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Sorghum As A Food Ingredient
Sorghum is one of the most drought tolerant cereal crops grown in the world. The United States is one of the world largest producers of sorghum. Other producing countries include India, Nigeria, Mexico, the Sudan and China. It is grown in the central plains states, Texas and Colorado in the U.S.
Typical uses for sorghum in food products include porridge, unleavened bread, cookies, crackers, couscous, noodles and malted beverages. The whole grain is either boiled or ground into flour. Some sorghum varieties are rich in anti-oxidants and all are gluten-free, making it a viable alternative for wheat allergy sufferers. Sorghum has a neutral taste, so it absorbs other flavors well. Japanese snack food developers are working with sorghum flour in a variety of snack food products. It is very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Sorghum is also a good source of fiber and contains B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorous and selenium.
from the U.S. Grain Council
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Project Management
Do you manage projects assigned to you or do they manage you? Do you ever wonder why a project starts out with seemingly great momentum and then dies?
As presented in Skillpath's "Fundamentals of Successful Project Management" , the number one reason that projects fail is poor definition and unclear goals. Goals should be specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic and time-framed. Once a project is clearly defined, then and only then can you move to the planning stage.
Good planning should take into account a project summary, the scope of the project, milestones, breakdown of specific tasks and activities with scheduled dates, resource requirements, budgets, organizational charts, logistic support, acceptance plan, security and points of customer contact. No plan will be perfect or cover all contingencies. "Over planning" can delay or even kill a project before it gets started. |
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FROM THE TRENCHES
BY MIKE O'HARE
Come snow, sleet, rain or shine, this intrepid sales professional makes it work with safety foremost in mind and making it to important customer meetings as planned.
With the third worst snowstorm in history hitting the Chicago metro area on February 2nd, a key supplier had to reschedule his trip into the Chicago market to visit with a large customer. The supplier rescheduled for February 3rd and "what a difference a day makes" held true. I was amazed that the supplier's plane was on time, even after all of the previous day's cancellations and the major roadways were driveable. We had only lost a day on our customer's time-sensitive project. I can't remember a city and metropolitan area ever bouncing back from a major storm as quickly as the Chicago area recovered from "Snowmageddon 2011". |
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 | | Diane Dawson |
Dawson Sales celebrates its 57th year as Chicago's leading industrial brokerage firm. We owe our longevity to everyone who has worked with us, supported us, said a good word about us, referred us, paid us and bought from us over the last five decades. There isn't a day that goes by when I don't think about an employee, customer or supplier that has been so important to our growth and long-term success. The foundation of our company was built on honesty and integrity by James C. Dawson (1914 - 2003), our founder and my father. Jim was a member of the greatest generation, a Depression baby who served in the military during World War II. After the end of the war, Jim worked as a canned soup salesman for Campbell Soups and was a leading sales achiever. He left Campbell to join a food broker and lived in Omaha, Nebraska, and also Sioux City, Iowa. He and his wife, Violet (Vi), always had plans to return to Chicago. They did so, and Jim began Dawson Sales Company. Vi did her part. She raised four children and ran the household, while becoming a volunteer in many civic and non-profit organizations. There could be no man better suited to being a food broker than Jim Dawson. Selling was Jim's strength and on the force of his buoyant personality, and persuasive skills, he built a brokerage house that stood for integrity and honesty. All of us today feel his presence -- in the way we conduct ourselves, in the type of business we choose to get involved with, in the loyalty to our suppliers, and in the long-term outlook of our customer relationships. We salute Jim Dawson, our founder for all that he did, and for his spirit that keeps his legacy alive. Diane Dawson |
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Certifiable Chocolate
From plush Manhattan chocolate salons to Midwestern superstores, customers are shelling out more for chocolate certified as eco-friendly or socially conscious.
