New Jersey Food Council
30 West Lafayette St., Trenton, NJ 08608
Phone: 609/392-8899
Fax: 609/396-6571
Email: njfc@njfoodcouncil.com

Success - Onerous Demand for Retail Dairy Info Shelved!

After the hard work of the membership, the State of New Jersey has rescinded a Department of Agriculture order mandating food retailers to turn over private, proprietary information on company dairy prices to the department.

This is a huge victory for the industry! NJFC would like to thank those active members who mobilized an overwhelming response at NJFCπs request by attending meetings and writing letters to lawmakers expressing our united opposition. The effort is a model for how prompt, timely and active participation can effectively advance the mutual interest of our members.

NJFC reaffirms that this order was onerous, unfair and un-American.

NJFC Holds Annual Night of Distinction Reception

On behalf of the Board of Directors, NJFC would like to congratulate Dean Durling, Joel Perlmutter and Judy Spires for being recognized as Lifetime Achievement Award honorees and would like to thank all who made last nights Annual Night of Distinction Reception an outstanding success.

Special thanks is due to the event planning task force including Event Chair Mike Biase of Mission Foods, Jeff Brown of Brownπs Super Stores, Walter Rubel of Acme Markets and Phil Scaduto of Food Circus as well as all 2007 Event Sponsors.

Package of Bills Target Food Industry

Assemblywoman Stender has introduced a package of bills that represent a direct assault on food retailers in New Jersey.

A-4109 would require retail food stores to provide sanitation wipes for shopping carts and NJFC continues to oppose mandates on the industry. Most retailers throughout the State already provide Sanitation wipes to customers as an incentive to shop at their stores. Additionally, NJFC is concerned that this bill unfairly singles out food retailers and ignores every other object New Jerseyans come in contact with on a daily basis.

The association is also strongly opposed to A-4110 sponsored by the Assemblywoman. This bill would require retail food stores to identify the state of origin or the country of origin of raw produce sold to consumers by either labeling the produce or by displaying the information near the item.

Lastly, Assemblywoman Stender has introduced A-3994, a plastic bag recycling mandate that would require retailers larger then 10,000 square feet to establish in-store recycling programs for customers to return plastic bags to the store. Plastic bags would need to include a statement reminding consumers to return the plastic bag to the retailer for recycling. Also, retailers would be responsible for the transportation of returned plastic bags to recycling facilities and would be responsible for maintaining records describing the collection and transport of bags for a minimum of three years. Lastly, the bill requires supermarkets to make reusable bags available to the consumer for purchase.

NJFC is adamantly opposed to all three Stender proposals. NJFC Food Safety Committee and Environment Committee members will participate in a meeting with the Assemblywoman to voice industry objections.

Register Now for the NJFC Trade Relations Conference
May 17 & 18, 2007, Tropicana, Atlantic City

Honoring
Jim Ostling, George Weston Bakeries

Featured Guest Speaker
Bruce Weitz, Kings Supermarkets

Photos Galore

Don't forget to check out our library page to view photographs from our events including our recent Loss Prevention Conference & Exhibition.