Artisan Food Products Network

This follows up on the recent post regarding the wide and valuable reach of the Midwest Food Products Association within it's core service area.  Amazing.  More that 80% of the total population of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota combined live in a county with an MWFPA plan or member office.  That's over 19 million people (out of 24 million total) living in a county with an MWFPA represented office or plant. This is the kind of access to people and communities that advocates of local and regional foods dream about.  The trouble is, there are no good stories that tie these 'big food' and 'small food' groups together. And at the same time, industry leaders are calling for new and better stories to help 'big food' tell its story to consumers.  The lead editorial in the May 2017 Food Processing Magazine was titled 'Big Food Needs Big PR'.  Amen. The editorial ends with this call to action:  "There are so many good stories to tell.  The

Great news from Create-A-Pack Foods " CONGRATULATIONS! We once again have achieved SQF Level III in all 4 of our facilities. The commitment of our employees is second to none. " Create-A-Pack Foods

FaB’s MakerSafe Certificate is a strategic response to the talent shortage facing the industry and the food safety training requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Certifications. The statewide food and beverage manufacturing MakerSafe Certificate  proposed  is being modeled after the easily-accessible, affordable, and recognized  ServSafe ® Certifications on the food service side of the industry . FaB Wisconsin MakerSafe Program

Local, regional and specialty foods are wonderful additions to the food story globally.  New foods, new business models and new opportunities are emerging from many directions. Industries rise and fall in our economy but a constant is food. Among food industry organizations few have the longevity and reach as the Midwest Food Products Association (MWFPA).  This 113 year old organization (until recently named the Midwest Food Processors Assn.) has represented vital aspects of the food products industry in the upper Midwest states of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois. Often older organizations can be overshadowed by new conversations and activities as times change.  This should not be the case for the MWFPA. While many local, regional and specialty food advocates provide exciting new stories specific to their own work, the role of regionally and nationally integrated industry platforms can also provide information and opportunities often unavailable to individual projects.  These

This is yet another key indicator of where food business planning is headed.  It has positive implications for the kinds of products and services our Midwest Food Products Association (MWFPA) region can excel at. " Food giant Nestle announced Thursday that it is buying a California-based husband-and-wife startup called Sweet Earth that specializes in plant-based frozen meals. The Swiss company, known for food brands like Lean Cuisine and Stouffer’s, said the deal is aimed to increase consumers growing desires for healthy, vegetarian options. "This segment has been identified for us globally as a key area a few years ago," Wayne England, head of strategic food operations at Nestle said in a statement. "Giving the world better access to vegetarian-based or plant-based food is something we want to do." ### Read the article here:     Nestle to buy husband-and-wife startup that makes plant-based meals Related article at Fortune:   Nestle is Buying Vegan

Midwest Food Products Association (MWFPA) member Lakeside Foods steps up.   From the Lakeside Foods Facebook Page: With catastrophic Hurricane Harvey’s deadly assault leaving Texans continuing to deal with it’s aftermath, Manitowoc, Wisconsin-based Lakeside Foods is joining the hundreds of organizations, governments and individuals who are responding to the epic disaster to help those who have been affected by the widespread destruction. Lakeside Foods, is donating canned vegetables that the company produced to the devastated region. Lakeside CEO and President Glen Tellock stated, “In times like these, people reach out and share their resources. We grow and package vegetables. Non-perishable food is a critical item for disaster relief and getting families back on their feet. Our hearts and prayers go out to the individuals and families affected by this storm, and we want to help them with our food donation”. ### Thank you Lakeside Foods! Visit the Lakeside Foods Facebook p