Kinsa Group Blog

Neuroscientists have reported that men think differently than women.

But that doesn’t mean they’re better leaders.

Current statistics, however, might cause you to believe differently.  While women have made great strides in every profession – including those in the food & beverage industry – they still find fewer opportunities in executive offices and corporate boardrooms.  Case in point? Only 18 of today’s Fortune 500 have female leaders (according to cnn.com).

The question is: “Why?”  Here are a few possible reasons:

• Personal and social pressures may make it harder for them to succeed as leaders.  Factors like maternal and domestic priorities, greater societal pressures, office behavior double-standards and the burden of maintaining physical appearances place additional pressures on women.
• Standards in the business world are primarily made and enforced by men.
• Many companies espouse a commitment to gender diversity but do not know how to fully integrate it into their culture.  This allows for persistent stereotypes and biases against women to endure.
• Women may lack opportunities to join informal networks and role models to support their professional growth.  As a result, they keep lower level jobs, change companies or drop out of the workforce all together.

Realities like these are especially unfortunate, when studies continually find that companies with a high number of women executives and board members perform better, both organizationally and financially:

• According to Catalyst research, the 25 Fortune 500 companies with the best records for promoting women to senior positions have 69 percent higher returns than the Fortune 500 median for their industry.
• A 2010 McKinsey Global Survey found companies with the highest gender diversity also had higher returns on equity, operating results and growth in market valuation than the averages in their respective sectors.

In a time when strong leadership is definitely needed in the food & beverage industry, the Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) has answered the call.  Founded in 1989, the organization promotes gender diversity as both the right social move and a smart business decision.  They have played a principal role in not only raising the issue of gender among senior teams, but also inspiring and supporting its female members to pursue and succeed in high-level roles.

Over the past two years,  the WFF has implemented a new strategy to accelerate the impact its organization has on advancing women leaders:

• Talent Pipeline Development. The WFF helps women and men develop their leadership competencies, building stronger teams, resulting in more successful organizations.
• Strategic Connections. Organizations that are a part of the WFF community create strategic, transformational connections with peers and companies across all segments within the industry.
• Brand Distinction. Member organizations positioned themselves as companies where leaders grow leaders, helping them attract, retain and engage the best talent in the industry.

To learn more about conferences, alliances, leadership programs, scholarships and other services offered by the WFF, visit their website.

Kinsa Recruiters are proud members of  the WFF, and the Kinsa Group has been a WFF Partner organization at the Supporter level since 2011.  We developed, created, host and support their online Career Center and job board, to help further their goals of advancing women leaders in the foodservice industry.

Uncle Sam is probably smiling right now.

According to the 2012 Food and Health Survey: Consumer Attitudes toward Food Safety, Nutrition & Health:

More than half of Americans believe it is easier to figure out their income taxes than to figure out how to have a balanced diet within calorie needs.

Obviously, we’re living in a land of confusion when it comes to understanding diet and health.

Commissioned by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation, this web-based survey of over 1,000 Americans aged 18 to 80 revealed the following about our country’s attitudes toward food:

• They’re trying to improve their diets, but it’s hard to separate fact from hype.  While nearly all respondents give at least a little thought to how healthful their diets are, many consumers acknowledge that changes in nutritional guidance make it hard to know what to believe.
• They view themselves as healthy, but with room to improve.  Nine out of 10 respondents describe their health as good or better; 60 percent say their health is either excellent or very good.  Despite their beliefs, many recognize there is room to improve their diets and nearly all say they are trying to improve at least one aspect of their eating habits (87 percent try to eat more fruits and vegetables).  More than half (55 percent) say they are trying to lose weight.
• Most don’t know their own caloric needs.  Only 71 percent of respondents would even try to guess how many calories they need to maintain their weight; of those, only 15 percent estimated correctly.
• Americans are conscious of food safety.  More than 85 percent admit to giving some though to the safety of their foods and beverages over the past year.  78 percent are very or somewhat confident in the safety of the U.S. food supply.  Food safety factors having the largest impact on their purchasing decisions include bacteria (51 percent), “chemicals” in food (51 percent), imported food (49 percent), pesticides (47 percent), animal antibiotics (30 percent) and undeclared allergens (25 percent).
• Taste and price continue to drive food & beverage choices.  At the end of the day, taste (87 percent) and price (73 percent) beat out healthfulness (61 percent), convenience (53 percent) and sustainability (35 percent).  While respondents profess trying to improve the healthfulness of their diets, the majority (54 percent) say they would rather just enjoy their food than worry about what’s in it.
• Family meals are important.  Nearly nine in 10 parents believe that it’s good for their health to sit down and eat meals with their families, and two-thirds of parents worry more about the healthfulness of their children’s diets than their own.

