You don’t want to miss California’s largest Food Processing trade show, Food Processing Expo 2018, to be held February 21-22 at the Sacramento Convention Center. Early pricing closes in just a few short weeks on December 15. Early pricing for food processors and growers is only $45, for CLFP affiliate members $110 and for non-members suppliers/buyers/brokers/consultants $250. Association, government, press and educational institution registration is complimentary.

CLFP recently awarded $27,000 in scholarship funds for the 2017-2018 year to students and through donations to universities and community colleges. Pictured here is scholarship recipient Andrew Lazar (l), who is being presented his scholarship award by CLFP board member and past chair Burt Fleischer of the Hilmar Cheese Company.

Current regulations allow school districts to bypass Buy American requirements in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. A bill in Congress would strengthen the monitoring and enforcement of the Buy American provision for school food purchases.

During the West Coast port labor disruptions two years ago many shippers incurred significant detention and demurrage charges for containers that were stranded at the Oakland and Long Beach ports for days or weeks. CLFP members and staff met with the chair of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to discuss the economic impact of the situation and to emphasize that existing rules and practices by the carriers and marine terminal operators were unfair to shippers.

This is the time of year when articles about food trends for the new year start appearing from multiple sources. According to a recent article in Bon Appetit, kale is out and brussels sprouts are in for 2018.

The California legislative session is scheduled to reconvene on January 3, which will mark the second year of a two-year session. During the session, CLFP will be engaged in multiple legislative issues affecting the state's food processing industry.

UC Davis will conduct its annual Better Process Control School, February 13 – 16, at the campus conference center.