News Roundup: FDA Food Policy Commissioner Resigns; Flashfood Expands With Stop & Shop

Frank Yiannas Resigns From FDA Citing Concerns with Decentralized Structure

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response, Frank Yiannas announced his resignation this week in a letter to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf. While Yiannas highlighted numerous food safety accomplishments under his leadership over the past five years, he also concluded with a call to action.

“I firmly believe the agency would operate more effectively and be better able to protect the American public from foodborne illness, with the creation of a more integrated operating structure and a fully empowered and experienced Deputy Commissioner for Foods, with direct oversight of those centers and offices responsible for human and animal foods,” Yiannas wrote.

He noted that both himself and Califf inherited a “decentralized system,” and suggested if a new office is created within the FDA, that his “small, yet exceptional staff” from the Office of Food Policy and Response (OFPR) should be relocated to report to that Deputy Commissioner for Foods.

Yiannas also made it clear that he had originally planned to vacate his position in February 2022, before the nationwide baby formula shortage, but decided to remain in the role until the issue was resolved. He highlighted numerous accomplishments of his office including a foodborne illness prevention plan his team created that has been effective in stopping specific cyclical, annual outbreaks.

Though he noted many of the mandates from the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which was passed seven years before Yiannas joined the agency, have yet to be implemented and have resulted in multiple consumer-led lawsuits, his team recently scored two wins in favor of FSMA: issuing the Final Food Traceability Rule and proposing a new Agricultural Water Standard.

“While the FSMA-projected reductions in foodborne illnesses have yet to be realized a decade later, these two rules, once fully implemented, will be game changers in allowing those reductions to become a reality,” Yiannas said in the letter.

Flashfood Expands Reach Across Massachusetts

Digital food waste reduction marketplace Flashfood expanded its reach to 34 Stop & Shop stores across Massachusetts. The online platform connects users to grocery items and produce located within specific pick-up lockers in-store that is discounted as it nears its expiration.

The program originally launched in a central Massachusetts Stop & Shop in 2021 and has since expanded across the Northeast. According to a press release, the Flashfood app currently hosts 20,000 shoppers which the company estimates will help divert approximately 60 million pounds of food from landfills this year.

“With sustainability-minded partners like Stop & Shop, we’re able to reduce more food waste while giving families a means to purchase quality fresh food for less,” said Josh Domingues, Founder & CEO of Flashfood, in a press release. “16-18% of Massachusetts households [are] struggling with food insecurity, it is rewarding to know that our expansion will help improve accessibility to affordable food in the region.”

Stop & Shop plans to expand the program to stores in Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey throughout 2023. Flashfood programs are also in place at select retail locations including The GIANT Company, Meijer, Tops Friendly Markets, Loblaw, Martin’s Markets, Food Lion, Giant Eagle, Giant Food, and more.

SHIP IT Act Introduced To Congress

A new bipartisan bill was introduced to Congress this week aimed at alleviating supply chain challenges by supporting the trucking industry with incentives to recruit new truckers and increase safety measures for drivers, among other actions. The Safer Highways and Increased Performance for Interstate Trucking, dubbed the SHIP IT Act, was introduced by U.S. House Representatives. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Jim Costa (D-Calif.).

“Americans experienced a slew of freight disruptions during and after the COVID-19 pandemic,” Johnson said in a press release. “Last year we addressed ocean shipping reform, and it’s clear that updates are needed for other parts of the supply chain.”

The bill aims to solve many of the supply chain shocks felt in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and specifically aims to mitigate the estimated 80,000-truck driver shortage. That shortage led to bottlenecks for both on-land and overseas shipping as containers often made it but were unable to be transported to their next destination due to a lack of drivers. The bill has also garnered significant support within the dairy industry.

“Milk is a perishable commodity that needs to move quickly along the supply chain from the farm to the consumer,” said Jim Mulhern, National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO, in a press release. “The damages wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic and the supply chain snarls that followed have shown how important it is to find safe, efficient means of transporting goods across the country.”

Meati Opens Mega Ranch

Mycelium-based alt-meat maker Meati announced the opening of its 100,000 sq. ft. “Mega Ranch” production facility in Thornton, Colorado on Thursday. The new facility has been designed to help the company scale its product’s footprint nationwide by the end of the year; however, Meati also previously said it is working on an even larger production facility, called the Giga Ranch, which it expects to open by the end of 2023.

The Mega Ranch has the capacity to grow, harvest and process the brand’s flagship mushroom root ingredient into finished products all under one roof. The plant is currently making its Eat Meati product line which includes Classic Cutlet, Crispy Cutlet, Classic Steak, and Carne Asada Steak. Meat products are available at Sprouts as well as in food service at Sweetgreen and Birdcall.

“The next few years will see a seismic shift in how we eat, and Meati’s state-of-the-art, scalable production capabilities coupled with its focus on meeting consumer needs for clean, whole-food protein position the brand to lead,” said Fazeela Abdul Rashid, Partner at Revolution Growth and member of the Meati Foods board, in a press release.

Tyson CFO Pleads Guilty to Trespassing, Intoxication Charges

John Tyson, CFO of Tyson Foods and son of current company chairman John H. Tyson and great-grandson of founder John W. Tyson, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges, criminal trespass and public intoxication, in Fayetteville District Court this week and will pay $300 in fines as well as a $140 court fee.

Tyson was arrested in November after illegally entering the home of a Fayetteville, Arkansas woman, undressing himself and falling asleep in her bed. Authorities said at the time of his arrest he smelled of alcohol and was unable to verbally respond to questions. The arrest came only a month after he had been promoted to CFO within the organization.

Tyson later apologized for his actions to company shareholders on an earnings call.