Despite mother nature’s plans, we will carry on with our prestigious Night of Distinction celebration as scheduled. The ceremony and reception will take place this evening at 5:30 p.m. at The Palace at Somerset Park, Somerset, NJ. We will also be holding a Silent Auction that supports the NJFC Educational Development Scholarship Program.

As a reminder, this year’s honorees include Dennis Hickey, Chief Merchandising Officer of Krasdale Foods; Chris Lane, Executive Vice President of Wakefern Food Corporation; Kathy Russello, Executive Vice President of Retail Business Services, an Ahold Delhaize Company.

We look forward to seeing you tonight at the premier food industry networking event of the year.

The New Jersey Food Council Board of Directors invites you to the Annual Holiday Celebration. Join colleagues and friends for Cocktails and a Dinner Reception at Buona Sera Ristorante in Red Bank. All proceeds go to the NJFC Education Development Fund which awards scholarships to deserving students to support the future of the food industry. Click here to download a registration form. Hope you could join us!

Christie Administration Expands Access to NJ WIC

As of November 6, 2017, grocery stores and other food retailers interested in being vendors in the Women, Infant and Children (WIC) nutrition program can now begin the application process online without being placed on a waiting list, allowing more families access to healthy foods closer to home.

In a press release, New Jersey Health Commissioner Cathleen D. Bennett stated, “Having more grocery stores accept WIC vouchers will provide thousands of families with greater access to healthy, nutritious foods.” To read the New Jersey Department of Health’s full press release, click on the following link.

Mobile App For WIC Participants

Grocery shopping for foods allowed by your WIC* program can be confusing. Much of the problem is from not knowing exactly what products you can purchase with your WIC benefits. The WICShopper app is here to help you shop with confidence.

When using WICShopper, you can check the WIC eligibility of products while you shop! In all of our supported WIC programs, you can use your phone to scan products to check their WIC eligibility. To learn more about the app and to download it, click on the provided link.

The New Jersey Food Council (NJFC), in partnership with the New Jersey Retail Merchants Association, hosts the 2017 Loss Prevention Conference and Expo at Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township on Thursday, November 2 at 8 a.m.

Linda Doherty, president & CEO of NJFC, said the event tackles all aspects of loss prevention, ensuring security professionals have all the latest information to preserve and protect company resources. In addition, awards will be presented to individuals and law enforcement officials committed to loss prevention.

“There is no question that loss continues to have a devastating affect on our business model,” she said. “This conference is a must-attend event as the latest security and safety trends will be addressed.”

The event offers a number of compelling presentations, including:

• State Police Major Fred Fife, Commander, Regional Operations & Intelligence Center, will be discussing “Private Sector Partnerships: The Intelligence Age for a Secure New Jersey.”
• Jesse Levine, Ravitz Family Markets, Director of Loss Prevention & Quality Assurance, and Derrick Price, Wakefern Food Corporation, Retail Loss Prevention Manager, will detail the latest in facial recognition software and other emerging technologies.
• Mitch Cowit, a police training specialist, will address forensic interview techniques and effective communication.
• Kris Hoffman, an area director for the federal Occupational, Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will provide an update on retail safety.

Doherty said awards will be presented to loss prevention leaders and law enforcement agents who implement new strategies to combat loss prevention and retail theft. 

Steve Hoptay, Vice President of Loss Prevention at Wakefern Food Corp., will accept the “Loss Prevention Professional Award.” In addition, the “Retail Law Enforcement Achievement Award” will be given to Franklin police Capt. Gregory Borlan, State Police Sgt. Jamie Champ and Gloucester Police Detective Anthony Massi.

The conference will also offer three roundtable discussions: “Business Continuity and Emergency Management Planning,” “Safety: Open Discussion,” and “Using Analytics to Improve Loss Prevention Operational Outcomes.”

There will also be a program on “E-commerce Fraud,” by Andrew Iaci, a managing director of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and “Private Sector and Law Enforcement: Operational Perspectives and Best Practices.” That seminar will be run by State Police Major Ron Hampton of the Intelligence & Criminal Enterprise Section and State Police Lt. Dan Bergin of the Interstate Theft North Unit.

Click here to register now.