Welcome!

 

The Frozen and Refrigerated Food Council of North Carolina mission is to support retailers and manufacturers in the Southeast by increasing sales and educating the consumer about refrigerated and frozen foods.  Our common goal is to promote the quality, variety, and value in the frozen and refrigerated aisles. Visit our site for recipes, meal ideas and upcoming events!

                  

Fresh Frozen Foods

The quality and convenience of frozen foods is a must-have in our busy lives these days.  Real ingredients and chef-inspired recipes highlight that freshness and nutrition are mainstays in the frozen and dairy aisles.  The sheer variety of foods, allow you to travel the world by walking down the frozen aisles.  Frozen foods are a healthy and economical option for your family.  Homemade taste with the price and convenience make frozen foods a great value.

 

Wholesome Dairy Aisle Selections

 

Quality and freshness in today’s dairy aisle are top priorities to our farmers and offer the greatest variety of savory foods.  Flavor is guaranteed so when enjoying dairy, you can be assured of real ingredients and variety.  The refrigerated aisles showcase new products and packaging to increase great versatility in use by dates.  Enjoy refrigerated convenience foods and experience the joy of cooking with your family anytime!

 

 

Two Industry Leaders to be Inducted into 2023 Refrigerated Food Hall of Fame

Carolina Cool Foods' own Joe D'Alberto has been nominated to be inducted into the 2023 Refrigerated Food Hall of Fame along with Skip Shaw, past CEO of the NFRA.  Both have been instrumental in promoting the Refrigerated Foods and Frozen Foods industry.  To see the full press release click here.

Carolina Cool Foods Mourns the Loss of Beloved WBVT Reporter Steve Crump

 

Steve Crump started telling stories in Charlotte starting in 1984.  Steve Crump, a beloved member of the WBTV family who was the conscience of a newsroom he loved and a community he served, passed away early Thursday morning following a battle with cancer.  Read the whole story here.

 

Jeff Thomas Passes

It's with great sadness to announce the passing of Jeff Thomas who  spent a lifetime around frozen and refrigerated foods with his grandfather, Carl, and parents, Robert and Rosalyn, owning and working for a local food brokerage.  Jeff joined Michael Foods in 1989 for 25 years until he retired in 2014.  Jeff became a member of the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods in 2003 eventually rising to Chairman in 2011 and was inducted in the Refrigerated Foods Hall of Fame in 2019.  He will be greatly missed.  Please pray for his wife Kathy and family.

 

Johnny Harris Passes

A legend in the Carolina Food Industry and the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) passed away recently.  Johnny touched many lives while working at Harris Teeter for over 38 years.  In addition, he was the Chairman of the NFRA in 2004 and inducted into the Refrigerated Foods Hall of Fame in 2010.

 

To see a tribute to him in Frozen & Refrigerated Buyer Magazine, click here.

 

Mark Williams Passes

Carolina Cool Foods and the NFRA lost a wonderful partner this past week.  Mark Williams passed away at 58 years old.    A GoFundMe account has been set up to help and support the Williams' family during this time of loss. The goal is to raise $25,000.00 within the next 30 days to help with immediate needs.  Please click this link to help his family.

 

To see is a tribute video that his family put together please click this link.  You can also read more about Mark and his many contributions to the Frozen & Refrigerated business at this link.

 

Tribute To Karen Montgomery Griffin

We lost a wonderful person recently who contributed much to our association.  You can see a special tribute to Karen by clicking here

 

Join Frozen & Refrigerated Food Council of NC

Please join us this year and years to come to create and sustain a profitable, competitive Southeast market through joining Frozen & Refrigerated Food Council.  Over 400 members strong!  Great networking opportunity and working with key Southeast Food Retailers.  For more information, click here to download our brochure.

Key NFRA Dates

NFRA Executive Conference
April 8-10, 2024
Tempe Mission Hills, AZ
Click here for agenda

CFIC Annual Convention
July 14-17,2024
Myrtle Beach, SC

NFRA Annual Convention
October 5-8, 2024
Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center
National Harbor, MD

 

 

New Harris Teeter Breakfast Meeting, April 26, 2024

We are pleased to announce that Harris Teeter will be joining us for a breakfast meeting at the Providence Country Club in Charlotte.  For further details click here.

