text:
Commitments by the UK government to leave the EU Customs Union will require the UK to rethink approaches to compliance and the transfer of goods to and from the continent.
A significant number of regulatory compliance challenges linked to the trade of specialist goods such as cooling equipment and other related components will need to be addressed as a result of the UK government’s intention to leave the European Customs Union.
Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed in February that her government would not seek to remain part of the arrangement that allows for goods to travel within the EU without duties being levied on them. The customs union contains a precondition that requires international trade agreements to be negotiated by the European Commission and not individual member states.
The UK this week provisionally reaching a draft agreement for its withdrawal from the EU. This draft arrangement detailed this week would see a 21 month “transition period” whereby final details can be hammered out by the two parties while maintaining some key functions and responsibilities of EU membership.
Clarity is still being sought by business and industry on a number of issues.
A number of major manufacturers of AC and refrigeration equipment with production facilities across the EU say they continue to face uncertainty over how any new custom arrangements may impact future distribution.
Business and trade bodies have in recent months called for clear detail on the final direction of Brexit, including determining future commitments to F-Gas regulation and compliance with standards such as the Ecodesign and the Energy Labelling initiatives.
Asercom, the association of European Refrigeration Component Manufacturers, said the issue of leaving the customs union would affect all transfer of goods between the UK and EU, with no specific additional concerns expected for HVAC equipment and parts.
However, the association added that any additional administrative burden or delays to the trade of goods would not be welcome by any industry.
Russel Beattie, chief executive of the Federation of Environmental Trade Associations (FETA), said the referendum decision was always going to require significant amounts of detail to be considered in order to unpick decades of the UK’s involvement in EU policy making and legislation.
He argued therefore that it was folly to assume all existing regulations would cease to apply with the EU’s exit from the EU.
Mr Beattie said, “in terms of our sector, we share the same issues as manufacturing in general, albeit that energy and climate change driven policies (such as Ecodesign and EPBD) have a direct relevance for us.”


text:
Game developer Respawn Entertainment recently released the first trailer for upcoming video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order with some new info about bonuses.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order to have pre-order bonuses
Interested buyers who will pre-order the video game in its Standard and Deluxe Editions will gain access to unique cosmetic equipment for their lightsaber. There are also cosmetic changes for the droid, BD-1, who will follow the main character throughout the game. The Deluxe Edition will have a behind-the-scenes suite of footage that shows the creative process behind it. It will also have more cosmetic equipment aside from the initial bonuses.
The upcoming video game will launch this coming Nov. 15. It will be available on PlayStation 4.

domain: news


text:
The Carole Nash MCN London Motorcycle Show 11-13 Feb 2022.
The UK’s favourite bike show returns on February 11-13 at ExCeL London. After a year's hiatus, the 2022 Carole Nash MCN London Motorcycle show will include the usual huge displays of machines from all the major manufacturers, new model launches and celebrity guests plus a special bike display you’re not going to want to miss!
Book early bird tickets now and get two tickets for just £30
In light of the Governments recent announcement we are very excited that events have been given the green light from 19th July. Our planning remains to work closely with the relevant Government bodies to ensure we are covid compliant and the health and safety of all our visitors, exhibitors and staff will always be our priority. Please note the following guidelines we will take to encourage safety at the event:
- There will be increased regularity in our cleaning regime in our toilets and public areas
- Hand sanitisers will be available in public areas and we encourage our exhibitors to have them available on their stands
- While face masks are no longer mandatory and are a personal choice, we will advise visitors to wear them in areas where crowds may gather
- We will encourage visitors to continue to be mindful of social distancing where possible
- Our final precautions for the event will depend on the Government advice at the time and we will continue to update our measures in-line with the latest recommendation.
We look forward to welcoming you through the Carole Nash MCN Motorcycle Show gates this 11-13th Feb with the latest new bikes, live action, biking celebs and more!
Please note, tickets purchased for the 2021 event will still be valid. In the event of the 2022 event being postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19 you will be entitled to a ticket refund.


text:
Label Zuckerberg told the world final October that he was once all in on the metaverse, and that the endeavor that would possibly seemingly well only salvage more pricey over time. Now that his company’s stock attach has been hammered in recent months, he’s dialing again that rhetoric.
Meta will “slack the crawl of some of our investments” due to “our new commercial development levels,” Zuckerberg mentioned all over the company’s first-quarter earnings name Wednesday. Meta’s earnings for the first quarter had been $7.5 billion, down 21 percent from the yr-ago duration. Revenue rose 7 percent to $27.9 billion, the slowest development price since the company went public a decade ago. Its aim expense differ for 2022 was once reduced by $3 billion.
Invent no mistake: Zuckerberg is still spending billions a yr on constructing devices and software for the metaverse, a concept he thinks will come what would possibly be as big as the cellular internet. The Actuality Labs division of Meta, which makes the Quest VR headset and future AR glasses, has about 17,000 workers and lost nearly $3 billion final quarter alone. The exclaim is that Meta’s investors are uncomfortable just straight away with that stage of spending, in particular when the payoff is years away.
Usually a stock attach tells the story. In the case of Meta, its attach has plummeted practically 50 percent, evaporating the final five years of development, since it rebranded from Facebook final October. That was once when Zuckerberg published he was once already spending $10 billion a yr on Actuality Labs, and that he anticipated the investment to develop despite now not seeing a return unless at the least the latter half of of this decade.
If his core commercial of advert-driven social media was once rising indulge in it was once in years previous, investors would possibly seemingly seemingly contain responded positively to the Meta pivot. But the timing couldn’t were worse: Facebook is rising slower than ever, thanks in substantial segment to younger users fleeing the provider. TikTok is consuming into time spent on both Facebook and Instagram. And Apple’s advert tracking modifications contain already attach Meta higher than $10 billion in lost income. Meanwhile, regulators contain blocked Zuckerberg’s ability to set up big, transformative acquisitions in social media that would possibly seemingly well jumpstart development again.
Facebook is still rising, but slower than ever. After reporting its first-ever fall in day-to-day users for the fourth quarter of 2021, the blue app managed to develop day-to-day users by just real 4 percent to 1.96 billion final quarter, while day-to-day users across Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook ticked up a diminutive from 2.82 billion to 2.87 billion. With expectations already situation low by Wall Avenue, Meta’s stock attach shot up higher than 15 percent after it reported better-than-anticipated earnings per share in the first quarter.
“Meta’s advert commercial continues to face some very staunch challenges,” mentioned Jasmine Enberg, a first-rate analyst at Insider Intelligence. “Facebook, needless to exclaim, just isn’t any stranger to limitations, but the iOS modifications are the first stammer threat to its advert commercial. Mixed with the upward thrust of TikTok, impress safety concerns, and a shift in social media consumer behavior, there’s a finest storm heading straight for Meta’s advert revenues.”
It’s obvious that, in the instant timeframe, Zuckerberg believes that copying TikTok will revive its development. He mentioned Wednesday that the company’s instant-salvage video product, Reels, accounted for 20 percent of time spent on Instagram, and that video consumption was once already higher than half of the time spent on Facebook. Meta is early in monetizing Reels with adverts, but it’s far following the same playbook Zuckerberg prone to efficiently reproduction Snapchat’s Stories characteristic.
For Actuality Labs, Zuckerberg mentioned the subsequent necessary hardware product would possibly seemingly well be a high-stop combined truth headset codenamed Cambria later this yr. He mentioned Cambria will level of curiosity on “work employ cases and come what would possibly replacing your laptop or work setup.” (Apple has its delight in combined truth headset coming soon that, if I had to wager, Zuckerberg wants to salvage out before.)
Beginning air of recent hardware, Meta is readying a internet version of its Horizon social platform that at the moment only exists on the Quest headset. That can put Horizon in more stammer competition with 3D gaming-meets-social apps indulge in Fortnite, Roblox, and Rec Room. Zuckerberg mentioned Horizon would additionally be integrated more tightly with the Quest in a coming software replace, solidifying it as a lynchpin wager. Meta takes a healthy proportion of digital goods sold in Horizon but has but to introduce an adverts machine.


text:
An assortment of counterfeit goods worth Ksh 27 million has been destroyed at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) incinerator in Uasin Gishu County.
According to the MTRH Chief Executive Dr Wilson Aruasa, most of the products that were incinerated were pharmaceuticals that pose a health hazard to unsuspecting members of the community.
“Patients who are unfortunate to use the counterfeit medicine end up not recovering from their ailments,” said Dr Aruasa.
The destroyed counterfeit products also included hair sprays, cables, and agricultural products.
Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Trade and Industrialization Lawrence Karanja, who was accompanied by Kenya Anti-counterfeit Authority (KACA) Chair Flora Mutahi said illicit trade has increased about seven fold.
“We are here to enhance the fight against the proliferation of counterfeit goods said the CAS who had earlier launched the Eldoret Biashara Centre that will serve the North Rift region.
“North Rift Valley farmers have suffered low yields because of counterfeit farm inputs,” said the CAS.
He also said they are closely monitoring the borders to ensure that counterfeit goods do not enter into the country.
Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago echoed the CAS’s sentiments and said the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) should protect legitimate traders by ensuring only genuine goods and products are allowed in the market and should also aggressively fight against counterfeits.
“Those involved in counterfeit products in Uasin Gishu County especially farm inputs will be arrested and the county government will revoke their trading licenses,” Mandago said.
“Illicit trade practices pose serious threats to food security, it is important that our farmers access the right seeds and chemicals. This is why we are concentrating in the North Rift region during the onset of the planting season,” said Mutahi.


