Category: Press Releases

Celebrating Innovation, Variety and Convenience – It’s Frozen Food Month!

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Check out what’s hot in the coolest section of the store

HARRISBURG, Penn., March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — What’s hot and delicious in the frozen food aisle? Innovative new products, bold flavors and unique meal ideas are taking center stage this Frozen Food Month.

Frozen foods are hotter than ever. In fact, sales were up 21% in 2021 and remain strong. According to the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA), increased sales are attributed to manufacturers innovating to align their products with today’s consumer dining habits and health trends.

Snapshot of the Multimedia New Release

View the Press Release here and the complete Multimedia News Release here

Richard Wardwell

Wardwell, President of Superior Grocers, to Keynote NFRA Executive Conference

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HARRISBURG, Pa. – The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) will hold its 30th annual Executive Conference April 4-6, 2022, at the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel & Conference Center in Tempe, Ariz. Rich Wardwell, President of Superior Grocers, will be the Retailer Keynote. Conference speakers will provide the latest information on consumer and industry trends.

The conference will open on Monday, April 4 with the optional Greater Penguin Golf Tournament followed by an evening welcome reception. Tuesday, April 5 will offer an impressive line-up of interactive speaker presentations, as well as a networking reception. On Wednesday, April 6, the conference will conclude with breakfast and a final informational session.     

Tuesday morning will begin with the Retailer Keynote followed by Jason Smith, Shopper Intelligence, who will share results of a new study of 130,000 frozen and dairy shoppers and insights on marketing to them. Tom Bailey, RaboResearch, will look at the significant growth of omnichannel strategies. Curt Avallone, Takeoff Technologies, will describe the economics surrounding the use of robotics and artificial intelligence in e-grocery. Colleen McClellan, Datassential, will discuss how consumers’ in and out of home behavior has shifted. Mike Poznansky, Neato, will help attendees understand Gen Z and how to earn their long-term loyalty. Zack Nippert, CivicScience, will share powerful data on what’s next for consumers and brands including inflation, supply chain issues and macro-trends.

The conference will close early on Wednesday when Zack Nippert returns with Erica Norton, The Hershey Company, to discuss the trends, behaviors, and predictions of what the post-pandemic shopper will look like and how brands can prepare.

To preserve the informal atmosphere that encourages group discussion and more personal interaction, the conference will be limited to 150 attendees. Registration is open on the conference website at www.NFRAExecutiveConference.org. 

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NFRA is a non-profit trade association representing all segments of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry.  Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., NFRA is the sponsor of March National Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month, June/July Ice Cream & Novelties promotion, as well as educational outreach programs. NFRA holds the annual National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention in October. 

Creative, Calm and Cool: Simple Ideas for a Delicious Holiday

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The Freezer and Dairy Aisles Can Make Your Celebration Less Stressful and More Tasty

HARRISBURG, Pa. December 17, 2021 — Jingle bells are ringing, presents are being wrapped with care and merry menus are being planned. The most wonderful time of the year is here. Even though the holidays are returning to normal-ish, the normal levels of stress don’t have to come back with them.

This year, the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) is ready with cool and creative recipes and tips to keep the worries low and the festive spirit high. The freezer and dairy aisles are full of secret weapons that can save you time and stress in the kitchen.

TIPS TO STRESS LESS

  • Stock Up: With a fully stocked fridge and freezer, you’ll have plenty of breakfast items and snacks on-hand and ready for hungry family and friends. Fill up with frozen fruit, waffles, eggs, cheeses, yogurts, pizza, wings and more.
  • Embrace Shortcuts: Ease your holiday cooking stress with tasty vegetables and side dishes from the frozen and dairy aisles of the store. All the peeling and chopping is done, saving you time. Waste less by using only what you need and putting the rest back in the freezer for the next time.
  • Cheat a Little: You don’t have to make everything from scratch. Frozen appetizers and desserts are heat-and-eat crowd-pleasers. Dress them up with fresh herbs, a holiday-inspired sauce, a drizzle of chocolate or dollop of whipped cream for a homemade look.
  • Get Inspired: Visit EasyHomeMeals.com or follow Easy Home Meals on Instagram for more creative, inspiring holiday meal, appetizer and dessert ideas.

