Monthly Archives: March 2020

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We are in the midst of a crisis, with no idea when or how it will end. Coronavirus, COVID-19, is having a global impact not only from a medical standpoint, but also in social, economic and political terms as well. We are seeing individual behavior that ranges from the heroic work of doctors and nurses to the highly irresponsible actions of others. In recent days were all watching a world-wide media show called Amateur Hour: people who have no scientific qualifications preaching about the causes and solutions to the problems, when we should simply follow the science, and the advice of doctors and scientists with credibility and experience.Perhaps the only thing that all of us understand is this: we must wash our hands far more often than normal to prevent or at least reduce the chances of contracting the virus.

Hand washing, is a simple routine that we learned to do as kids. Our parents would tell us, dont come to the table unless youve washed your hands, I suppose a golden rule from our childhood. But was this always the case? No, someone literally invented the concept of hand washing. And the story of when and how it happened is a pretty incredible one.

Ignac Semmelweis was born in 1818 near Budapest. He graduated in Medicine at age 26, specializing in Obstetrics and in 1846 began working in one of the two maternity wards at the Vienna General Hospital, but during his first month of work he was left traumatized: out of 208 hospitalized women, 36 died, a mortality rate of 17%. Although the hospital was free, built for people in need, many women preferred to give birth to their children on the street, because of the poor reputation of the health facility. Furthermore, Semmelweis notes that in the other maternity ward the mortality rate is much lower.

The doctor was not happy with official explanations without any scientific basis, so Semmelweis sought out rigorous and ascertainable causes that clarify the phenomenon: he noticed that near the maternity ward there was a morgue and that many doctors had got into the habit of both doing autopsies and assisting births. When a colleague cut himself with a scalpel used for an autopsy and died within a few days, Semmelweis noted that the wounds and the infection were the same as those of the women who died in the delivery room and finally senses the source of the problem. He immediately ordered all the doctors and nurses to wash their hands numerous times a day with chlorinated water and, as a result, the mortality rate was drastically reduced, reaching zero after two years.

His discovery (which seems obvious to us, but wasnt at that time) saved thousands of lives. Ignac shares the results of his discovery with the medical elite of Vienna, stating that the simple act of disinfecting his hands has defeated the scourge of maternal mortality.

If the Nobel Prize for Medicine had existed at the time, dont you think he would have deserved it? But Semmelweis soon realized that his teachings were not well accepted by the medical community in Vienna, who attack and mock him. He left the General Hospital, which, a year later, returned to its previous mortality rate as doctors and nurses stopped washing their hands. The Viennese medical community became openly hostile, and his book, Die tiologie, der Begriff und die Prophylaxe des Kindbettfiebers, was ridiculed and deemed absolutely worthless. Semmelweis fought back, writing fiery letters in which he accuses doctors of being murderers; even his wife begins to doubt his mental health. In 1865, as a trap, he was invited to visit an asylum, where he was locked up against his will, put in a straitjacket, beaten by sadistic nurses and forgotten by everyone, Semmelweis died after two weeks.

We own an amazing scientific discovery to a Hungarian Doctor, Ignac Semmelveis.

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Who Invented Hand Washing? - Forbes

Dunkin' is opening its third Dothan location Friday, March 6, at 3835 West Main St.

Dunkin' is celebrating its official opening starting at 5 a.m. Friday by offering the first 100 guests "Free Coffee for a Year," a prize that includes 56 coupons for free medium hot or iced coffees for the West Main Street location.

On Sunday, March 8, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the store will host another community celebration where guests can enjoy a 99-cent medium hot or iced coffee all day.

Throughout the celebration, guests will be invited to enjoy Dunkin giveaways, photo opportunities with Dunkin mascot Cuppy, and a game of cornhole. Children will also be able to participate in donut decorating.

At 10 a.m., the Dunkin franchisee network - Panama City Donut Network - will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the new store opening.

The 1,647 square-foot restaurant will employ approximately 20 crew members and will be open seven days a week from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. In addition to drive-through service, this Dunkin will also feature indoor seating, and free Wi-Fi.

The new location is a DD Green Achievement restaurant designed to save 25% more energy compared to a standard Dunkin restaurant.

Including the new Dothan restaurant, Panama City Donut Network currently owns and operates 72 Dunkin locations throughout Florida and Alabama.

Other Dothan Dunkin' locations are on the south side of Ross Clark Circle near the intersection of South Oates Street and on Montgomery Highway near Murphy Mill Road.

In the same shopping center, My Pie, a New York-style pizzeria, is planned to open on March 17. Golden Rule BBQ and Grill, the longest running restaurant in Alabama, has stated it plans to open to the public sometime in April.

The three stores will occupy a five-unit strip development recently constructed in between Tractor Supply Company and Walmart Neighborhood Market on U.S. Highway 84 West.

>> Free coffee for a year excludes cold brew, nitro cold brew, frozen coffee, and espresso beverages. Almond milk, Oat milk and espresso shots may be an additional charge. Guests may only receive one "Free Coffee for a Year" prize during the event.