text:
ASHLAND — Jim Beaver, former chief communications officer for Southern Oregon University and The Evergreen State College, has opened a public relations firm called Beaver Communications.
The consulting company specializes in civic engagement, issues management and strategic communications.
In the 1990s, Beaver owned The Communications Group, which served local governments in the West, public agencies, medical practices and corporations.
The Communications Group and independent graphic designer Laura Kay won a national award for creating the brand identity for Lithia Auto Stores. The firm also collaborated with Rogue Design Group to develop the brand identities for Jackson County, the Ashland Fiber Network and many other businesses and organizations in Southern Oregon.
Beaver Communications' consulting services include communication audits, strategic communication planning, public event and project management, media training, media relations and crisis communications, and collaborates with other creative professionals to produce print, online and video campaigns.
He began his career as a broadcast journalist, reporting at NBC radio affiliate KING in Seattle. He anchored and reported for NBC-owned and operated radio stations in San Francisco.
His website is beavercommunications.com. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org or 541-840-8441.
Harry & David has added a new product line, hoping to reach health-conscious consumers.
The Medford gourmet food and gift company is targeting businesses that strive to promote healthful eating in the workplace with its Bulk Fruit Program.
Harry & David hopes to go directly to companies, offering fresh pears, apples, bananas and peaches, along with other fruit. Companies can order fruit weekly, biweekly, monthly, seasonally or one time. Pricing varies by fruit, season and frequency.
According to a new survey by Virgin Pulse and Workforce Magazine, 87 percent of employees state that wellness positively impacted work culture, and 96 percent of employees participate to improve their own health, making improved health a bigger motivator than financial incentives. Nearly nine in 10 employees indicated an active health and wellness program makes an organization an employer of choice. Overall, the study found, organizations are not meeting employee demand for access to physical-activity programs, healthful food choices and on-site gym facilities or fitness classes.
While many parts of Oregon are experiencing average to better than average growth, the latest Oregon Regional Economic Indexes show the Rogue Valley continues to grow at a below-normal pace.
The indexes, compiled by the Oregon Economic Forum, show the Portland Metro and Eugene-Springfield regions consistently post above-average growth numbers, and traditional positive cyclical dynamics increasingly are taking hold in both areas.
The unemployment rate is a substantial negative weight on the Rogue Valley measure, but unemployment has fallen to normal or below normal levels in other regions. Both Salem and the Rogue Valley were negatively affected by weak labor force numbers.
Apple Bandit Hard Cider from Applegate claimed Best of Show in the 2014 Portland International Cider Cup last weekend.
Apple Bandit, owned by Blair Smith and Marcey Kelley, also won a Gold Medal in the Common Sweet Cider category.
Compiled from staff reports


text:
RISI’s Latin American Conference Opens Registration to Welcome the Forest Product Industry
Key Industry Leaders to Join 2017 Event Program
Boston, April 3, 2017 (Press Release) – RISI, the leading information provider for the global forest products industry, has announced today that registration for the Twelfth Annual Latin American Conference has opened. At the conference, delegates will immerse themselves in all aspects of the forest products industry to understand the latest trends, challenges and opportunities. The conference will take place August 14-16, 2017 in Sao Paulo, Brazil at the Renaissance Hotel.
RISI’s team of experts will be joined by high-level industry leaders to discuss the market in Latin America. A CEO panel including CEO, Marcelo Castelli of Fibria and CEO, Walter Schalka of Suzano will share their personal experiences and key perspective on current industry trends. Delegates can also expect a presentation from ArborGen’s CEO, Andrew Baum about improved genetics.
Expert market outlooks on sectors like pulp, dissolving pulp, fluff pulp, packaging paper and more will also be included in this year’s program. Optimal networking opportunities will be in abundance with global delegates and experts during lunches, breaks, and a special cocktail hour. Presentations and networking will provide the necessary perspective and opportunity for organizations to make better business decisions.
Last year, this event was attended by more than 200 delegates from 120 companies, traveling from 20 countries. This year’s attendees can anticipate a similar strong turnout.
About RISI (www.risi.com)
RISI is the leading information provider for the global forest products industry. The company works with clients in the pulp and paper, packaging, wood products, timber, biomass, tissue and nonwovens industries to help them make better decisions.
Headquartered in Boston, MA, RISI operates additional offices throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia.
For Press Enquiries, please contact:
Events Marketing Manager


text:
Skin creams having steroids have adverse effects: experts warntext_fields
New Delhi: Dermatologists warned that the use of skin creams, which contained steroids and were sold without a prescription, could cause many side effects. They said that these creams, which are applied directly to the skin, might cause permanent stretch marks and discolouration, IANS reports.
Dermatologist Manish Jhangra, from RML hospital, said, "Steroids are immunosuppressant drugs that reduce the body's immunity levels. The drug is prescribed by doctors if one is suffering from skin inflammation and other related issues like irritation. Steroids are used to reduce skin inflammation and irritation and sometimes to relieve the patients, but this is not the permanent treatment."
He said, "But we also have to stop the use of steroids slowly and at the earliest. If we stop the steroids suddenly, there are chances that inflammation may develop again with many folds. That's why the use of steroids needs serious attention and carefulness."
IANS writes that steroids used on the skin are available orally and topical. Topical corticosteroids are used directly over the skin for inflammation and irritation.
The concern is these steroids are sold over-the-counter, and many of these creams contain a mixture of different constituents like anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and also steroids.
"If someone uses steroids containing creams in the fungal infection, instead of reducing the irritation, it will increase and will also reduce the immunity levels and resultantly the body will not be able to fight against fungal infection," Jhangra said.
He continued, "Most of the patients who come to the outpatient department (OPD) are those who have been continuously using creams containing steroids which often results in various side effects, such as serious skin infections, leaving the skin damaged for years even after prolonged treatments."
Jhangra further warned that steroids in the creams could create redness and hair on faces, thin skin and a burning sensation.


text:
We'll save you our full thoughts on the GMC Terrain, the truck brand's midsize crossover, for now.
Read This Article
The all-new 2014 GMC Sierra has undergone specific design changes to boost both fuel efficiency and interior quietness, after spending a major portion of its development time in a wind tunnel.
Information about General Motors’ future production plans have emerged thanks to details of the tentative pact the company is finalizing with the United Auto Workers.
Earlier this month, we posted how Americans have adjusted to the $4+ a gallon gasoline prices to the point they're buying so-called "gas guzzling" mid to full-sized SUVs at steady numbers.


text:
Independent hardware stores evoke misty-eyed remembrances of creaky wood floors, nails sold by the pound -- and going-out-of-business signs.
A cadre of Long Island's hardware retailers, however, is focused on the future, using a mix of ingenuity and support from their distribution cooperatives to stay in business or even, in some cases, to expand.
In an era dominated by big-box home-improvement chains, the decline of independent hardware retail locations has been gradual, shrinking less than 1 percent nationally over the last five years, according to the North American Retail Hardware Association. Local numbers aren't available.
Some independent stores doing well on Long Island say they offer customer service and convenience that the big-box stores don't match.
Customers "want the warmth in the attitude of the staff," said Michael Costello, who is one of six siblings running Costello's Ace Hardware, a chain of 20 Long Island stores. Its 21st is expected to open in Copiague at the end of the year.
But many independent hardware retailers also attribute their staying power to their long-term membership in one of the national cooperative distributors such as Ace Hardware Corp., True Value Co. and Do it Best Corp.
Ace's Long Island store locations rose from 33 to 49 in the last five years. True Value's local stores have remained steady at 58 during the same period. Do it Best, which has 10 local member stores, also has maintained a stable presence.
These cooperatives give hardware stores purchasing power and the ability to widen their selections. And as the needs of their members expanded, the cooperatives grew in sophistication, offering pricing systems, consumer research, marketing programs and financial assistance.
Cooperatives "made the independent home-improvement industry go down a different path than drugstores, bookstores and toy stores," said Dan Tratensek, vice president of the North American Retail Hardware Association. "Co-ops and independent distributors realized, 'We need to do more than just offer economies of scale in purchasing. We need to provide sophisticated and strategic tools they need to succeed.' "
The cooperative business model, in which members buy shares and become owners of the enterprise, exists in many different forms, including credit unions, grocers' buying groups, farmers co-ops with well-known brands such as Ocean Spray, home ownership organizations and utility co-ops.
There are other retail sectors such as small gift shops and toy stores that have formed buying groups but not on the large scale of the retail hardware industry, said Patricia Norins, a specialty retail expert and adviser to American Express' "Small Business Saturday," a winter holiday shopping event.
"The concept can work in other industries, but it hasn't been created," said Norins. "It's a huge opportunity."
Nationally, 3,000 new big-box home-improvement stores opened in the last 12 years, according to Kane Calamari, vice president of Ace retail operations. "That has forced us to get better at everything we do," he said.
Cooperative distributors have pitched in to spur growth, boosting financial assistance such as low-interest loans to renovate or open a new store, free initial stock orders for new stores, or discounts on orders for renovated stores.
"As the financial crisis became more and more evident, we introduced up to 100 percent financing for our existing retailers to remodel their stores and become more relevant," said Mark Flowers, vice president of retail growth at True Value.
In the last 12 years, Costello's Ace Hardware has added 15 stores, taking over former Pergament Home Center locations after that home-improvement chain closed its stores.
"As much as Pergament struggled to compete with Home Depot, they had a strong customer base," said Costello, whose father, Vincent Costello, started the chain. "We knew we could appeal to some of those customers."
Brinkmann True Value Hardware, now run and owned by the family's second generation, started with a Sayville store in 1976 and added a Blue Point location in 2004. That store was remodeled, more than doubling in size in 2010. Last year, the family launched a third hardware store, in Holbrook.
"In a poor economy there is certainly still demand," said Hank Brinkmann, who owns and operates the company with his brother, Ben Brinkmann, and sister, Mary Niemeth. "We were up 12 percent in sales throughout the hardware stores this year."
Tailoring a store's inventory and services to customers' needs is key, experts say. It's necessary to create an environment where hardware store customers -- now estimated to be 50 percent female -- can wander and shop.
The aisles in Plainview's Trio Hardware, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, are stocked floor to ceiling with everything from mailboxes and power tools to buttons, garden decor and bra extenders. Since its start, the store has more than doubled its size and tripled its inventory. Loyal customers helped the store recover from a devastating fire in 1996.
"You want a part for a faucet that's 40 years old, we have it," said Todd Kirschner, a partner at Trio Hardware, a member of the Do it Best cooperative. "You want a part for a faucet that's five years old, we have it. We have to make sure we have everything all the time."
When Brinkmann True Value renovated its Blue Point store, it used the Destination True Value design and layout package. The plan determines store aesthetics such as lighting, as well as the flow of the product displays and aisles. Items featured at the ends of the aisles also change every three to four weeks under this plan.
"The whole premise of Destination True Value is to make it more of a 'shoppable' experience," said Larry Zimmerman, regional retail consultant.
The Blue Point store also added a pet aisle with natural, grain-free foods from brands such as Wellness and Blue Buffalo. With pet owners averaging 19 yearly visits to pet stores, the company is hoping to attract these shoppers to help boost sales.
Problem of succession
One threat to independent hardware stores, as with any small business, is the issue of succession -- what happens once the owners decide to retire. It's such a concern that the cooperatives such as Ace offer training programs on the topic and financial aid if one retailer wants to buy a store that's closing.
"One of the main causes for independent hardware stores and lumber yards closing is an inadequate succession plan for the business," the hardware association's Tratensek said.
If the succession plan does not include their children, the owners still can mentor a manager and work out a long-term plan to finance the eventual purchase of the business, Tratensek said. Financial plans often are crafted to allow employees or family members to buy out the current owners over time.
Trio Hardware's owners Bruce and Francesca Carlow took over the business from Bruce's father, Bernie Carlow, but their children chose careers outside of the hardware industry. Laying the foundation for their eventual retirement, the Carlows brought in long-term employees Todd and Ritsa Kirschner, a couple who met working at the store more than two decades ago, as partners in 2012.
Always tinkering, Todd Kirschner said the hardware industry is second nature to him.
"I find it challenging," Kirschner said. "I like helping people solve their problems -- physical not mental [problems], mind you."
The partner arrangement, Bruce Carlow said, is assurance that the business his father built will pass on to knowledgeable hands.
"They will see Trio's 100th anniversary."


