executive Vice President and General Counsel Deborah White said. "Quite simply, the proposed settlement not only undermines merchants' legal rights and fails to restrain Visa and MasterCard's ability to increase swipe fees with impunity, but it also has broad implications on the rights of others in future meritorious class-action cases."

In its brief to the court, the groups called approval of the mandatory settlement of such "breathtaking scope in the face of widespread and substantive objection" unprecedented. "A broad cross-section of the American retail industry numbering thousands of businesses from iconic national department store chains and general merchandise chains to apparel outlets, specialty shops, restaurants and one-location Main Street stores thoughtfully analyzed the settlement and concluded that it offers them no benefit," the brief stated.

"While a settlement this skewed was bound to be unpopular, the extent of dissatisfaction within the retail industry has been extraordinary."

Many retailers and retail organizations rejected the settlement, in part, because instead of lowering fees, the credit card companies proposed retailers pass along to the fees to consumers as a surcharge. Major retailers rejected the surcharge proposal, saying it was the opposite of what they had sought. The lawsuit -- which was brought by 19 retailers and trade associations -- dates back to 2005 and the settlement was first proposed in July 2012. However, 10 of the plaintiffs, including all of the associations, rejected the settlement.

Neither NRF nor RILA was a plaintiff in the case, but both have argued against it because the class-action status would impose the settlement terms on thousands of their members. The brief also cited a number of legal errors in the decision, including failure to adequately balance the monetary relief against the requirement to give up future legal claims; dismissing "substantive and thoughtful" opposition; and ignoring a court-appointed expert's opinion that the proposal for surcharging was of "uncertain" value that would "have only a small impact" on swipe fees, according to the groups. - See more at: http://www.csnews.com/node/68589#sthash.7DFkQw49.dpuf

Source: Convenience Store News