Like filing your own taxes, food and health information can be complex and difficult to understand. These insights from the 2012 Food & Health Survey will play a vital role in helping food & beverage professionals better understand the American consumer and the challenges they face in adopting healthful, lifelong behavioral changes.

Kinsa Group – On Top of the Trends Impacting Our Industry

If there is one constant in the food & beverage industry, it’s change.  As national recruiters in the food & beverage industry, we at Kinsa Group stay on top of the issues and trends that are important to your food & beverage organization.

I recently read a blog on Omega-3s and Sustainability that referenced the harvesting of krill in the Antarctic.  For those of you not in the fats and oils industry, Antarctic krill are shrimp-like ocean creatures that are one of our planets most abundant species. I did not know that one whale can eat up to 4 tons of krill a day.  Or that whales are not the only krill eaters; penguins, seals and seabirds eat krill too.

I was glad to learn that oceanic scientists do not think Antarctic krill are currently threatened or overfished unlike Atlantic cod. But, scientists and environmental groups are concerned that as more companies use huge factory ships for harvesting, that, combined with climate change could threaten the sustainability of krill and the ocean life that depend on them for food.

Food companies were first permitted to market the benefits of omega 3s in packaging in 2004. According to the website soymega.com, 56% of consumers want more omega 3s in their food and beverages. And while the omega 3 market continues to grow, the question remains as to whether or not wild sourced omega 3s will remain a long-term sustainable option.

Kinsa Group – Your Sustainable Food & Beverage Industry Recruiter
For over 25 years,  Kinsa Group has delivered the high performing food & beverage industry professionals  companies need to compete in today’s competitive and rapidly changing marketplace.  Simply put, food and beverage recruiting and assessment is all we do.  Contact us today to learn more.

What are your thoughts on Omega 3 wild sourcing? Leave a comment.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture changed the implementation date of  Non-O157:H7. The implementation was moved forward 90 days, to June 4, so that routine sampling of six additional STEC serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121 and O145) could  be included.

The USDA reported that the purpose of the extension is to “provide additional time for establishments to validate their test methods and detect these pathogens prior to entering the stream of commerce”.

It is important to note that the original announcement — issued February 8 — inaccurately stated that the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)  would also initially sample other raw ground beef product components, in addition to raw beef manufacturing trimmings.  A correction statement was issued on February 10 clarifying that, “FSIS will initially sample raw beef manufacturing trimmings produced domestically and imported, and test the samples for the serogroups”.

On September 13, 2011, USDA announced that if the serogroups are found in raw ground beef or its precursors, those products will be prohibited from entering commerce.

Kinsa Group is monitoring this closely and will report new information as it becomes available.

As 2011 draws to a close,  Food Safety News examines Food Safety Tops 2011′s Most Significant Food Stories.

In early 2012,  all eyes will be on Non-O157 Policy. The new rule, set to take effect in March, would declare six additional disease-causing serotypes of E. coli — O26, O103, O45, O111, O121 and O145 — adulterants in certain meat products.

As with any new rule, some are for it and some are against it. What’s your professional opinion? Feel free to leave your comments here or on Kinsa’s LinkedIn Group page.

Reminder from Kinsa Group

Kinsa Group will be closed on Monday, December 26 and on Monday, January 2 in observance of Christmas Day and New Years Day. Wishing you and yours glad tidings!

Stressed out?  Anxious?  Jet-lagged?

For years consumers sought drinks laden with ingredients like caffeine, taurine, electrolytes and herbs to give them the extra energy boost they craved.  But lately, manufacturers have introduced several non-alcoholic concoctions that promise just the opposite – they help you unwind.

Today, it seems it’s not enough for a drink to simply quench your thirst.  Manufacturers are responding to consumers’ demands for beverages that take them to new extremes.  Red Bull was one of the first drinks to gain notoriety for extreme energy.  Now a host of relaxation drinks, with names like Mary Jane’s, Dream Water and Lazy Cakes, are pushing the limits at the opposite end of the energy spectrum.

But do relaxation drinks deliver on their claims, and more importantly, are they safe?