text:
News 61 - 75 of 126
The actor's first tweet after landing in the hot water with American Airlines last month was 'Back on Twitter'.
The New York-based grocery chain regrets the decision to yank the commercial earlier because of a few dozens of complaints only.
Defending its decision to pull advertising from the TLC reality show, the home improvement chain states that the TV program is 'a lighting rod' for 'strong political and societal views.'
The 'Gossip Girl' actress has reportedly been awarded a default judgment against her mother on December 7 after a judge accepted Constance's decision to drop her $3 million lawsuit.
Riri's account becomes the fastest growing page of 2011 on Facebook, and her single 'We Found Love' is the most listened song of the year.
The fresh trailer for 'MIB 3' centers on J who can't find K and decides to travel back in time to meet and team up with the younger version of his trusted partner.
The NBC comedy show is currently not airing on some AA flights simply because it is part of the company's regular entertainment rotations.
In a thinly-veiled performance, the actor discussed the recent incident which got him kicked out of American Airlines.
Finding the comment Alec made following his removal from American Airlines flight 'inappropriate', Cheryl McGuinness Hutchins says, 'He should just take responsibility for his actions.'
Being caught in a cross fire between Alec and American Airlines, Greyhound Bus Lines reacts by stating that their customers wouldn't share the 'Cooler' actor's feeling.
'The lesson I've learned is to keep my phone off when the 1950's gym teacher is on duty,' writes the '30 Rock' star in an article explaining about his recent removal from an American Airlines flight.
About the '30 Rock' star's removal from an American Airlines flight, his representative explains, 'He loves 'Words with Friends' so much that he was willing to leave a plane for it.'
The '30 Rock' star tries to tell 'Saturday Night Live' cast member Bill Hader about the News Corp. phone hacking joke that did not make it for last Sunday's Emmys, but it is all censored.
The actor did not like the attitude of a barista named Jay at a local store and said via his representative that the coffee chain failed to keep up the standards.
A product by the actor's character in one of 'Saturday Night Live' skits has been incorporated into a new ice cream flavor called 'Schweddy Balls'.


text:
Cybersecurity labels can convey the cybersecurity status of a software product or connected device. But would these labels be useful, and what is a software product in connected cars and consumer appliances anyway?
The idea of cyber security labels for the Internet of Things (IoT) and consumer software has been kicking around for years, and has recently been taken up more seriously in The United StatesAustralia, United Kingdom and elsewhere In October, Singapore and Finland agreed to recognize each other’s cybersecurity labels for IoT devices.
But the labels were required to be given serious consideration in the US as part of President Biden’s cybersecurity Executive Order 14028 of May 2021, “Enhancing the Nation’s Cybersecurity.” Biden signed the EO shortly after the massive SolarWinds software supply chain attack and a series of ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure.
WATCH: Cybersecurity: let’s get tactical (ZDNet special report)
Part of the order required the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to consider product labeling for IoT devices and software development practices for consumer software, in order to boost cybersecurity education.
NIST only sets guidelines for a US cybersecurity labeling scheme, which would likely be enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), given its existing oversight of consumer protection and data privacy laws.
As they point out, there are practical examples of labels for food safety, appliance performance, and appliance electrical safety. These help consumers make informed decisions and provide incentives to improve product safety and quality. But the software is different.
Michael Ogata, a computer scientist at NIST, says that developing the recommended criteria for labeling consumer software was a “harrowing experience,” in part because of difficulties defining where software begins and ends today.
“What is consumer software? Is your car’s firmware consumer software? What about an online service like an office suite or email client? Certainly, a video game counts as consumer software, but are a mobile game, a console game, and a PC game measured in the same way?” he writes.
Finally, a definition of consumer software emerged as: “software normally used for personal, family, or household purposes.”
One of NIST’s key recommendations for labels, whatever scheme runs it, is that they are “binary,” in the sense that the product either 1) meets the criteria at a given point in time, or 2) doesn’t. . Also, they shouldn’t “bog down” non-technical consumers with jargon.
Another complication in labeling software can be seen on soda cans that list the number of calories per serving. Is the tool used to measure calories accurate? So, an explicit and implicit claim is made about the soda cans. NIST-recommended software labels should cover both explicit and implicit claims.
These include descriptive claims and security software development claims. The descriptive statements cover whether tagged software still receives security patches and how they are delivered to consumers. Also, which body is behind the claims and when the claim was made.
On the secure development side, NIST relied on its own NIST Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF) as a basis for industry best practices. It is a non-prescriptive document, but “identifies common practices that are represented and mapped to existing formalized industry guidance.
“Our recommendations encourage scheme owners to express development requirements through the SSDF while also identifying specific elements that indicate industry best practices have been employed,” explains Ogata.
Katerina Megas, director of programs at NIST Cyber security for IoT program, offers a snapshot of how complicated it would be to create cybersecurity labels for IoT devices. After studying other labeling schemes around the world, Megan says her team made sure there seemed to be a “general consensus” developing that IoT products include not only the device, but also its supporting software, such as a smartphone app or hardware as a controller device.
Megas says the group took a risk-based view of the baseline security issue with “risk being both contextual (based on specific use) and the unique nature of the IoT products they are capable of interfacing with.” the physical world by collecting data or making changes without human intervention.
The NIST guidelines also recognized that “there is no one size fits all when it comes to IoT.” NIST seems to prefer market leaders in creating a baseline rather than having strict rules passed down to manufacturers.
“Allowing a market of standards, programs and schemes to evolve would allow the market to drive the best way to achieve desired results and offer the flexibility to adapt to a variety of stakeholder needs. Doing so would also accommodate, and not hinder, a rapidly evolving technology landscape,” writes Megas.


text:
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky Chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (Kentucky NORML) is warning Kentuckians to be cautious of businesses in the state that are selling medical cannabis cards or certifications for exorbitant prices.
While Kentucky does not currently have a medical cannabis program, several businesses, particularly in the Louisville area, are taking advantage of the lack of information and charging upwards of $250-300 for their services.
“We have received numerous reports of patients paying for medical cards thinking this allows them to access cannabis in Kentucky or another medical cannabis state like Ohio. These cards are useless and it is upsetting to think of patients losing their hard-earned money. These businesses are preying on the vulnerable and chronically ill, offering false hope and taking advantage of their trust. It’s unacceptable,” said Lauren Morgan Bratcher, Deputy Director of Kentucky NORML.
Kentucky NORML is committed to providing accurate and up-to-date information about the progress of marijuana reform in the state. We strongly advise Kentuckians to trust only credible and reliable sources of information and to be wary of businesses that are exploiting the current confusion surrounding the Governor’s Executive Order on medical cannabis and the lack of a medical cannabis program in the state.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of these predatory practices, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Kentucky NORML at [email protected] or 502-888-1522 for assistance and guidance.
For more information about cannabis policy reform in Kentucky, please visit our website at kynorml.org.
Click here for more Kentucky business news.


