In this month’s profile on the Produce Marketing Association, the US trade association for fruit and vegetables, McDonald’s is recognised for its contribution to fresh produce in the US foodservice arena and PMA publishes an updated Crisis Management Manual.

MAC RECOGNISED

More than 1,500 produce industry professionals, including double the number of foodservice buyers as last year, gathered at the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Foodservice Conference, Tours & Exposition held from July 23 to 25, 2005 in Monterey, California.

“Restaurant operators at the foodservice conference are up in calibre and number,” said PMA foodservice board chairman Gene Harris, senior purchasing manager, Denny’s Corporation. “This reflects PMA’s industry leadership and the significance that produce plays on their customer's plate.”

During the conference, McDonald’s Corporation was presented with the Packer's 2005 Foodservice Achievement Award by Robb Bertels, vice president and publishing director, Produce Group, Vance Publishing.

The award honours businesses whose commitment to great taste, convenience, and nutrition has resulted in the increased consumption of produce in foodservice.

Receiving the award on behalf of McDonald’s was Mark Lepine, director of food innovation and development. Lepine is responsible for launching McDonald’s fresh produce menu items, including premium salads and apple dippers.

PMA president Bryan Silbermann said: “If anyone deserves an award for truly making produce top of mind this year, it is McDonald’s. They’ve not only introduced several new produce items on their menu, they’ve also thrown their tremendous marketing muscle behind getting the public to sit up and take notice.”

GOOD IN A CRISIS

What would you do if a food-borne illness were traced to your produce? Events beyond your control can put your company right in the middle of a crisis at any time, and how you respond to it can make all the difference.

The new PMA Crisis Management Manual is designed to do just that - help the produce industry prepare for and properly manage any kind of crisis that may occur.

This user-friendly guide was released to members at last month’s 2005 Foodservice Conference Tours & Exposition.

The educational information in the manual includes helpful advice on how to:

• Assess crisis vulnerability for your organisation and prepare for a possible crisis

• Work with resources such as worksheets, check lists and example documents as part of a toolkit

• Ask questions that relate to the tools, which aid in gathering information within an organisation

• Manage a crisis

• Minimise damage to reputations, operational effectiveness and sales

“This how-to manual is extremely important in our fresh industry where a food safety scare or product tampering can destroy the reputation of a company if the response is not handled with care. This manual is designed specifically for the produce industry. As such, it is another valuable and cost-saving tool that every produce company can use,” said Kathy Means, PMA vice president of government relations.

Means also shared her knowledge about Food Safety and the Emergency Plan: The Importance of Developing a Crisis Management Plan with delegates at the conference in Monterey, “Every company needs to be prepared to deal with crises. No one expects to have a crisis, but they do happen, and it's best to be ready.

”One of the best things about this new manual is the vulnerability analysis,” she continued. “Companies can use these tools to determine what their most likely crises are and can prepare for real-world scenarios.

“Another great tool is the communications matrix, where, during calm planning times, you can list the important audiences, the right messages, and the best delivery vehicles,” Means said.

The manual is available in PDF form to aid organisations in developing crisis plans. It is on sale for $50 to members and to non-members for $100.