See the complete multimedia news release with recipes, videos and more on Multivu.com

Kevin Schwab

National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association Elected New 2022 Officers and Directors

Posted on | by Julie Henderson | Leave a Comment on National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association Elected New 2022 Officers and Directors

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) elected its Association Officers and Members of the Board of Directors for 2021-2022 at its Annual Board of Directors meeting held virtually on October 20, 2021.

Kevin Schwab, EVP/CCO Sales & Marketing, The Pictsweet Company,has been elected to serve as Chairman of the Board. Schwab has served on the Board of Directors from 2003 to 2005 and again from 2012 to 2021. He served as Chairman-Elect from 2019-2021. Schwab is also a member of the Honorable Order of Golden Penguins.

Other officers announced at the meeting were: John Arnold, Sargento Foods, Chairman-Elect; Neil Ritchey, InnovAsian Cuisine Enterprises, Secretary; Mark Tarzwell, Ateeco, Inc./Mrs. T’s Pierogies, Treasurer; Tye Anthony, Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), Vice Chairman – Frozen and Joey Bates, Harris Teeter, Vice Chairman – Refrigerated.

Newly elected to the Board of Directors were: Tracy Aquila, Southeastern Grocers; Todd Bostian, Lowes Foods; Jim Buchta, CROSSMARK; Amanda Klane, Yasso, Inc.; Lauren Corprew, General Mills; Mike Ridenour, Kraft Heinz Company; Shannon Sherrard, Graeter’s Ice Cream; and Marcelle Smalley, Oliva International Foods.

Re-elected to the Board of Directors were: Chris Groll, Florida’s Natural; Risa Jenkins, C&S Wholesale Grocers; Bill Kynast, Chobani Global Holding; and Jeff Nelson, IMPACT NSS.

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About National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA)

NFRA is a non-profit trade association representing all segments of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry. Headquartered in Harrisburg, PA, NFRA is the sponsor of March National Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month, June/July Ice Cream & Novelties promotion and the Cool Food for Kids educational outreach program. NFRA provides consumer information such as food safety guidelines, meal preparation tips, recipes and sweepstakes opportunities at http://www.EasyHomeMeals.com. Further information available at https://nfraweb.org.

clear awards plates sitting on black table

NFRA Announces 2021 Golden Penguin Winners

Posted on | by Julie Henderson | Leave a Comment on NFRA Announces 2021 Golden Penguin Winners

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) has announced the winners of the Golden Penguin Awards for its 2021 annual promotions including March Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month and Summer Favorites Ice Cream & Novelties. NFRA promotions help the industry drive traffic in the frozen food and dairy aisles and increase sales for many categories and brands. In recognition of those efforts, NFRA has awarded 48 Gold awards and 27 Silver awards for March Frozen Food Month, 22 Gold awards and 25 Silver awards for June Dairy Month, and 31 Gold awards and 45 Silver awards for Summer Favorites Ice Cream & Novelties. See the complete list of winners for all three promotions.  

The Golden Penguin Awards provide an opportunity for companies to be nationally recognized for excellence in merchandising and marketing frozen and refrigerated foods. Following the cancellation of the 2021 NFRA Convention, the winners will be recognized on the association website, NFRAweb.org. In addition, the highest scoring entry in each of the Overall Marketing Campaign sub-categories will be revealed as Top Marketers at 3:00 p.m. EDT on October 19, 2021 on the website.

NFRA’s Golden Penguin Awards program features ten categories that reflect today’s marketing practices, including: In-Store Display, In-Store Event, Community Involvement, Social Media Campaign, Private Brand Campaign and Overall Marketing Campaign with sub-categories for Retailer, Wholesaler, Manufacturer, Sales Agent and Local Association. Plus, the Top Marketer Awards honor the best of the best – the highest scoring entry in each of the Overall Marketing Campaign sub-categories is named the Top Marketer.

Retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, sales agents and associations of any size can enter any category applicable to their business. Entries are judged on their own merit taking into consideration organization size and program budget.

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NFRA is a non-profit trade association representing all segments of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry. Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., NFRA is the sponsor of March National Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month, June/July Ice Cream & Novelties promotion, and Cool Food for Kids educational outreach program. NFRA holds the annual National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention in October. 

Tarnowski & Graeter Headshots

Two Industry Leaders Inducted into 2021 Frozen Food Hall of Fame

Posted on | by Julie Henderson | Leave a Comment on Two Industry Leaders Inducted into 2021 Frozen Food Hall of Fame

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) and the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) are pleased to announce that the Distinguished Order of Zerocrats have inducted two food industry leaders into the 2021 Frozen Food Hall of Fame.

The 2021 inductees are Richard Graeter, president and CEO, Graeter’s Ice Cream Company and Ray Tarnowski, retired president, Philadelphia Warehousing & Cold Storage.

As part of the fourth generation of the Graeter’s Ice Cream legacy, Richard Graeter has been CEO of the company since 2007. His dedication to the artisanal French Pot ice cream making tradition, now used only by Graeter’s, has grown the company significantly by opening stores throughout the Midwest and expanding distribution to grocery stores across the United States. In 2010, Graeter’s opened a new manufacturing plant that was named by Dairy Foods Magazine as its Plant of the Year in 2011. Richard’s leadership has led him to being named an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014 and being inducted into the Specialty Food Association’s Hall of Fame in 2020.

Ray Tarnowski entered the frozen food industry in 1979 when he joined Philadelphia Warehousing & Cold Storage. After five years with the company, he was named President. After a noteworthy 41-year career at Philadelphia Warehousing & Cold Storage, Ray retired in 2020. Upon retirement, he successfully managed the sale of the facility, which was the oldest frozen food warehouse in the U.S. at the time. Over his career, Ray served in many leadership roles, including the World Food Logistics Organization and Global Cold Chain Alliance. Ray served as Treasurer of NFRA for 20 years. He is a member of the Distinguished Order of Zerocrats and the Honorable Order of Golden Penguins.

The induction ceremony will take place at the 2022 NFRA Convention, October 15-18 in Orlando, Fla.

The Frozen Food Hall of Fame was established in 1990 by the Distinguished Order of Zerocrats, an organization of industry members whose purpose is to maintain the tradition of promoting the image and advancement of the frozen food industry. These members nominate and vote on the newest inductees, whose dedication and hard work have greatly benefited the industry. A special industry-wide ceremony honors the imagination and innovation that have ensured the continued growth and success of the frozen food industry.

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Solving the Dinner Dilemma

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The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association Is Showcasing Quick and Easy Recipes for Family Mealtime

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The struggle is real. As kids and parents trade their carefree summer ways for time-crunched school routines, the dinner dilemma gets even more challenging. With practices, clubs, and meetings, evenings get packed with activities; and dinner becomes an afterthought.

That’s why the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) has launched the #CoolFoodForKids campaign on its Easy Home Meals social channels. This Fall, social posts featuring the hashtag #CoolFoodForKids help ease the dinner dilemma with recipes, tips, and more. Creative content shows parents how easy it can be to quickly get a nutritious meal ready, thanks to items from the frozen food and dairy aisles.

“The question of ‘What’s for dinner?’ is a nightly headache for a lot of families,” said Julie Henderson, VP of Communications for NFRA. “Our members offer so many easy and convenient meals for busy families. We want to show parents they can still create a wholesome meal when schedules are busy.”

September is National Family Meals Month™ encouraging families to commit to sharing one more meal at home per week. NFRA offers parents cool solutions for making at-home meals a reality through its Easy Home Meals website and social accounts. EasyHomeMeals.com showcases a delicious mix of quick and easy meals and snacks, as well as how-to videos and other tips to ease the nightly dinner dilemma.