>> 99-cent coffees excludes cold brew, nitro cold brew, and frozen coffee and is only valid on March 8.

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Dunkin' to open third Dothan location Friday; first 100 guests get free coffee for a year - Dothan Eagle

ANAHEIM, CA - MARCH 06: A general view as seen at the Natural Products Expo West on March 6, 2015 ... [+] in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Michael Bezjian/WireImage)

The recent cancellation of the Expo West, widely known as Super Bowl of natural CPG, due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak has made numerous companies turn to social media, video conferencing, and other digital platforms to continue to engage with interested retailers, buyers and consumers.

The reason is simple: emerging brands cannot afford to lose the significant cash they have paid for their booths, travels, and other logistics, yet many of them rely heavily on trade shows such as the Expo West to gain early market exposure.

As a scrappy startup in year two of our rebrand and launch efforts, every penny counts, and every meeting and conference we participate in is invaluable, Kristi Knowles, CEO of organic and plant-based food company Mother Raw that offers products, including dressings and condiments, told me via email.

Joe Ens, who is the co-CEO of keto cookies maker HighKey and has previously been an executive at General Mills for more than 20 years, explains why the cancellation of the event is less painful to large corporations.

For a big food company, Expo is a nice-to-have, an opportunity to network and see what new ideas exist in the marketplace, he said. A canceled Expo is simply one less trip to California and some time back on your calendar.

Expo Wests organizer New Hope announced the postponement of the event after several prominent food industry leaders, including Kind Snacksfounder Daniel Lubetzky, publicly questioned its leadership in the natural and organic space on LinkedIn.

Lubetzky wrote in a post: They seem to be forcing companies to choose between having to lose what o many of them is the largest investment of the year or to face what could turn out to be a potential threat to their health and wellbeing.

In a public statement, New Hope says it intends to announce a new date for the Expo West by mid-April, and it is going to stand up a rebate fund of $5 million targeted at small businesses and entrepreneurs specific needs.

Knowles, who believes the rebate fund is a welcome relief for Mother Raw, said: In business, doing the right thing for your customer is the right thing to do, and that golden rule absolutely applies here too.

Increasing online showcases

Social media channels, especially business-focused LinkedIn, were quickly filled with demo videos of new products, such as Koias protein chocolate peanut butter shake, which could have been unveiled at the Expo West.

Other companies have set up virtual showcases on their websites to boost consumer and retail interests.

The Expo postponement is the first material impact that coronavirus has had on our business, Ens told me. I do worry that there will be further impact on the ability to execute programs in-store as well [as] additional logistic considerations.

HighKey encourages retailers and buyers to request samples and chat face-to-face with its team through Zoom Chat on its recently built online portal.

Asked whether trade show organizers should have a virtual showroom as an alternative plan for their participating brands in the event of a virus outbreak, the CEO of plant-based superfoods company KOS, Allan Stevens, said: Absolutely Its probably wise to come up with new discovery platforms both for the benefits of brands and retailers.

SANTA ROSA, CA - NOVEMBER 12: Wine writers and bloggers engage in a fast-paced "live speed ... [+] blogging" session during the annual Wine Bloggers Conference on November 12, 2017, in Santa Rosa, California. Hundreds of wine writers and bloggers gathered in Santa Rosa a week after catastrophic fires killed 40 people, destroyed thousands of homes, and left more than 10,000 people homeless. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)

Nydia Shipman, co-founder of The Worthy Company which is a first-time exhibitor at the Expo West, also notes how the team wants to interact with retailers without the restriction of gathering in one location.

Shipman said: It would be great to see the industry take a more holistic approach to trade shows, so we could benefit from virtual operations without sacrificing those in-person connections that occur at the traditional trade show environment.

However, Rachel Kay, the president of RKPR that represents several high-growth CPG brands such as Tofurky and Country Archer, believes there are more ways than online showroom for companies to market their new products.

The power of community has also extended to mini shows and brand collaborations [are] happening outside of the trade show floor, offering a place where retailers can see multiple offerings without the apprehension of a large gathering, she said.

Growing e-commerce sales

The rise of online showcases speaks to the growth of e-commerce, a channel food and beverage entrepreneurs have been prioritizing from the beginning of their businesses. Many of them are even seeing an uptick in their online sales despite that coronavirus continues to spread.

Whether caused by people stocking up on healthy foods as worry about the coronavirus increases, or simply from the nature of our growing digital momentum we continue to see a significant increase in orders from many of our digital sales partners, Brad Charron, CEO of plant-based food company ALOHA, said.

Even more specifically, we have seen a significant influx of consumer questions about things like shelf life or whether or not ALOHA bars and drinks could sustain a family in the event of an emergency, he added.

People are clearly concerned and anxious about the current environment in regards to COVID-19.

The Worthy Company, which claims it has been hyper-focused on the direct-to-consumer (DTC) strategy from day one, also plans to increase online sales.