text:
The Marketing Standard
Mon, 08 Jan 2018 16:24:45 GMT
In a nod to its authentic Italian roots and heritage, Italian frozen food brand Michael Angelo’s is launching its first advertising campaign from its agency Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners.
The debut advertising for the brand pays tribute to the company’s founding muse, Grandma 'Nonna' Foti, whose recipes led her granddaughter Sara and great-grandson Michael Angelo, to found the gourmet Italian food brand. Sovos Brands recently acquired Michael Angelo’s and is investing in building the brand through an integrated advertising and marketing campaign developed by creative agency BSSP, with Current Marketing handling PR.
The launch campaign features three digital films with an uncompromising Nonna who sees the word 'no' as a badge of honour – saying no to sub-par ingredients, preservatives, fillers and more. The tagline for the advertising is “It tastes good to say no,” a line that reinforces the high standards of each Michael Angelo’s dish.
“With Nonna representing our brand values, this advertising captures the essence of what every consumer can expect from Michael Angelo’s – wholesome, simple ingredients cooked like Nonna Foti did for genuine homemade Italian taste,” said Priscilla Tuan, SVP of Marketing, Sovos Brands. “This initiative is the first of more to come as Sovos builds a growing portfolio of one-of-a-kind brands.”
The three ads take a humorous approach to showing the lengths to which Nonna goes to make Michael Angelo’s signature lasagna, shrimp scampi and eggplant Parmesan. One spot shows three family members sitting on a plastic covered couch anxiously awaiting the meal to be served, while Nonna patiently stirs the sauce on the stove, saying 'no' to an early nibble.
Another shows her carefully inspecting an eggplant before deeming it unsuitable and sending both the delivery man and insulting 'night shade' on their way.
“The ultimate high standard of goodness and taste is the way grandma made it; by leaving all the compromises out,” explained Paul Roberts, Creative Director at BSSP. “For Michael Angelo’s Nonna Foti is an essential part of the brand story and we saw an opportunity to leverage that authentic voice in introducing the brand to a national audience.”
The ads appeared on digital channels beginning December 20th. BSSP will expand the advertising into an integrated social campaign and a revised website that will launch in early 2018.
Categories: Convenience, FoodThe Marketing Standard, Mon, 08 Jan 2018 16:24:45 GMT


text:
Sumit Saran of SS Associates discusses the U.S. pear deal underway, expectations for Washington apple imports and the results of a multi-faceted Chilean kiwifruit campaign.
Retail promotions have started in earnest for U.S. pear imports in India following early trials of new varieties and an influencer tie-up with a leading celebrity chef to raise interest in the fruit.
Sumit Saran, who represents industry body Pear Bureau Northwest promoting USA Pears in India through his consultancy SS Associates, says this is the first time in four years that the U.S. has seen a full-sized crop.
In June the U.S. Northwest Pear Bureau forecast the harvest would be up to 18.9 million boxes, but that estimate has since been revised upward to 20.2 million boxes .
The represents growth of around a quarter year-on-year and the fourth-largest pear crop in the country’s history.
“So it’s a very big crop and we are pushing very hard. So far so good,” says the former Future Group executive.
“We have tied up with a big influencer in India, India’s top chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who is looking to get the word out to consumers and followers across the country.”
Click here to see Sanjeev’s Facebook video, in a mix of Hindi and English with a USA Pears representative.
“We are also doing a lot of media with newspapers, magazines and radio, plus there are retail promotions with all major retailers. We hope for a good result,” says Saran.
He said the first trial promotions started with early season varieties Bartlett and Starkrimson in September and October.
“Starkrimson actually came in for the first time, so we did some promotions with that to get it off the ground,” he says.
“But our primary focus in the case of USA pears will be green and red Anjous. That’s what is just starting so from now until March we will focus on them.
“The quality of the product is excellent, the first arrivals have been very good and retail promotions are just kicking in as we are speaking.”
The fruit is also being promoted through India’s leading online fruit and vegetable seller, Big Basket, which since earlier this year has been majority owned by Chinese conglomerate Alibaba.
Varietal changes afoot for Washington apples in India
Saran also represents the Washington Apple Commission in India, but given the inter-governmental nature of his work he is reluctant to speak directly about tariffs imposed on U.S. apples, which were to be lifted from 50% to 75% in September but the date has been postponed until Dec. 17.
What he can say though is that Washington apples are not being promoted aggressively at the moment, and this is partly due to domestic competition and a “comparatively small start” with a smaller crop.
“We are waiting for domestic fruit to move out a little bit, and when our season has a clear window – say from February onwards to June-July – that’s when we’re planning a lot of wholesale,retail, social and digital media promotions,” he says.
“The [Indian] harvest is in August-September. Indian apples are in the market at least till February – there have been some reports here and there of inclement weather, but overall it seems like there is a lot of Indian fruit.
“The good quality Indian apples are also very good, so they actually also target the upper consumer section.”
He says while the primary cultivar that Washington ships to India is Red Delicious, SS Associates and the Washington Apple Commission have made efforts to increase the varietal mix in what became its second-largest export market after Mexico last year.
“We made a lot of effort for varietal push last year – I would say from a 99% Red Delicious market, it changed to about 88% Red Delicious,” he says.
The balance has comprised varieties like Gala, a considerable amount of Fuji and some Cripps Pink. Washington Fujis have been given a particular advantage by the fact Chinese apples – which traditionally have had a strong Fuji presence – are blocked from the market.
“While our focus still remains with Red Delicious which is still a premium product and very important for our industry here, one of the side impacts we try to make is convincing buyers and wholesalers that Washington is the only source where you can get four or five varieties,” he says.
“I now know people who will get one container of Red Delicious and one container with a mixed load of varieties. That’s a growing trend and I think that will only get stronger.”
While Saran does not personally engage with branded varieties, he sees greater opportunity for them through the fast rise of modern retail.
“We are seeing the first steps and I will not discount it,” he says.
Saran highlights how in the past modern retail promotions only provided “good brand building and a photo opportunity” but did not really impact volume.
“But now over the last two or three years, modern retail growth is actually now substantial enough to make differences to volumes, and some retailers are now also getting into direct sourcing,” he says.
“One of the things the retailers are realizing is irrespective of how slow or fast they grow, roadside retail is not going anywhere in India; that is just too big and to spread out, even though the growth is fast and the percentage of modern retail has gone from 2-3% to now nearly 8-10%.
“All the retailers are realizing they need to be different from the roadside vendor to be successful. And varietals are a key aspect there.”
Chilean kiwifruit imports double after tripartite campaign
The final numbers are yet to come in from a marketing campaign that SS Associates ran for Chilean kiwifruit in India this year, but Saran can safely say imports have more than doubled on last year.
“It was a very unique campaign where ProChile contributed to it from the Chilean Government side, the Chilean exporters contributed to the campaign through the Chilean Kiwifruit Committee, and three leading Indian importers (IG International, NGK Trading and Aayush Impex) also contributed,” says Saran.
Compared to imports of 5,109 metric tons (MT) in 2016-17, which represented a year-on-year increase of 59%, Saran says figures in 2018 have crossed the 10,000MT mark.
“Chile has a 50% duty advantage over any other origin – India and Chile have a preferential trade agreement where kiwifruit from the rest of the world clears at a basic customs duty of 30% while kiwifruit from Chile pays 15%,” he says, clarifying that for other supplying nations the duty is at 30%,” Saran says.
“That’s a very major thing. What we did was put that information out to importers, wholesalers and retailers, and then started the consumer campaign and started simultaneously with wholesale and online.”
In terms of modern retail the campaign partnered with chains like Reliance Fresh, Star Bazaar in North and West India and Kovai Pashamudir Nilayam (KPN) in South India.
In addition, Chilean kiwifruit were also promoted with cash and carry wholesale operators like Walmart India and Reliance Market, while a major campaign was also conducted with online retailer Big Basket through its ‘Fresho’ brand.
“Very few people were aware how to eat or get the kiwifruit ripened, so we actually did a lot of education in that space also – sometimes what happens is that retailers want a very hard fruit which is not necessarily the best tasting fruit for the consumer,” he says.
“We embedded a video on Big Basket’s website on how to ripen kiwifruit at home.
“We kept it more broad-based, reaching consumers by partnering with retail companies and connecting in concert with PR, social media, digital media. We did a press launch and we also did some major PR and communication outreach with journalists.”
And just like SS Associates is doing now with USA Pears, the kiwifruit partnership also partnered with Sanjeev Kapoor.
“The big challenge that we were trying to overcome is that kiwifruit has essentially become like a garnishing fruit. Our effort was to make it a snack, and that’s an area that we need to concentrate and work harder on,” he says.
He adds kiwifruit have also been positioned as a remedy against certain kinds of diseases. While it is not a scientifically proven claim and not supported by the medicinal community, there is a widely held belief that kiwifruit can be used as a remedy against Dengue Fever.
“The kiwifruit marketing we would like to do for Chilean kiwifruit is to make it a healthy snack which people can consume any time, and not just necessarily link it to medicine or a pretty fruit for garnishing,” he says.
“I am a big believer that it’s really not about a piece of the pie; it’s about the size of the pie. And we want to make sure that we take Chilean kiwifruit as much as possible into tier one, tier two and tier three cities.”
In this first year the fruit was taken to the tier one cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore, while some fruit also made it to tier two cities.
“There is equally large consumption coming out of placed like Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Calcutta – it’s quite widespread.
“That’s one big difference between India and many other parts of the world – there is no rich city or poor city here. Every city has its own set of rich and poor, so while you may be in a very high-end area of Mumbai or Delhi, poverty will still stare in your face.
“What we see that in smaller towns and cities, there are enough people who have the money but not enough avenues to spend. If we are able to get our products to them and couple it with awareness campaign about the goodness of the product, the potential is huge.
“India is a very heterogenous market, so there is room for all kinds of grades and all kinds of sizes.”