Several recent articles, including one posted on CNN.com, focus on rising concerns about new (and sometimes untested) anti-energy drinks.  Sold on college campuses and in grocery and convenience stores, this breed of beverage is being marketed to younger adults, soccer moms and busy professionals.

According to the CNN.com article, Ronald Peters, associate professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, likens anti-energy drinks to street drug concoctions (laced with codeine cough syrup) urban youths have been mixing up on their own for years.  In the article, Peters called the marketing of commercialized anti-energy drinks “one of the worst things I’ve ever seen with corporate immorality.”

On the other side of the coin, Tim Barham, president of Frontier Beverage, said Unwind (his company’s anti-energy drink) is not “associated in the same realm at all” with the cough syrup mixtures.  He and other beverage makers say that their products are safe and that they are a positive alternative to drugs and alcohol.

So what’s in these drinks?  Manufacturers help consumers chill out with a variety of ingredients, including:

• passion flower
• kava
• valerian root
• melatonin
• rose hips
• GABA

An NPR.com article states that research on most of the herbal supplements going into relaxation drinks is spotty and inconclusive.  Herbs can’t be patented and the FDA doesn’t require companies to standardize ingredients or even back-up their claims with research, so there is ultimately no financial or legal incentive for manufacturers to scientifically test their products.

According to New York-based food and drug attorney Marc Ullman, “The relaxation product category is a category that’s looking for trouble.”  He recently told FoodNavigator-USA.com that relaxation beverage makers may face particular problems in light of the FDA’s draft guidance on distinguishing dietary supplements from beverages.

As consumer demand skyrockets and manufacturers continue to blur the distinction between drinks and supplements, we’re likely to hear much more on the topic.  What’s your take?  Please leave your comments below.

Kinsa Group – Your Food & Beverage Industry Recruiter

For over 25 years, The Kinsa Group has delivered the high performing food & beverage industry professionals your company needs to compete in today’s competitive and rapidly changing marketplace.  Simply put, food and beverage recruiting and assessment is all we do.  Contact us today to learn more.

If there is one constant in the food & beverage industry, it’s change.  Whether the source of that change is the government or the general population, we at Kinsa Group stay on top of the issues that are important to your food & beverage organization.  Here are two key updates, in case you missed them:

MyPlate Replaces Food Pyramid

Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled MyPlate.  Government officials say the new icon will be a part of a healthy-eating initiative that emphasizes the fruit, vegetable, grains, protein and dairy food groups.  The symbol replaces the 2005 Food Pyramid, which was widely criticized widely for being difficult to read.

The U.S.D.A. said MyPlate will convey seven key messages, including:

1. enjoy food but eat less;
2. avoid oversized portions;
3. make half your plate fruits and vegetables;
4. switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk;
5. make at least half your grains whole grains;
6. drink water instead of sugary drinks;
7. and compare sodium (salt) in foods like soup, bread and frozen meals, and choose foods with lower numbers.

More information about MyPlate can be found at www.choosemyplate.gov.

Men’s & Women’s Health Ingredient Trends

Wild Flavors, Inc.’s whitepapers detail the ingredients food & beverage companies should incorporate now to capitalize on changing health trends for both men and women:

Men’s Health Ingredient Trends

Men are more concerned than ever about their own well-being.  They want to prevent disease and improve the quality of their lives through joint health, strong immune systems, proper sleep patterns and strong brain function.  Openness about health concerns and changes in social attitudes have made men more receptive than ever to new and innovative nutritious options.

Food and beverage companies have a prime opportunity to capitalize on men’s health trends, by creating products with ingredients that address men’s key concerns:

Heart Health: Omega-3s, Phytosterols, Coenzyme Q10, Tea Polyphenols, Citrus Bioflavonoids.

Bone & Joint Health: Hyaluronic Acid, Grapeseed Extract.

Immunity: Pomegranate Extract, Citrus Bioflavonoids, Grapeseed Extract.

Cognitive Health: Omega-3s, Coenzyme Q10, Phosphatidylserine.

Holistic Sleep: Melatonin, L-Theanine, Gamma Amino Butryic Acid (GABA).

Women’s Health Ingredient Trends

According to Wild Flavor’s “Women: Trends & Health Ingredients” whitepaper, women account for the vast majority of household spending decisions and consumer purchases.  Furthermore, many women put family needs ahead of their own.