We have yet to see a negative impact on our top line, but are prepared to react in the event of a slowdown by funneling ad dollars into DTC/e-commerce efforts to offset potential decline in retail, Shipman said. We project [our] e-commerce [revenues] to grow 10x over the next few years.

Trade shows arent going away

The emergence of online product demos is not expected to take over actual trade shows anytime soon, industry experts believe, since evaluating food and beverage requires a sensory experience.

An attendee smells wine during the Vinexpo at Javits Center on March 2, 2020 in New York City. - The ... [+] wine business dodged a bullet last month when the Trump administration held off on draconian European wine tariffs, but at a New York trade fair, the industry was not exactly celebrating. The spreading coronavirus joined the fog of US commerce policy, the murkiness of the British market post-Brexit and a glut of California wine among the leading buzz-kills at the Vinexpo. (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

I doubt were seeing the death of the trade show, Kay said. While packaging is critical to telling a story, retailers still need to validate things like taste and smell to know if its going to sell.

Depending on the response from retailers, we may see a reduced spend on expensive show booths and more emphasis on affordable, virtual options, she added.

Basically, the retailers will make the call on whether or not this type of platform can actually replace the show experience for them. Its not going to be impactful if brands are just speaking to themselves.

Resonating with Kays opinions, ALOHAs chief commercial officer Amy Boyer notes the sale is never a one-part process for CPG brands.

The real work comes from the follow-ups after the first meeting, She explained. An online showroom would have enable actionable follow-up to occur for it to be a valuable use of time and resources.

Whether online show rooming can do that in the sensory-driven food and beverage business is yet to be seen, Boyer said.

Continue reading here:

How Expo Wests Postponement Drives Emergence Of Virtual Showrooms In The CPG World - Forbes

VAIL, Colo. (WTHR) - Olympic gold medal skier Mikaela Shiffrin posted a "letter to the world" Thursday as she continues to grieve the death of her father, Jeff Shiffrin, on Feb. 2, 2020.

At the time, she confirmed her father's death on Instagram. Authorities say he died from injuries suffered in an accident in his Colorado home.

My family is heartbroken beyond comprehension about the unexpected passing of my kindhearted, loving, caring, patient, wonderful father. Our mountains, our ocean, our sunrise, our heart, our soul, our everything. He taught us so many valuable lessons...but above everything else, he taught us the golden rule: be nice, think first. This is something I will carry with me forever. He was the firm foundation of our family and we miss him terribly. Thank you, from the depths of my heart, for respecting my family's privacy as we grieve during this unimaginable and devastating time.Courtesy of Mikaelas Team

A post shared by Mikaela Shiffrin (@mikaelashiffrin) on Feb 3, 2020 at 7:15am PST

Thursday, the 24-year-old skier posted on Facebook her thanks to those who sent condolences, and announced plans to fly to Europe, but did not say whether she would be able to return to racing. In the 6-minute video post, Mikaela reads the letter aloud while sitting in a chair under a picture of her father.

This the the full text of her letter:

A Letter to the WorldOver the last few weeks, my family and I have received an overwhelming amount of support and love. The most kind and heartwarming messages you could imagine, checking in on us, sharing quotes and poems, song-lyrics, and telling wonderful stories about my Dad. Sometimes it feels like we are drowning in these messages, like we cant keep up with the support and love that everyone has shown, yet in so many ways it has also been our lifeline. We have not been able to respond to everything, but we want you all to know that we feel your love, and we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for sharing it with us. Many have asked how we are doing, and where we are in the grieving process? The truth is, we havent really even started. Accepting this new reality is going to take a long time, and maybe we never truly will, maybe we dont have to. Because we can still feel him here. In our hearts, in our thoughts, in the sky and mountains and snow. He made his mark, and he is here. Many have also asked about my return to skiing and racing. I have been able to train a little bit over the last few weeks. It has been a slow process, but it has been theraputic to be on the mountain. Ive found training to be a place where I can feel closer to my dad, yet it provides enough of a distraction so that feeling of closeness can be separated from the pain. I am flying to Scandinavia today. I have no promises if Ill actually be able to race when the time comes, and I dont really even have goals. I just hope to make a few good turns. I think that would make my dad happy. If and when I do return to competition Id ask that you continue to respect my privacy, especially as it relates to my familys heartbreak. We are so thankful for the time we had with himwe cherish every single one of those momentsand we will keep him here in our hearts and our memories forever.

Shiffrin was leading the World Cup standings when her father died unexpectedly. After more than a month away, she's now in second place behind Italy's Federica Brignone with seven races left on the schedule.

Sweden hosts the next races on March 12-14, followed by the World Cup Finals in Cortina dAmpezzo, Italy. There are concerns Italy's coronavirus outbreak may impact the Finals, according to NBC Sports.

The International Ski Federation (FIS) is set to announce Friday whether the Finals will happen. On Wednesday, the Italian government said all sporting events in the country would take place without fans for at least the next month.

Shiffrin, a three-time defending World Cup champion, last raced Jan. 26 in Bulgaria.

Link:

Shiffrin posts 'letter to the world'; flies to site of next World Cup event - WTHR