 

New NFRA January Promotion Launch

Just released: NFRA just released our ReDiscover Dairy & Frozen January promotion launch.  For the month long promotion newsletter, click here.

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Week 1 newsletter click here.

 

 

New Opportunities for Frozen and Refrigerated Foods

Shifting Consumer Eating and Grocery Shopping Habits shows that more people than ever are cooking meals at home than ever before.  Click here to read this article that reveals several key insights.

 

NFRA March Frozen Food Podcast: 40 Years of Frozen Foods

NFRA Podcast sharing the great results of 40 years of March Frozen Foods Month.  Click here to view the podcast.

 

NFRA Industry Insider

Keep updated on what's going on at the NFRA by reading the most updated NFRA Industry Insider Report (February 2024) by clicking here

 

 

NFRA New Product Newsletter, Spring 2024

Please click the following link to read the NFRA Spring Newsletter for 2024: Click here

 

 

Special Recognition from Virginia State Police Association

Your Frozen & Refrigerated Food Council of North Carolina contributed $6,000 to the Virginia State Police Association Scholarship Fund.  We received a special thank you letter from them you'll want to read.  Click here to view on our Charities web page.

FISH Friends in Service of Heroes

Local veteran support organization keeps the legacy alive for fallen service member

FISH recently helped a local veteran in Johnson City, KS honoring a Vietnam veteran by providing a service dog keeping the legacy of a fallen service member.  Be sure to read this touching article by clicking here

NFRA Benchmarking Category Roles

 

“Here’s a great example of the many informational pieces published by the NFRA. If your company is not a member, they are losing out!! Join today !!!”

 

Shopper Led Category Management Frozen & Refrigerated Category Roles - Bill Bean, Shopper Intelligence - (PDF Article)

 

Lowes Foods Focused On Offering Entertainment, Experiences: Read how Lowes is ;reinventing the brand' KJ's.  Click here

 

 

Recipe Highlight:

 

 

Kellogg's Basil Vegetable Wraps: Click here to download recipe)

 

A touch of garlic, fresh basil leaves and sun-dried tomatoes give these wraps an Italian accent.

Prep Time: 15 min

Total Time: 15 min

Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS

bullet 1 package (7.9 oz.) MorningStar Farms® Garden Veggie Nuggets
bullet 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
bullet 4 oil-packed, sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
bullet 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
bullet 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
bullet 1 1/3 cups shredded carrots
bullet 4 (8-inch) tomato- or spinach-flavored tortillas, warmed
bullet 20 to 24 large fresh basil leaves

1. Cook MORNINGSTAR FARMS Garden Veggie Nuggets according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, in medium bowl stir together mayonnaise, tomatoes, garlic and cayenne pepper. Add carrots. Toss to combine.

3. Arrange basil leaves on tortillas. Top with nuggets and carrot mixture. Fold-up bottoms. Roll into cones. Serve immediately.

 

FROZEN

Barvecue to Launch Frozen Plant-based Carnitas in US Retail Stores

(Frozen Food Biz - 11/9/2021)

Barvecue is a North Carolina-based brand producing wood-smoked, plant-based faux meat. They are entering the Hispanic food market with the launch of seasoned Carnitas. Barvecue Carnitas will be available in frozen aisles of over 380 Lowes Foods, Earth Fare and Safeway locations in the United States beginning in December. 

 

My/Mochi Among NielsenIQ’s Top Breakthrough Innovations Winners 

(Frozen Food Biz - 11/7/2021)

My/Mochi Ice Cream has been named a winner of NielsenIQ’s Top Breakthrough Innovations of 2021. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the award, which recognizes new products in the United States and Canada that successfully “redefine their categories.” The product line provides consumers with sweet rice dough and creamy ice cream in various flavors, including Green Tea, Sweet Mango, Strawberry, and many more!

 

Enlightened Ready to Bake Cookies 

(Progressive Grocer - 11/08/2021)

Feel-good dessert brand Enlightened introduces ready-to-bake frozen cookies. The cookies contain zero grams of added sugar and just 2 grams of net carbs per cookie. The line comes in three flavors - Chocolate Chip, P.B. Chocolate Chunk, and Double Chocolate -- all featuring a key ingredient: chocolate chunks.