To capitalize on these consumer behaviors, food & beverage organizations should create products with ingredients that address the following top concerns for women:

Hearth Health: Omega-3s, Phytosterols, Coenzyme Q10, Tea Polyphenols, Citrus Bioflavonoids.

Bone & Joint Health: Hyaluronic Acid, Soy Isoflavones.

Immunity: Cranberry Extract, Citrus Bioflavonoids, Grapeseed Extract.

Beauty: Coenzyme Q10, Hyaluronic Acid, Tea Polyphenols, Citrus Bioflavonoids.

Holistic Sleep: L-Theanine, Passionflower Extract, Chamomile Extract.

Weight Management: Conjugated Linoleic Acid, Green Coffee Extract, Green Tea Catechins.

“If the Great Recession has taught us anything, it is that uncertainty is certain.”

So say executives at Tompkins Associates, business strategy and supply chain specialists, in reference to their Top 11 Priorities for 2011.  The list identifies the following priorities food & beverage organizations should focus on on to ensure profitable growth throughout the year.  Here is a summary of the list:

1. Push for fresh and organic. Consumers are driving demand, but sourcing and quality remain challenges.  Place more emphasis on high volume growth while increasing margins.
2. Demand growth in emerging markets. Growth-oriented companies should enter the new markets that are driving international convergence through strategic acquisitions or partnerships.
3. Sustainability. Sustainable practices and waste elimination (e.g., reducing energy consumption, greenhouse gas emission, packaging, etc.) will help companies reduce costs and improve their reputations as stewards of the environment.
4. Operating cost reductions. Companies should strive to lower overall landed costs by improving methods and practices for managing suppliers through production, distribution and delivery to customers.
5. More reductions in working capital. Improving Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning (SIOP) – as opposed to simply slashing inventory – will greatly help food & beverage organizations reduce working capital.  Brand extensions and packaging innovations will continue to increase SKU account, making reductions even more difficult.
6. Food safety. Trends toward global food safety certifications are gaining steam, which will drive new technologies to improve visibility from the field to the store shelf.
7. Lean management. Companies need to focus on reducing costly process activities that do not add value to their products or enhance the customer experience.
8. Procurement contribution through sourcing availability. As commodity prices rise and emerging markets’ demands for higher value and better quality food increase, identifying and securing reliable, cost-competitive sources will become more difficult.  Food & beverage organizations should focus on accessing suppliers in diverse markets, as well as pushing purchasing departments to obtain competitive prices and ensure a reliable supply channel.
9. Distribution network rationalization. Ensure that your distribution and supply chain strategy is fully aligned with your organization’s business growth strategy and that it has the structure and facilities needed to support anticipated growth.
10. Integrating commodity purchasing and logistics strategies. Food & beverage companies should mitigate commodity price increases by taking control over inbound flows.  This will enable them to maintain a competitive cost advantage, but will require new thinking on the part of purchasing and logistics managers.
11. Growing government regulation. Food and beverage leaders should be proactive in understanding and addressing the effects (on both costs and processes) that changes in regulations, especially the Food Safety and Modernization Act, will have on their organizations.

Priorities Update

Tompkins Associates recently added the following emerging themes/updated priorities as the middle of the year approaches:

• Uncertainty is the new norm. Although each industry has its own individual priorities, there are similar trends throughout each that reveal much about general expectations for 2011. For example, many company leaders are facing a great deal of uncertainty about what 2011’s ‘new norms’ will be – it seems the only clear new norm is uncertainty itself.
• The emphasis on global supply chains is a major theme. With global operations come new priorities: risks that need managing; ever-changing regulations and taxes that must be understood and complied with across global borders; and the need for sustainable, environmentally-friendly operations.
• Innovation is also a key priority for 2011. Already, there are major market upheavals happening in the automotive and high-technology sectors due to new developments in product offerings that allow customers access to cutting-edge technology.

Ensure Profitable Growth – Hire the Best Food & Beverage Executives and Professionals with Kinsa

No matter what priorities your organization chooses to address this year, you need top-level talent to effectively create and execute your strategies.  For over 25 years, Kinsa has helped food & beverage organizations thrive in rapidly changing markets by consistently delivering “A-level” executives and professionals.  Contact us today to learn how our Unique 8-Step Recruiting Process can help ensure your profitable growth throughout 2011 and beyond.

What’s the number one health crisis confronting our country?