Find recipes and read more on PRNewswire.com

Bringing The Coolest Industry Back Together

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NFRA Annual Convention Returns October 16-19 in San Diego

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — As the pandemic begins to cool down, one of the frozen and refrigerated industry’s hottest events is coming back face-to-face style.

The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association’s (NFRA) Annual Convention, where the entire frozen and refrigerated industry comes together, returns in-person October 16-19, 2021, in San Diego, Calif.

This one-of-a-kind event brings together retailers, manufacturers, sales agents, logistics providers and suppliers of frozen and refrigerated foods – the only event that does so. The event focuses on connecting these distinct segments as well as highlighting new products, insights and thought leadership in the industry.

“The NFRA Convention is our signature event, and we couldn’t be happier to get back to what makes it so special,” said Jeff Rumachik, President & CEO of NFRA. “There’s no other convention where the major companies in the industry come together under one roof and hold thousands of business meetings, allowing attendees to accomplish so much in a short period of time.”

These business meetings that occur over the four-day event are the heart of the NFRA Annual Convention. Over 3,000 meetings are expected to take place between retailers and other industry companies. This gives attendees unprecedented opportunities to connect with the industry and drive their business forward.

“We’re so excited to bring the industry back together this year,” said Julie Henderson, VP of Communications for NFRA. “The business meetings are invaluable to our members, as well as the opportunity to see new products, how the industry is evolving, and the people who are driving it forward.”

Innovation takes center stage right from the beginning. Over 50 manufacturers will have a chance to showcase their latest products at the Taste of Excellence reception on Sunday. It’s a tasty way to start the Convention – with sampling and a chance to catch up with colleagues from other companies and network with new connections.

The convention focuses on looking forward throughout the event. At Monday’s general session, attendees will see a preview of NFRA’s 2021 State of the Industry Report which highlights emerging trends and category insights.

Registration for the NFRA Convention is available at a significant discount for NFRA members. Non-members may register as well. To register, visit NFRAConvention.org or call NFRA at 717-657-8601. To learn more about NFRA, or to join, visit NFRAweb.org.

About National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) 
NFRA is a non-profit trade association representing all segments of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry. NFRA sponsors national promotions March Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month and June/July Ice Cream & Novelties; and provides consumer information such as food safety guidelines, meal preparation tips, recipes and sweepstakes opportunities through its Easy Home Meals consumer website and social media properties. 

View the release on PRNewswire.com

Today’s Dairy Aisle: Think Beyond the Staples

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Hot Trends and Cool Innovation Take Center Stage for June Dairy Month

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 16, 2021 – Compared to its predecessor, today’s modern dairy aisle is barely recognizable. It’s gone from one small corner to half of the perimeter of the store. And the traditional staples, while still very popular, only make up a portion of what’s offered today.

That means the aisle is big…and only getting bigger. That evolution and growth is being celebrated during this June Dairy Month.

Ninety percent of families shop in the dairy aisle. And today, no matter how you’re choosing to or need to eat, the aisle has you covered. According to the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association, the dairy aisle has adapted to new lifestyle changes, food trends and important dietary needs over the years.

From plant-based to traditional foods, and snacks to meals, there are a huge assortment of nutritious, protein-packed products as well as many indulgent options to fit every eating occasion and diet.

View the complete multimedia news release on PRNewswire.com

Keeping the Heat Going – Frozen Foods Are Hotter Than Ever

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Hot Trends and Cool Innovation Take Center Stage for Frozen Food Month

March 11, 2021 | HARRISBURG, Pa. – Breakfast on-the-go? You got it! Gluten-free meals with all the sides? Simple! Healthy snacks for you and the kids? You’re covered! Easy smaller meals? Check! Meatless Monday? BOOM! Dessert without the guilt? Easy as pie. Dinner with international flair? Done!

Is this some kind of dream world? Nope! All this and so much more can be found on a trip down the frozen food aisle.

No matter how you’re choosing to eat, frozen foods have you covered. According to the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA), manufacturers are innovating to align their products with today’s consumer dining habits and health trends.

View the complete multimedia news release on PR Newswire.