text:
May 13, 2020 – Velodyne Lidar, Inc. has recently announced a multi-year sales agreement with GeoSLAM, a provider of 3D geospatial technology solutions. GeoSLAM uses Velodyne lidar sensors in its ZEB-HORIZON mobile scanner that provides 3D mapping of indoor, underground and difficult to access environments without the need for GPS.
According to Velodyne, its Puck LITE sensors enable GeoSLAM systems to achieve data capture of intricate measurements from up to 100 meters away. ZEB-HORIZON helps to address a variety of solutions, including building information modeling (BIM), construction, real estate, surveying and mining. The technology has several applications for use across the XR industry, for example, it could be used for the creation of digital twins as well as accurate 3D renderings, which could then be recreated in augmented, virtual, and mixed reality.
Velodyne stated that for one application of the technology, Virginia Tech researchers are bringing a World War I battlefield to classrooms and museums with ZEB-HORIZON mapping as part of a virtual reality experience. In another, GeoSLAM scanners are being deployed by Entropy Group to map K-12 schools in the United States to provide first responders with detailed floor plans in emergency situations.
“Working with Velodyne has opened up new possibilities for collecting geospatial data, allowing companies to capture, process and understand the world around them,” said Darren Burford, Chief Revenue Officer, GeoSLAM. “We combined Velodyne sensors with our robust SLAM algorithm to create an easy-to-use mobile product that can generate 3D point clouds in real time.”
“GeoSLAM is helping companies transform their businesses with go-anywhere 3D mapping solutions that enable fast data collection in a variety of environments,” said Erich Smidt, Executive Director Europe, Velodyne Lidar. “Their solutions demonstrate how Velodyne sensors can help decision makers create digital twins – digital replicas of physical structures and other areas of interest – that have great accuracy and detail.”
Velodyne Puck LITE sensors deliver a high-resolution image to measure and analyze indoor, outdoor and underground environments. Designed for applications that require a sensor with a low weight and compact size, the company states that its Puck LITE delivers high resolution and performance for UAV/drone, handheld and vehicle applications. It provides a full 360-degree environmental view to deliver real-time 3D data.
Image credit: GeoSLAM
About the author
Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.


text:
As use of smartphones and tablets continues to grow across the U.S. and Europe, so too does the volume of traffic reaching Facebook’s services from those devices. Despite that fact, the social media giant has made no attempt to monetize its growing audience through mobile advertising to date, as rival digital companies including Apple and Google place increasing emphasis on the channel.
According to Facebook over 200 million of its active users now access the network from mobile devices, representing 40 percent of its 500 million total membership. Mobile users are also twice as active on Facebook than non-mobile users, the company says. In spite of the commercial potential of that audience, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has appeared reluctant to alienate mobile users with ads.
“We only want to launch stuff that we think is really good and that can be a stable building block for us in the future. And I think we just need to see what makes sense for mobile advertising. But in the short term there’s no pressing need for us to monetize that immediately,” Zuckerberg told Reuters following the launch of the company’s location-based “Deals” platform late last year.
In reality, however, the company is already monetizing its mobile audience, having launched the Deals platform in the U.S., Hong Kong, Singapore, and across Europe since November with support from major brands in each market. Though that product differs from a straight mobile advertising play, it’s clear the firm is well aware of the potential revenue opportunities mobile devices present.
As Zuckerberg points out, though, the mobile space remains in its infancy, and players within it are experimenting with various business models and monetization strategies to varying degrees of success.
“I think actually in a lot of ways we benefit from waiting and seeing what more people do in this space,” Zuckerberg said, adding,” Our goal is going to be to expand [our audience] and deliver more value for more people before focusing on how we can reap that.”
Recent data from online measurement service comScore implies the company is doing exactly that, growing its U.S. and European audiences by more than 120 percent in the three months ending December 2010, on a year-over-year basis. Besides that reach, however, comScore suggests the network is also engaging users more than any other property. In the U.K. during December, users spent over 2.5 billion minutes on Facebook, with Google and Yahoo sites ranking second and third with a total of 702 million and 373 million minutes, respectively. Users spent twice as much time on Facebook.com than they did with the rest of the top ten U.K. sites combined, demonstrating its potential impact on the mobile ad space if it were to roll out a mobile ad platform.
To help further drive that presence the company launched a feature phone application in January, designed to bring the network to lower-end handsets besides just iPhone, BlackBerry and Android devices. Last year it also launched Facebook Zero, a stripped down mobile version of the site designed to make use of less data, and therefore appeal to users in emerging markets such as India and South America.
Most likely to accelerate its mobile ad capabilities, Facebook last month acquired Rel8tion – a stealth-mode startup creating technologies to help improve the relevance of mobile ads.
It might not be selling ads yet, but Facebook is clearly heavily invested in the mobile space with a view to monetizing that audience. Whether it attempts to do so through display solutions akin to those offered by Apple and Google’s AdMob, or through its existing location-based Deals platform alone remains to be seen, but the sheer number of users accessing its network from mobile devices suggests a growing opportunity for both Facebook and marketers alike.
According to data gathered for the report,‘Communications Infrastructure: The Backbone of Digital,’ 88% of IT professionals and 61% of marketers ranked their company’s current communication infrastructure as 'cutting-edge' or 'good.'
According to Matt Hoggatt, CEO of mobile audience network ReachMobi, there are rich opportunities in the realm of mobile web, if only mobile companies knew how to realize the platform’s potential. We caught up with Matt for a glimpse into the future of mobile web, and to find out what web push notifications have to offer marketers.
Last week, a panel of ecommerce and mobile experts joined together for a webinar to discuss key topics surrounding the mobile app ... read more
As we have learned from the previous columns in this series, images are the major contributor to bloated, slow-loading mobile pages.


text:
In less than a week, two Canada-based insurance technology companies announced they had raised funds.
HelloSafe announced on September 20 that it had raised $4.2 million. With this money, the company wants to “strengthen its teams, continue to improve the user experience offered on its platforms and expand to new products in Canada”.
partner of Hard bacon in particular, the international company offers solutions for comparing insurance, investment, savings and credit products for private individuals and companies. It states that it has “more than 100 comparators in total” and welcomes “more than a million visitors to its platform every month”.
This fundraiser was led by the investment platform OneRagtime and the mutual fund Kima Ventures.
A fundraiser on the damage side
On his side, ProNavigator announced on September 14 that it had raised $10 million. These funds will allow him to “accelerate sales in the United States and Canada, product development and expand his team.”
ProNavigator’s platform combines a natural language understanding engine with a conversational interface that allows users to ask questions and find information about a library of digital resources. International hub, NFP, TD Insurance or Wawanesa are customers of the company.
This round of financing was led by Graphite Ventures and Luge Capitalwith the participation of EDC, Tacticaland CIBC Innovation Financial Services. Insurtech had previously raised $5.6 million in September 2020.
Extreme problem solver. Professional web practitioner. Devoted pop culture enthusiast. Evil tv fan.


text:
We are very proud to have been shortlisted for two categories in the Creative Bath Awards this year!
Competing against some other very talented companies in the city, we are finalists in both the Agency and Innovation categories for this year’s awards ceremony on 14th June.
What are the Creative Bath Awards?
Created and hosted by the team at Creative Bath, the awards are a representation of the association’s core values: to support local creative and tech companies, share creative excellence, helping the sector to thrive and to highlight Bath as a leading creative city.
Why we entered this year’s awards
2017 was the year that Storm became a local company delivering work of national and international importance, at the very cutting edge of the industry.
After working with some fantastic companies, we wanted to dedicate this award to our incredibly innovative clients who have achieved so much with the digital products we created for them.
We also wanted to highlight our sincere dedication to innovation – not only do we create and design innovative ideas, we encourage innovation in others. The sky is the limit in our opinion and we like to make dreams a reality.
We’re extremely proud of the company we have created and are excited by its future – and that of the future of Bath as a growing tech hub.
We’ve got our fingers crossed for the 14thJune, and good luck to all of the other excellent businesses who have been shortlisted for an award!


text:
Bitcoin remains a popular cryptocurrency, despite its value dropping like a brick over the past 48 hours. In Nigeria, Bitcoin continues to be embraced by consumers and enterprises. Most people still see it as an investment vehicle, but it also a valuable tool to bypass expensive remittance solutions. The future of Bitcoin looks bright in Nigeria, and things continue to improve.
Similarly to most African nations, Nigeria heavily relies on affordable money transfer services. Bitcoin provides the perfect solution in this regard. With its global accessibility, Bitcoin is often said to send money to and from the country, without paying ridiculous fees. Moreover, cryptocurrency is being used fairly often in online business transactions.
Fueling the demand for Bitcoin is the ongoing economic issues plaguing Nigeria. With the Naira depreciated by over 40% in the second half of 2016, things are not looking great. Exchanging the Naira to foreign currency is virtually impossible for mainstream consumers and most enterprises. The country also went through its worst recession in decades, driving people towards alternative financial solutions.
Interestingly enough, Bitcoin’s popularity mostly stems forth from the MMM Pyramid Scheme. Despite these schemes being inherently evil, a lot of Nigerians benefit from the program. Moreover, it boosted the Bitcoin adoption in the country. Now that starts and companies are venturing into Bitcoin for legitimate reasons, things are looking very promising.
Consumers are also investing in Bitcoin as a way to hedge against future Naira depreciation. For now, Bitcoin transactions and investments remain untaxed, and the currency is safer to keep compared to cash or funds in bank accounts. But the real kicker is lower transaction costs. Right now, over 100,000 merchants in Nigeria accept Bitcoin payments for products and services.
Despite this positive trend, it is important to remember Bitcoin remains a volatile market. The past few weeks have indicated how things can go up and down in quick succession. Investing in Bitcoin is always a risk, but no bigger risk than any other investment opportunity. It is good to see the cryptocurrency gain traction in Nigeria.