 

REFRIGERATED 

 

Reddi-Wip Unveils Zero Sugar Whipped Topping

(Dairy Foods - 11/4/2021)

Reddi-wip, a brand of Chicago-based Conagra Brands, released keto-friendly Reddi-wip Zero Sugar whipped topping. It is made with real cream and contains 0 grams of sugar, 0 grams of carbs, and 15 calories per serving. It also has no artificial flavors and is gluten-free.

 

 

Silk, So Delicious Bring Season’s Flavors in Diary-Free Form

(Refrigerated & Frozen Foods - 11/9/2021)

Silk and So Delicious Dairy Free are back with seasonal products that offer more delicious plant-based options to get you in the festive mood. The seasonal products include creamers, baking alternatives, and cheese for consumers to use for their holiday gatherings. The seasonal offerings include So Delicious Dairy Free Nog, Silk Dark Chocolate Peppermint Almond Creamer, Silk Dairy-Free Heavy Whipping Cream Alternative, Silk Extra Creamy Oatmilk, So Delicious Dairy Free Cocowhip Original and Light, and So Delicious Dairy Free Cheddar Style Shreds.

 

For Sustainability Day, Stonyfield Organic Announces It Will Have 100% Renewable Electricity at its Londonderry Manufacturing Facility by the End of 2022

(Perishable News - 11/9/2021)

The country’s leading organic yogurt maker, Stonyfield Organic, announced a key milestone in its climate efforts on Sustainability Day. Their new commitment is to use 100% renewable electricity at their Londonderry, New Hampshire manufacturing facility by the end of 2022. Stonyfield continues to stay true to its mission of health - healthy food, healthy people, a healthy planet, and healthy business. 

 

RETAILERS

Grocery Outlet Still Cycling Pandemic Gains

(Progressive Outlet - 11/10/2021)

Grocery Outlet continues to lap last year’s pandemic sales gains in the third quarter. For the period ending Oct 2, Grocery Outlet said net sales increased by .6% to $768.9 million. In addition, they are continuing to strengthen both their in-store and online presence. In October, they launched a pilot program at 68 stores in California to test whether the treasure-hunt appeal of its physical stores translated online. They are working with Instacart to launch the program for six months. 

 

Meijer Holds Line on Low Turkey Prices Ahead of Thanksgiving Feast

(Frozen Food Biz - 11/8/2021)

With growing concerns about the supply and cost of turkeys in the United States during the upcoming holiday season, Meijer is holding the price line at 33-cents per pound for their private label Meijer frozen young turkeys bought through November 27th. This compares with Butterball frozen premium turkeys for 99-cents per pound and Honeysuckle turkeys for 79-cents. 

 

TRENDING

Bring Back the Fat in Dairy

(Perishable News - 11/10/2021)

Though 90’s fashion is making a comeback, consumers are letting the 90’s dietary trends stay out of style. In the ’90s, there was a heavy emphasis on ‘Non-fat’ and ‘Low-fat’ products in hopes for a thinner waist and improved heart health. We know now that this dietary trend did not make Americans healthier, and 30 years later, the influence of this trend can still be seen in consumers’ food choices. Contrary to the low-fat dietary craze, a growing body of scientific studies suggests that dairy-derived saturated fats could benefit cardiovascular health. 

 

Online Shopping Habits Are Set to Challenge Center Store's Recent Growth

(Grocery Dive - 11/9/2021)

According to Grocery Dive’s proprietary retailer and shopper surveys, consumers are more engaged than ever with center stores, but the shift to online is creating new challenges. The surveys suggest that consumers are more engaged than ever in the center store, including the frozen food aisle. The challenge for grocers is that more consumers are shopping online. The surveys suggest that meeting the challenge of today’s center store requires an omnichannel strategy. Retailers need to make their center aisles more compelling places to shop. They also need to improve their digital properties, making it convenient for shoppers.

 

 

Visit the National Frozen and Refrigerated Food Association to learn more about the benefits of frozen and refrigerated foods and to see what's new.