Third party certification organizations such as Fair Trade USA and the Rainforest Alliance have experienced exponential growth in the chocolate sector over the past few years. For today's sophisticated chocolate lover, it isn't about where the chocolate was made but how. Some of the world's largest cocoa and chocolate producers are hopping on board. " I see certification as a long-term trend for the industry, unlike some of the short-term fads that we've seen over the years," said Kip Walk of Blommer Chocolate Co.
Privately held Mars Inc., the maker of Snickers and M&Ms, says it will certify its entire cocoa supply by 2020. New York-based Rainforest Alliance says sales of its certified cocoa more than doubled from 2007 to 2009. Imports of Fair Trade-certified cocoa into the U.S. more than doubled from 2006 to 2009. "Corporations have come to understand that certification is more than just a marketing tactic," said Tenise Whelen, president of the Fair Trade organization. "Water, scarcity, climate change, drought, social conflict, poverty, all of those things are affecting the supply."
Reports of abuses such as child labor and slavery on chocolate farms have pushed consumers to pay more attention to the source of their products. Demand for these certified products is growing, even in high end markets, as consumers are willing to pay the price for being more socially conscious.
from The Wall Street Journal - January 24, 2010
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The New American Family
 Welcome to the next generation of the American family - more ethnically diverse, cash-strapped, cuisine savvy and health concerned than ever before. Today's families offer many lucrative market opportunities for food manufacturers who understand their needs. The more children there are in a household, the more likely its members are to cook at home, use pre-packaged foods and cut back on restaurant visits. Gen X (ages 35 - 44) and Gen Y (ages 18 - 34) parents look for freshness and cleaner labels. Moms in households with kids are the heaviest bloggers/ social networkers and the most likely to go online for recipes and cooking tips. U.S. households with children under age 18 rank third behind empty nesters and singles as America's largest household units. The rise in the number of single parents contributes to the fact that a growing number of families are strapped for both time and cash, creating a huge demand for affordable family meals. Two new megatrends that are also reshaping families' food buying habits are older children returning home to live and an increase in multi-generational households. The evening meal is now prepared at home an average of five times per week with the other two nights being divided between eating out and ordering in. 90% of consumers think eating at home is healthier (FMI, 2010). Family households are significantly more likely to use pre-packaged convenience foods to prepare dinner but are looking for restaurant quality and upscale and ethnic dishes. More than 9 in 10 parents serve ethnic foods at home (Gallup, 2009). The most popular ethnic and regional cuisines eaten by all kids are Chinese (57%), Mexican (55%), Italian (41%) and barbecue (37%) (Technomic 2009). American Culinary Federation chefs named nutritionally balanced children's dishes as the top kids' restaurant meal trend for 2010, followed by fruit/ vegetable kids' side items, gourmet children's dishes, children's entree salads, ethnic-inspired children's dishes and fun-shaped foods (NRA, 2009). Clearly it is important for product developers to factor taste, convenience and health into the product development equation for both packaged foods and food service fare. from FOOD TECHNOLOGY - Jan., 2011 |
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Fruits and meat are becoming a popular food pairing in restaurants and retail offerings. Fruit adds a sweet and tasty flavor note to meat glazes, marinades and sauces. Figs are just one example of a fruit that pairs well with various meats. Contact your Dawson Sales representative to learn about our comprehensive line of fruit offerings for product development and enhancement.
Learn more about figs.
Visit our website.
(630) 203-8174 phone
(630) 203-8171 Fax
www.dawsonsales.com
As winter starts to wane and the days grow longer with warmer temperatures sneaking in now and again, our thoughts turn to spring. We look forward to sunny days, shedding the heavy winter garb and spending more time outdoors. The comfort foods of winter will be replaced with lighter fare and more foods eaten on the run. The coziness of "dining in" will give way to the delight of dining "al fresco" at favorite neighborhood restaurants and grilling outside at home. Take time to enjoy all of the sensory pleasures that are part of the welcome transition to spring!
Articles compiled and condensed by:
Lynne Noren
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Lynne Noren
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(630) 203-8174 phone
(630) 203-8171 fax
lynnenoren@dawsonsales.com |
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