text:
Six months after the announcement of a new transatlantic agreement for the legally secure transfer of personal data, the successor to the EU-US Privacy Shield may finally be coming: The agreement on the Transatlantic Data Privacy Framework is to be presented by US President Joseph Biden early next week.
In this regard, eco Chair of the Board Oliver Süme explains:
“After the most recent failed attempts to agree on a successor agreement to the EU-US Privacy Shield, things must now finally move forward. Time is running out, because the standard contractual clauses on which companies have to rely since the EU-US Privacy Shield ceased to exist are often associated with great legal uncertainty. In the worst case, many companies face fines and transfer bans if they transfer personal data from the EU to the US without a sufficient legal basis. However, a legally secure exchange of data at the international level is the basis of data-driven business models for the German economy, especially for many SMEs, and thus an important building block for a successful digital transformation. We therefore urgently need a long-term solution for the legally secure transfer of personal data from the EU to the U.S., which takes the requirements of the European Court of Justice into account.”
The Association of the Internet Industry has been advocating for years to strengthen a synchronised transatlantic solution for data protection. On 5 October, the American Council on Germany will host a Breakfast Briefing with Oliver Süme, eco Chair of the Board and Head of the Data Protection Working Group at EuroISPA; and eco’s Managing Director Alexander Rabe and co-initiator of the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany.
In cooperation with its U.S. partner association i2coalition, eco is also holding another Transatlantic Dialogue on “Diverse Stakeholder Considerations Around the Future of the Transatlantic Data Privacy Framework” on 6 October in Washington, D,C.


text:
Texas tourist attraction and attractions are to start operating this summer in anticipation of the start of the spring season, according to the state tourism department.
Tourism Minister Michael Baca confirmed that tourist attractions in Texas would begin operating on April 15 and that the dates would be announced later this year.
He added that in the coming months, the department will begin to release new information on tourist attractions.
The department said that the tourist attraction will be the largest in Texas with over 3 million square feet of space.
It will be operated by the Texas Tourism Board of Directors.
It will include restaurants, hotels, shopping malls and attractions such as the world famous San Diego Zoo.
The state said that more than 4,000 people have been booked for the Texas Zoo’s annual Halloween celebration.


text:
Fresh from being cancelled, Percy Pig invites children to cuddle before eating its face
2020 has been a wild year for Percy Pigs. The cute, cult-followed gummy fruit sweets were cancelled in July, after Henry Dimbleby published part one of the National Food Strategy and used them as a totem of “genuinely misleading” food labelling. “Cancelled” of course means that there was a manufactured furore over absolutely nothing, which obscured the lack of substance in the NFS.
Now Marks and Spencer has introduced a new, cuddly Percy Pig toy, capitalising on the character’s popularity with kids and adults alike, which is a pretty weird flex. Original Percy Pigs already contain pork gelatin, which has made The Smiths angry in the past, which is good. But to introduce a cuddly version of an animal whose sweet analogue involves literally eating its face appears to be a recipe for minor trauma. Marks and Spencer even launched the toy with a frightening video showing a Percy Pig boardroom full of pigs, as if they had decided to both create sweets modelled on their own faces and allow humans to consume them. There were even bags of the sweets on the table, the board staring down the fates of their chewy simulacra. “I never thought the children would eat MY sweet for a face,” sobbed the pig with a sweet for a face.
And in other news...
- The most exciting pizza in London bows out, as ASAP Pizza retires for the summer in Borough Market.
- A photo of a police officer posing as a Deliveroo rider in north London provokes discussion over food delivery companies’ ties to the “gig economy” and immigration enforcement.
- With the government yet to confirm an extension of eviction protections, London restaurants are in limbo over rent once again.
- Nebula, a new pizza opening in Hackney, is adding to the city’s list of voguish Hawaiian pizzas. Pickled pineapple and Tabasco-branded sriracha on this one. [Hot Dinners]
- Good tweet:


text:
Indonesian agritech startup EdenFarm has raised an undisclosed amount in its pre-Series A funding round led by Investible, with participation from AC Ventures and Corin Capital.
Angel investors and existing and new investors have also backed the funding round that EdenFarm will use to expand its operations to the whole Java and Sumatra Island. The startup also seeks to offer much wider SKU selections for its merchant partners, among others.
Previously graduated from Y-Combinator, EdenFarm focuses on tackling Indonesia’s fragmented supply chain by connecting farmers and communities upstream with F&B businesses like restaurants, street food vendors, and central markets.
Since its inception in 2017, EdenFarm has supported local farmers by allowing them to sell directly to food vendors across the country. As the fastest growing agritech in Indonesia, EdenFarm’s mission is to maximize farmers’ income as a result of streamlining local food supply chains in Indonesia, as well as distributing quality and affordable fresh produce to food merchants.
Today, Indonesia is home to 30 million farmers, with the agriculture sector contributing 14% of Indonesia’s GDP or US$140 billion in market size, growing at 8% annually.
With the agriculture sector being heavily fragmented with inefficient supply chains, farmers’ income is limited with significant margin leakage throughout the value chain.
Additionally, F&B is a US$92 billion market, with mom-and-pop stores contributing to US$63 billion in market size.
The founders, David, Ramavito, Gunawan, Ramavito Mountaino, and Febrianto Gamal were MBA classmates and serial entrepreneurs, having co-founded companies in the logistics and consumer space together.
Strong entrepreneurial and operational expertise, coupled with spending significant time on the ground, has resulted in the team’s great empathy, insight, and passion about Indonesia’s agriculture space.
EdenFarm CEO, David, experienced the pain points of a farmer firsthand when he worked at a farm and realized that the traditional nature of the sector presented ample opportunities for digitization.
“With the vision of bringing quality and affordable fresh produce to all food businesses in Indonesia, EdenFarm is a technology-driven business with a versatile model that is thriving in one of the strongest agriculture industries in the world. We are in a perfect position to execute our plans for 2021, having exhibited healthy top-line and margin growth amidst the pandemic”, states David. – EventsNewsAsia.com


