Refrigeration Foundation Updates Name
r mission and expanded membership, the 56-year-old Refrigeration Research and Education Foundation has changed its name to the World Food Logistics Organization. WFLO, based here, will make its official debut at its annual convention, to be held April 10-15 in Puerto Rico, in conjunction with the International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses. WFLO serves members in 45 countries on six continents.
WFLO's mission is to develop and support systems, networks and best practices within the food industry. It maintains a library of scientific research and information on preserving perishables, much of which is available on-line, at www.wflo.org.
Shipping Container Rules Established
WASHINGTON -- The Food Marketing Institute and Grocery Manufacturers of America here and Food Distributors International, Falls Church, Va., have developed voluntary shipping container guidelines for the grocery industry.
The voluntary standards include raising the maximum unit load to 2,800 pounds including pallet, and establishing the preferred maximum pallet height at 72 inches to the lower edge of the top product layer. The standards also call for new preferred maximum and minimum case sizes and for case strength to be determined by mixed stockkeeping unit loads.
Other recommendations from the work group include introducing fire safety as a packaging material issue, considering store-level activity-based costing in packaging decisions and establishing common requirements for cases, tray packs and display modules.
"We hope to encourage the use of knowledgeable teams working internally with trading partners to develop specific criteria for each packaging categor," said Anne Lightburn, FMI director of industry relations, in a statement.
