Similar Cluster – Chicago

1. Metropolitan Chicago’s food manufacturing industry is the largest in the nation in terms of the number of people employed. In 2000, the nine-county metropolitan area employed 67,711 workers in 867 companies. Because of this, it is recognized as the largest U.S. food manufacturing “cluster”, offering food companies located in the area competitive advantages because of the availability of industry-specific resources.

2. Illinois has the most productive food sector of any state in the nation. The output per worker in the Illinois food sector is about $460,000 a year, while the average for both the U.S. and the top ten food producing states is only $380,000. Illinois food industry workers are 23% more productive than both the U.S. and the top ten states’ averages.

3. Job Openings: Approximately 800 employment vacancies open up in the industry every year in the region. Jobs range from entry-level positions to highly advanced technical and supervisory positions.

4. High Employment Multiplier: The employment multiplier for this industry is 2.58, which means that for every food manufacturing job, another 1.58 jobs are created in businesses that supply and support food manufacturing.

5. Good Wages: The average wage of all Chicago Metropolitan food manufacturing workers is $28,000 per year, not including overtime pay. The average hourly wage for production workers is $13.16 per hour.

Source: http://www.clcr.org/publications/pdf/food-mfg-statistical-report.pdf

Similar Cluster – Aukland, New Zealand

Food and beverage processing is one of the larger industry sectors within the southern sector of Auckland. The sector employs over 5,460 in the southern sector of Auckland, over 73,500 in New Zealand with a growth rate of over 5% per year. More than half of the export earnings for New Zealand are generated from this sector.

The food and beverage industry is well serviced in the region with co-packing, logistic operations and many other support services. In addition it is in close proximity to the international airport, port facilities and the national roading network. These factors ensure the region is very desirable for the establishment of food & beverage manufacturing organizations.

The food industry has a long and proud history in New Zealand’s development. The country has always had bountiful resources and food and beverage processing has evolved into a vibrant industry sector.

Source: http://www.foodbowl.org.nz/

Trade Show Trends

Trade shows offer a snapshot look at key trends affecting the food and beverage industry, both for new products available on the Canadian market and those set to emerge in the near future.

The following are the trends that will affect the food and beverage industry:

1. Organic Foods

2. Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals

3. Mediterranean Foods

4. Tea

5. Gourmet Cooking and Entertaining

6. Desserts, Pastries and Confectionery Products

7. Healthy Snacks

8. Environmentally-Friendly Packaging

9. Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Premium Beverages

10. Bottled Water and Add-to-Water Flavouring Packages

Source: http://www.ats.agr.gc.ca/events/4331_e.htm#c

Food and Beverage Show

The Canadian Food & Beverage Show and the HostEx Show attract many of the same visitors, but the annual events have always operated separately, at different times of the year. That has changed since March 2nd, when the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (C.R.F.A.) brings the two shows together under one roof in a new location—the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place. This is the largest food and beverage trade show in Canada, drawing over 700 exhibitors and 11,000 trade visitors.

The show had 1,700 booths and included cooking demonstrations by top local chefs (including Mark McEwan and Lynn Crawford), cookbook signings, and a series of free seminars that addressed such food-service challenges as labour shortages and energy costs.

Visitors walked away with a different feeling about this industry. It’s always been underserved by the shows, and it’s a much bigger industry than most people realize—$56 billion in Canada. Seeing all these products and services together made people in the industry quite proud of the business they’re in and the professionalism that’s available to them, right from the chefs to the manufacturers and suppliers in the service industry.

Source: http://www.crfa.ca/aboutcrfa/newsroom/2008/crfa_show_wrap-up.asp

Healthy Children are our Future

 

Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) announced leading Canadian food and beverage companies are shifting the landscape of advertising directed to children under 12. Under the terms of the Canadian Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (Children’s Advertising Initiative), first announced in April 2007, 16 leading food and beverage companies committed to shift their advertising directed to children under 12 to the promotion of healthier dietary choices and healthy active living.

Through the Children’s Advertising Initiative, Participants will shift their advertising and marketing emphasis to foods and beverages that are consistent with the principles of sound nutrition guidance, including those that are lower in total calories, fats, salts and added sugars, and higher in nutrients that are significant to public health.

 

 

Watch one of the commercials launched on behalf of this campaign.

 

Core Principles
Under the Children’s Advertising Initiative, Participants have committed to:

• devote at least 50 per cent of their television, radio, print and Internet advertising directed primarily to children under 12 years of age to promote products that represent healthy dietary choices and/or to include healthy lifestyle messages,
• incorporate only products that represent healthy dietary choices or include healthy lifestyle messages in interactive games primarily directed to children under 12 years of age,
• reduce the use of third party licensed characters in advertising directed primarily to children under 12 that does not meet the Children’s Advertising Initiative criteria for healthy dietary products or healthy lifestyle messaging,
• not pay for or actively seek to place food and beverage products in program/editorial content of any medium primarily directed to children, and
• not advertise food or beverage products in elementary schools.

Charter Participants
• Cadbury Adams Canada Inc.
• Campbell Company of Canada
• Coca-Cola Canada
• General Mills Canada Corporation
• Hershey Canada Inc.
• Janes Family Foods Ltd.
• Kellogg Canada Inc.
• Kraft Canada Inc.
• Mars Canada Inc.
• McCain Foods Canada
• McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Ltd.
• Nestlé Canada Inc.
• Parmalat Canada Inc.
• PepsiCo Canada
• Unilever Canada Inc.
• Weston Bakeries Limited

 

This is a very responsible initative that the comapnies are shifting towards. Because of the increased number of overwight children, this will help kids make healthier choices without the pressure of eating unhealthy junk food advertisements. I applaud the large and leading industry companies that are participating in this campaign because they are paving the way and setting an exmaple for other companies to follow suit.

 

Source: http://www.fcpmc.com/issues/hal/splash/index.html http://www.adstandards.com/en/childrensinitiative/default.asp

25 Years of Wine and Cheese

The Toronto Wine & Cheese Show is known worldwide for its informative and refined selection of gourmet food and award-winning wines. It also features cuisine from renowned restaurants, exciting seminars, beers, single malt whiskies, forthcoming vintages and industry-regarded wine and beer competitions. It’s a show that has a consistent loyal following, that increases in numbers every year.

This year, there will be many features such as 22 live cooking shows demonstrated by Food Network hosts; a Jazz Wine Garden where you can sip wine while listening to performers and much more! Don’t miss this opportunity to be introduced into the world of gourmet and classy dining.

Source: http://towineandcheese.com/

Welcome Back Summer… licious!

Although it’s four months away, The 5th Annual Summerlicious Presented by American Express returns to Toronto July 4 -20 2008. This is an opportunity for tourists and residents to sample and experience the city’s finest food at incredible values. It celebrates Toronto’s restaurant industry to promote the best of the city’s eclectic cuisine with 130 of Toronto’s top dining establishments with three course prix fixe menus. Make your reservations as soon as they become available. Bon Apetit!

Hopefully restaurants that participated last year will also be on the list again this summer because of the great reviews they received.

Source: http://media.torontolife.com