text:
Thirty-two Capital Region eateries closed their doors, as the restaurant industry continued to face unforeseen challenges in 2021. Most are permanently out of business unless otherwise noted, but given the vagaries of the industry, exacerbated greatly by the craziness of these past two pandemic years, it wouldn't be surprising if some came back to life.
Nearly 80 restaurants opened in the Capital Region this year, marking the most significant disparity in openings and closings since 2009.
After more than 20 years as one of the symbols of the renaissance of Sharon Springs, the American Hotel will close its restaurant on Dec. 31. A resort destination for more than a century starting in the 1830s, the hotel will become a B&B until it is sold.
Anna’s Wood Fired Pizza Co., which opened in the Galleria 7 food court in Latham in early 2016, closed after business in late February. A note said rent at Galleria 7 is rising and Anna’s management was unable to renegotiate a satisfactory new lease.
The owner of Artis Southern Cuisine & Steakhouse in Schenectady battled the State Liquor Authority for about a year during the pandemic and eventually paused the restaurant's operations to open another restaurant, Artis on the Creek. The owner later decided to close the Schenectady restaurant.
Baking You Crazy, a Rensselaer bakery-cafe, closed in early May by order of the city building department. Opened in early 2016 when its owner was only 21, the business cut back on its bakery operations last fall when the owner moved out of state but had continued as a café under her parents’ management.
Both locations of Berben & Wolff’s, a mainstay of vegan fare for Albany and Troy customers and supplier to restaurants on a wholesale basis, closed in March.
Co-founder Joey Berben told the Times Union that he intends to continue making vegan products under a different business name. He said he and his co-founder, Max Wolff, are ending their partnership to pursue separate opportunities.
Berben later opened the vegan deli Subculture on Albay’s Lark Street.
Broken Road BBQ & Bar in Schaghticoke announced at the end of the year that it is closed. Broken Road lasted about 14 months in a building at 1544 Route 40 that had been the similarly themed Prospectors Restaurant, which closed in March 2020 after five years.
Broken Road owner Heather Valade said she will continue to operate her Curvy Girls Food Truck and Catering, which gave rise to Broken Road.
Cafe Boulud at Blantye, which instantly became one of the region's best restaurants when it opened last year at the posh Berkshires resort, ended service at the end of October while the hotel is closed for extensive renovation. A reopening is not expected until September 2022.
After eight years of struggling with the challenges of a building that has been hosting guests for food and drink since the 1840s, Matt and Stephanie Finnigan closed Carney's Tavern toward the end of July.
The couple went on to open Finnigan's Tavern & Grill on the Lake in early December, in the former Villago Pizzeria & Ristorante, located 4 miles away at 175 Lake Road on Ballston Lake.
Cosmic Donuts, which made elaborate, creative doughnuts in a personality-driven shop at 3 Albany Ave. in Kinderhook, closed after a little more than 13 months in business.
Gennaro’s Pizza, open since early 2015 in Saratoga Springs, opened a second location in February, at 1704 Western Ave., Guilderland, in the Price Chopper/Market 32 plaza. Gennaro's closed the Guilderland location later in the year.
After 69 years in continuous operation, Gibby’s Diner in the Quaker Street Hamlet of Duanesburg closed its doors for good in December.
Owners Glen and Colleen Glindmeyer came to the decision years ago to eventually move on from the diner, as the rigors of running a restaurant impeded them as they aged.
A Mechanicville mainstay since 1963, Hildreth’s Restaurant and Catering announced Dec. 29 that it is closed permanently. Hildreth’s, which was located at 201 N. Main St., recently was open only for takeout service.
The note from second-generation chef-owner Edward Hildreth, whose parents founded the comfort-food restaurant, said, “Recent changes in the world, and in life, made us make this difficult decision.”
Jack’s Diner II on lower Washington Avenue in Albany, a sibling to the 74-year-old original, closed in mid-April. The original Jack’s Diner, located near the confluence of Central and Clinton avenues in Albany, remains open.
After nearly 13 years, Jake Moon Restaurant and Cafe in Clarksville closed after service in October.
The 15-month-old Albany location of K-Plate Korean BBQ, at the corner of Lark and Springs streets, permanently closed in July after initially announcing it would be closed until September due to a labor shortage. The Troy location remains open, though it moved over the summer to 78 Fourth St.
LAX Restaurant & Lounge closed in mid-September after eight years of business at 205 Lark St. in Albany. The owner, Will Phan, renovated the space and opened Bar Vegan in the same location in late September.
Little Anthony’s, a Colonie pizzeria since 1982 that was long popular with vegetarians and vegans and went fully meat-free in September and began calling itself LA’s Veg, is permanently closed. The last day of business was Dec. 31.
According to a long Facebook post by third-generation owner Patrick Batuello, he decided to sell the business in October and had a qualified buyer lined up, but the owner of the building, at 1095 Central Ave., refused to issue a new lease. Batuello said the owner offered to buy the business but wouldn’t commit to keeping it vegan, so Batuello decided to close. He said he intends to focus on animal advocacy and activism.
After nearly 28 years as owners of the Malta Diner, Stefanie and Steve Gouvis announced in June its permanent closure, six months after they began a winter break due to the winter coronavirus resurgence.
The building, at 2476 Route 9 in Malta, became a second location of The Ugly Rooster Cafe. The original Ugly Rooster opened July 1, 2009, in Mechanicville.
The Notty Pine, a neighborhood tavern and restaurant on 15th Street in Troy since the end of World War II, closed after the end of business on May 1 according to a Facebook announcement.
Oh Corn! Arepas and More temporarily closed after business in October. The owners decided not to renew the Route 9 strip-mall lease and are on the hunt for a new space.
After slinging more than 1.1 million eggs, Oliver’s Cafe owners Claudia and Warren Bush closed the restaurant on August after nearly 28 years.
For Claudia and Warren, now is simply the time to retire and enjoy life, ideally with their young grandchildren.The Bushes previously announced plans to retire but pulled back. This time is for real.
Claudia said she never thought about the central role that the restaurant has played in peoples’ lives. “We enjoyed doing what we’re doing,” Claudia said, “and that’s why it’s been so overwhelming.”
The restaurant returned in October under new owners with the name Lily’s Café.
After 12 years as one of the most popular bars downtown, including the past five in the enormous former Jillian's building at 59 N. Pearl St., the Pearl Street Pub closed after business in June. The owners are preparing to revive the historic Lark Tavern on Madison Avenue.
Persian Bite, a Middle Eastern restaurant located at 703 Union St. in Schenectady, announced it would temporarily close in June but never reopened. Persian Bite had moved to Union Street after a fire shuttered its original location on Jay Street in March 2015.
The closure was confirmed by reviewers on Yelp and its website is no longer operational.
The wine bar Post on Lark Street is closed as of October 2021, and the space, in adjoining basements with a rear courtyard that has been multiple wine bars since 2002, will be redeveloped into a new concept by the current owners.
Quang Tran, one of the area's best fine-dining servers with a résumé that includes Michelin-starred restaurants in San Francisco and the former Peck's Arcade, closed his Quang's Vietnamese Bistro to take a management position with Sea Smoke Waterfront Grill, which opened in early December in the Starbuck Island development in Green Island.
Sam’s Italian American Restaurant at 125 Southern Blvd. in Albany closed just three months after its 50th anniversary.
Sam's was supposed to reopen after its annual break around the Fourth of July, but this past year was different and siblings Carmela Daubney and Paul Rappoccio, who have worked at the restaurant since their parents opened it on April 6, 1971, decided they were done.
In August, Tala Bistro announced that it was so short-staffed it would offer only takeout for that weekend. The following day, Tala said it was closed until further notice. It has not reopened and is said to be for sale.
The Tiny Diney, the latest incarnation of a little building at 300½ Ontario St. that has been a diner for about a century, closed in September.
It closed when co-owner and principal cook Robilee McIntyre, also an artist and co-owner of the Troy bar Footsy Magoo’s, badly broke her hand.
Villago Pizzeria & Ristorante located at 175 Lake Road on Ballston Lake closed July 11. Villago was opened in mid-March 2014 by Sandy Foster and Joseph Guerrera, who have owned Village Pizzeria & Ristorante in Galway since 1988.
The owners of Carney's Tavern, which closed at the end of July, bought the property and opened a new restaurant, Finnigan's Tavern & Grill on the Lake, there.
Westfall Station Bistro, which was revived under a new owner a few days before the pandemic shutdown was imposed in March 2020, has closed.
Westfall Station Bistro was a revival of a restaurant space in the multi-use Westfall Village development off Route 43; previously run by the property’s developer, the restaurant was known as Westfall Station Cafe and closed in fall 2019 after three years.
After a deal to sell the Wolff’s Biergarten brand was announced in January 2020, founder Matt Baumgartner converted the Troy location of Wolff’s into the vegetarian-focused Troy Beer Garden, which has an upstairs cocktail lounge called The Berlin.
The Albany and Schenectady locations of Wolff’s Biergarten remain open under new ownership.
Zaitoon Kitchen, a restaurant that specializes in Afghan cuisine, announced in January that it would close its Crossgates Commons location at 161 Washington Ave Ext. in Albany, citing the pandemic as its reason for shuttering. Kitchen 216 will be replacing it, with plans to open in 2022.
The original Zaitoon Kitchen location in Latham at 471 Troy-Schenectady Road remains open.


text:
Bidding war for OpenTable?
OpenTable shares surged after Priceline agreed to buy the online reservation service. But could Google or Facebook turn this into a bidding war? Yelp and Groupon were rallying too on merger speculation.
See All The Stream
Uber drivers protest in NYC streets
What is Minecraft?
iPhone 6 or 6 Plus: Which should you buy?
See Apple's new iPhone 6 in :60
The iPhone evolved
See the new Apple Watch in :60
See All CNNMoney Original Shows
Venezuela has a breast implant shortage
Anheuser-Busch has harsh words for the NFL
Vikings ban Adrian Peterson
What the Fed is really saying
Mobius: Alibaba's structure is 'dangerous'
What next if Scotland votes yes?


text:
Quality Talks 2016: You Have to See It to Believe It
May 2, 2016 · Matt Brock
Check out this video. It is our latest promotional video for Quality Talks 2016 coming up on October 24.
So, why are we writing on the blog about this so early? Well, seats are going fast. We’re getting close to the summer vacation season and we want to make sure you get in before it is too late.
We’ve also nailed down the list of people who’ll be speaking. Quality Talks is unlike any health care conference you have experienced. That’s because it’s not a health conference, per se. It’s informative. It’s inspiring. It’s an opportunity to meet movers and shakers in the health care quality space. It’s also just plain fun.
Quality Talks 2016: Speakers Set
Our speakers this year include the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Dr. Nora Volkow. She’ll talk about the opiate addiction crisis facing the country. The first order of business, she says, is to tackle the issue by integrating behavioral health into the primary care routine.
How about this? One of Wal-Mart’s top executives is also delivering a talk. Yes, retail behemoth Wal-Mart. Marcus Osborne, Wal-Mart’s vice president of Health and Wellness Transformation has some thoughts about health care. The familiar greeter you always see at Wal-Mart stores may play a metaphor for his thoughts.
And there’s Dr. Laura Esserman. You could call her a pioneer in cancer care and research. She has made it a habit of questioning the status quo to try new things. So far, it’s working. Her story will encourage you to rethink what you are doing whether it’s directly caring for patients or developing policy.
That’s just a taste of what we’ve gathered for your visit to Quality Talks 2016. We’ll be profiling all our speakers here in the blog in the coming months. But don’t wait to register. You don’t want to regret it in the fall.
Quality Talks 2016. You have to see it to believe it.


text:
The Motor Ombudsman has added a new search facility to its Garage Finder to allow owners of electric vehicles (EVs) to more easily find and identify accredited businesses to service and repair their car.
Glyn Hopkin has launched a recruitment drive after growth in the South East prompted the car retail group to open applications for “dozens of aftersales posts” – including apprenticeships and full-time technician posts.
Autotech Recruit has branched into Northern Ireland following increasing demand from garages for temporary vehicle technicians and MOT testers to fill positions as a result of the ongoing skills shortage.
Direct Line has teamed up with Thatcham Research, DG Cities and the Women’s Engineering Society to deliver a view of the car workshop of the future in a bid to attract an new generation of technician talent.
The IMI has called for further development in EV skills training, following the Government’s response to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee's Electric vehicles: driving the transition report.
TWO days of insightful, engaging content that Automotive Management LIVE is known for whilst enabling our audience to connect with the full range of suppliers to motor retail, learn and share industry best practice, and discuss how to prepare for the future of motor retail.


text:
It seems that not everybody thinks Apple will break any records in the last quarter of the year, even though the Cupertino-based tech giant has just unveiled three new iPhones.
According to Daniel Gleeson, analyst at Ovum, the main problem is the iPhone X delay. He explained at CNBC that there are two categories of iPhone buyers right now. Does how want the new iPhone X and does who would rather buy and iPhone 8 or 8 Plus. But Gleeson say that does who are more inclined to buy and 8 or 8 Plus will wait to see the iPhone X. And there’s a gap between them.
iPhone 8 and 8 Plus will be available for preorder starting tomorrow, September 15th, and in stores they will be available on September 22nd. The iPhone X will be available for preorders later next month, on October 27th, while in stores it’ll arrive no earlier than November 3rd.
Thus, Gleeson suggests that iPhone sale might gain momentum after iPhone X actual release. So, he says Apple’s financial results in the last quarter of 2018, will be affected by this.