Despite what you may think, it’s not cancer, heart disease or high blood pressure.  It’s obesity.  According to an announcement accompanying the official 2010 Dietary Guidelines:

“More than one-third of children
and more than two-thirds of adults in the U.S.
are overweight or obese.”

These sobering statistics have made the obesity epidemic a prime target of the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.  This year’s guidelines, presented as a six chapter document released January 31, tackles obesity head-on with the following recommendations:

• Enjoying food, but eating less (i.e., avoiding over-sized portions);
• Balancing calories to manage weight;
• Balancing calorie intake with exercise;
• Eating more and a wider variety of fruits and vegetables, especially beans, peas and dark green, red and orange vegetables;
• Consuming more whole grains and low-fat or fat-free milk;
• Drinking water instead of sugary drinks;
• Eating a wider variety of seafood and other lean proteins;
• Substituting liquid oil for solid fats, when possible;
• Building healthy eating patterns to stay within calorie limits, meet nutrient needs and reduce chronic disease risk;
• Reducing daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg for most healthy people, and to 1,500 mg for those in higher risk categories.

To view or download the full 2010 Dietary Guidelines Policy Document, follow this link.

According to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, “The 2010 Dietary Guidelines are being released at a time when the majority of adults and one in three children is overweight or obese, and this is a crisis that we can no longer ignore.”  Many food & beverage processors agree and have already begun reformulation projects in response to the Report.

The Food & Beverage Processing Industry – Part of the Obesity Solution

Moving forward, the USDA and HHS Dietary Guidelines will challenge food and beverage processors to improve the “overall food environment,” by supporting Americans’ efforts to meet the key recommendations of the Report.  To help solve the obesity epidemic, food and beverage organizations can work with federal, state and local governments to ensure that all Americans have access to the recommended nutrient-dense diet by:

• Increasing nutrition education programs;
• Improving access to affordable fresh produce and food;
• Developing safe, effective and sustainable practices to expand aquaculture to increase the availability of seafood;
• Offering health-promoting foods that are low in sodium, solid fat, added sugars and refined grains;
• Adopting sound policies and responsible practices to prevent foodborne illnesses.

Kinsa Group – Your Food & Beverage Industry Recruiter

For over 25 years, The Kinsa Group has delivered the high performing food & beverage industry professionals your company needs to compete in today’s rapidly changing marketplace.  Simply put, food and beverage recruiting and assessment is all we do.  Contact us today to learn more.

Droughts in Russia.  Floods in Brazil.  Growing consumption in emerging markets.

What do these three have in common?

They’ve all contributed to a massive rise in input costs for food & beverage companies.  Case in point:  agricultural commodity prices rose by nearly 50% between January 2010 and January 2011.

A February 22nd Business Wire release reported that “According to Fitch (Ratings), the recent sharp and sustained increase in a basket of commodity prices represents a growing source of concern for fixed income investors…input inflation across a broad range of agricultural, energy, and industrial commodities has spiked sharply and is expected to put increasing pressure on margins and end-user prices in a number of commodity-dependent sectors in 2011.”

Commodity-sensitive sectors, such as protein processors, ethanol producers and airlines are expected to be hardest-hit; beverage producers and automotive suppliers to a lesser extent.

The current commodity spike will differ from 2008, in that food & beverage organizations may be in a better position this time around to pass along higher input costs via pricing – primarily because of more consistent demand across a range of consumer products.

When asked about price increases that are beginning to appear in the marketplace, Gary Rodkin, the president and chief executive officer of ConAgra Foods, Inc., Omaha, stated, “We are confident that these moves are the right thing to do given the inflation of our input costs.  While not easy, pricing is not a choice; it is an imperative.  We cannot ignore the impact of dramatically increasing input costs on margins.”

Beverage manufacturers are feeling the same pressure.  PepsiCo has said that it expects a “highly competitive environment” in 2011, with commodity costs remaining a “major headwind” for the snacks and beverage giant.

The bottom line?  Significantly higher commodity costs are here for the medium-to-long-term and will place increasing margin pressure on food & beverage companies.  Industry leaders are trying a range of approaches, from cutting operating costs to raising prices, to deal with the added pressure, but it remains to be seen how successful their strategies will be.

Kinsa Group – Your Food & Beverage Industry Recruiter

For over 25 years, The Kinsa Group has delivered the high performing food & beverage industry professionals your company needs to compete in today’s competitive and rapidly changing marketplace.  Simply put, food and beverage recruiting and assessment is all we do.  Contact us today to learn more.