Where’s the beef (been)?

Where’s the beef (been)?

And is it authentic? And has it been properly handled? The 1984 Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef” commercial is a classic as Clara Peller, with a voice probably unlike any other human being, demands to know why the hamburger patty in her fast food restaurant burger is so small. Today, consumers are increasingly demanding answers to, “where did the beef come from?”, “is it truly grass fed?” and “has it been properly handled during processing and shipping?”. These questions are not just about beef either. They’re about poultry, pork and...Continue Reading...
Is Your Fresh Food Supply Chain Stuck in the ‘60s?

Is Your Fresh Food Supply Chain Stuck in the ‘60s?

“Flower power” and “cool baby” were popular phrases in the 1960s, and those of us in the fresh and perishable food supply chain industries still like to think about flowers and being cool (or cold). But, it’s a downer when we read that we’re still wasting 40% of our food every year. It bums me out. Why? Because it doesn’t have to be this way. We have the ability to reduce pre-consumer perishable food waste by 50% or more. The reason we, as an industry, haven’t made much of a dent in this problem is that too often we approach it by...Continue Reading...
What? No Bacon? (Cue Ominous Music)

What? No Bacon? (Cue Ominous Music)

A fast food restaurant running out of bacon? Sounds like my worst nightmare!  I remember waking up in a cold sweat one night and immediately racing to my closest 24-hour fast food place. Phew, the bacon cheeseburger was still there. I ordered two, just to be safe. OK, my nightmare didn’t happen but this one pictured above apparently did and, no doubt, led to a lot of frustrated and unhappy customers at Wendy’s that day. What happened? What went wrong? While it’s hard to say, it could have been: The restaurant was incredibly busy...Continue Reading...