text:
Amazon today announced that we have selected New York City and Arlington, Virginia, as the locations for our new headquarters. Amazon will invest $5 billion and create more than 50,000 jobs across the two new headquarters locations, with more than 25,000 employees each in New York City and Arlington.
Trading in Fannie, Freddie bonds is said to be probed by U.S. That’s because they buy mortgages from lenders and package the debt into. explicit U.S. guarantee can only be created by congress. federal housing finance agency director Mark Calabria, Fannie and.
"It all comes down to two locations: It’s either going to be the metro area of New York or the metro area of DC," Scott Galloway, a marketing professor at New York University’s business school.
After a 14-month search, Amazon announced Tuesday that it will open a pair of regional offices in two. all three locations will begin in 2019, with salaries averaging $150,000, according to the.
· Prime Day 2019 is nearly upon us, but ahead of the main event, Amazon has been known to trickle out deals early here and there. Such is the case with this Prime-exclusive sale on the Fire TV.
Amazon. pick a single location for a second headquarters, opting instead to build two hubs, according to a person familiar with the matter. The move stems, in part, from Amazon’s need for.
Pending home sales fell by more than expected in February U.S. Pending home sales rebound More Than Expected In February March 29, 2018 After unexpectedly reporting a sharp drop in pending home sales in the U.S. in the previous month, the National Association of Realtors released a report on Wednesday showing a bigger than expected rebound in pending sales in the month of February.
Amazon.com Inc could announce as early as Tuesday that it has selected New York City and Northern Virginia to be the sites for its second and third headquarters, the Wall Street Journal reportedon.
Very slight increase in mortgage application volume this week After falling to yearly lows, mortgage rates rise: 30-year at 4.41 percent – Mixed messages on the advancements of U.S.-China trade negotiations have resulted in only mild. this week, according to the latest data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. The market composite.
4 days ago · Amazon Bringing 1,000 New Jobs To Georgia The online retail giant’s new 700,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Gwinnett County, GA will be the first of its kind in the state.
WaPo. Read Josh’s pool report, which is not easy to read SARAH FERRIS and HEATHER CAYGLE: “House Dems pick party unity over ICE fight. photo of Tomi Lahren hangs in U.S. Border Patrol headquarters.
CRYSTAL CITY, Va. – Amazon plans to split its new second headquarters into two locations, according to multiple reports. Numerous cities have been bidding for the online sales giant’s second.
Amazon.com plans to split its second headquarters evenly between two locations rather than picking one city, a surprise decision that will spread the impact of a massive new office across a pair.
People on the move: July 6 Famous People Born On June 6th. People born on June 6 are in the sun sign of Gemini, the twins. They are strongly influenced by Mercury, but being placed in the second decan of the sign, are also affected by Venus. These individuals have the tendency to be passionate for everything. They can also suffer from emotional turmoils.New-home sales fall to nine-month low while supply rises The 10-Year yield has climbed 42 basis points since the start of the year, aided by the 21% climb in the price of crude oil and 5% rise in. estimates, new home sales remain solid over the last year.
The centers, located in California, Illinois, New Jersey and Texas, will be re-designed for use as sorting centers, Amazon Fresh delivery hubs and print-on-demand book sites, according to the report ..


text:
West Pottsgrove >> Healthy eating doesn’t necessarily begin in your kitchen but at the store you use to stock that kitchen.
In-store nutritionist and registered dietitian Christina Fava of Giant Food Stores’ Montgomeryville location came to the Pottstown area last week to discuss how to shop for healthy eating. Fava went over several aspects of successfully shopping for nutritious meals.
March is National Nutrition Month – a campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to promote healthy food choices. This year’s theme was “Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle.” But before you can bite it, you have to buy it.
PLANNINGPreparing for a healthy shopping trip happens before you even step foot into a grocery store.
Fava recommends people plan their meals for the week before grocery shopping, and use sales advertisements to help plan. For example, she said Giant has its weekly circular which includes sales for the upcoming week.
Next, take inventory of the foods already in the kitchen to determine what you need to buy.
After the meal planning and inventory, it’s time to make the shopping list. Fava said this is essential to avoid buying items that you don’t need, especially fresh produce, that will go bad after a few days.
Kathy Fuhs, of Douglassville, said she shops at Giant about twice a week and one of the things she’s learned is “don’t come in when you’re hungry.”
Fava said shopping when you’re hungry will lead to overbuying and purchasing more junk food.
SHOPPING ON A BUDGET Before you go to the grocery store, it’s important to know what your budget is. Fava said she often hears that the processed, unhealthy foods are cheaper. She said there are ways to save money and shop healthy at the same time.
Buy items that are on sale, clip coupons and then put them directly in your wallet so you don’t forget them, she said. She said another way to save money is to buy in bulk, such as bagged fruit, then freeze what you don’t use right away. Fava said stores usually have discount aisles with healthy food choices.
“Don’t’ be afraid of store brands,” she said, adding that they usually taste just as good and have the same nutrients as name-brand items but are less expensive.
SHOPPING FOR CONVENIENCE COOKING
It’s very possible to eat healthy even with a busy lifestyle. Fava said there are several ways to shop for healthy foods that won’t be time-consuming.
Canned items like beans and vegetables can be used for quick meals, Fava said. She said it’s best to look for low-sodium varieties or wash off the excess salt at home.
She said people that don’t have a lot of time to cook during the week should always have healthy food staples in stock such as eggs, canned tuna and produce. She said these items can be used to make 5-ingredient meals that are easy.
“You don’t have to do anything elaborate,” Fava said.
She said frozen fruits and vegetables are another way to save time but still stay healthy. She said frozen options still have the nutrients but they last for a longer than fresh produce. Just don’t buy the frozen fruit with added sugars or the frozen vegetables with sauces, she said.
WHAT TO BUY FIRST AT THE STORE
With list in hand, adequately fed and a budget in mind; it’s time to actually start shopping. Fava said it’s a good idea to begin in the produce section and stock up on wholesome foods.
“The more you fill the cart up with those foods, there’s less room for the junk food,” she said.
She also recommends shopping around the store perimeter first. After produce, get your lean proteins, dairy then your whole grains.
In the meat and poultry section, choose lean cuts. Pork loin, ground chicken , lean beef and turkey breasts are healthy options, Fava said.
In the dairy section, try to choose reduced-fat or nonfat options for milk, cheese and yogurt.
In the bread section, it’s always best to choose whole grains whenever possible, Fava said.
“When you see the word ‘whole,’ that means it contains all three parts of the kernel so you’re going to get more nutrients. You’re also going to get more fiber that way,” she said.
Fava said a common misconception is that all multi-grain breads have whole grains but this isn’t always true. She said it’s important to check the label for the types of grains and to see if high fructose corn syrup has been added which is something you want to avoid.
READ NUTRITION FACTS AND INGREDIENTS LABEL
Fava said although it’s best to start your shopping trip by going around the perimeter, healthy items can be found down almost any aisle. The key is to check labels before buying products and look for Giant’s “healthy ideas shelf tag,” she said.
“They (the healthy tags) are little stickers that show the product meets all the requirements to be considered a healthy item,” she said.
Fava said label reading is necessary because it’s important to know what is actually in the products you’re buying. One thing to be aware of on labels is trans-fat which is best to avoid all together, she said. The unhealthy fats can raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol.
Even foods labeled as trans-fat free can still technically have it in the product. Fava said items can label themselves trans-fat free if it consists of half a gram of the fat.
“If you’re eating two or three servings, you’re already going to be getting a gram or more when you don’t want to get any,” she said adding that it’s best to check the ingredients to be sure. “It will say partially hydrogenated oils. That’s the red flag for trans-fat.”
High fructose corn syrup is another ingredient to stay away from in the ingredients list and it’s healthiest to stick with foods that have 140 milligrams or less of sodium per serving size. Try to stick to 5 grams of fat in snacks and 10 grams of fat in meals. Fava said foods with healthy fats such as mono-saturated, poly-saturated and Omega 3s, can have a little more fat in them.
Products with sugar should be in the single digits such as 8 grams or less. Fava said it’s important to be cautious of sugar content when shopping because it’s in everything.
“There’s sugar in breads even. It’s not just in dessert items…You name it, you’ll find sugar,” she said.
Fava said sugar has many different names including evaporated cane juice, brown rice syrup, molasses, and honey
There are also several nutrients that you want to make sure are in the foods you’re buying. Look for at least 3 grams of fiber and 15 to 30 grams of protein in meal items.
“Protein is important. It helps to fill us up and it also takes longer to digest than other nutrients,” Fava said.
Fava said food labels sometimes have claims that appear to be healthy but actually aren’t. Packaged foods that are low-fat or fat-free aren’t always the most nutritious choice, she said.
“With fat-free, all they do is add sugar to replace the fat,” she said.
Fava said packages claiming to be all-natural can also be misleading.
“All natural can mean anything and it’s not regulated by the FDA,” Fava said, adding that food containing high fructose corn syrup can be labeled as all natural.
On the other hand, she said organic products are regulated by the FDA and there are guidelines for qualifications.
“It doesn’t contain antibiotics. It doesn’t contain artificially growth hormones and it’s non-GMO,” she said.
Shopping for a healthy diet is manage with a little planning and can even be done on a budget. For more about Giant’s healthy ideas shelf tag program visit the website giantfood.com/live-well/health-and-wellness/healthy-ideas. Healthy recipe ideas are also available at recipecenter.giantfood.com.
The Mercury is engaged in a year-long effort, Fit for Life, designed to promote healthy living and inspired by recent health studies which indicate an alarming increase in obesity and overweight people. In addition to articles in the newspaper and on our website, Fit for Life features a blog with recipes, health tips, resources, tips on getting fit without breaking the bank, maps and other tools all available free online. Visit the website at www.pottsmerc.com/Fitforlife, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MercFit4Life and follow our efforts on Twitter @MercFit4Life.
Michilea Patterson is the Fit for Life reporter and is funded in part by the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation.


text:
Credit crunch leaves consumers tightening the purse strings
Consumers plan to cut their spending over the next year on everything from supermarket food to short breaks and eating out as they struggle to cope with the growing squeeze on their income.
In a bleak illustration of the challenge facing the high street, a survey indicates that people believe they have no choice but to tighten the purse strings, given spiralling energy bills and the deepening gloom in the housing market. Pricewaterhouse-Coopers (PwC) found that 43 per cent of consumers expected to cut back on dining out, 37 per cent would spend less on electronic goods and 33 per cent would limit clothing purchases.
A third said that they might switch to a cheaper supermarket and 30 per cent indicated that they might spend