News & Perspectives

The healthcare segment has been one of the unique stories of 2020. While the Covid-19 pandemic grinded industry traffic to a halt, the healthcare segment was the recipient of overcrowded facilities, staff shortages, and a scarcity of food supply.  While Covid-19 was negatively correlated to the general foodservice industry, healthcare was just the opposite. This forced industry leaders to quicken plans for contingencies th...

IFMA announced today the appointment of Phil Kafarakis as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. Beginning November 1, 2021, he will be responsible for overseeing IFMA's day-to-day operations and will direct the activities of the association in support of policies, goals and objectives established by its Board of Directors.

In the last year, one of the major challenges facing elementary and secondary schools has been finding sources for commodity foods. Unfortunately, with the scarcity of labor and supply, schools have had difficulty not only locating products for the school year, but finding suppliers who can deliver them.  In its latest live panel, the Elementary and Secondary Foodservice Leadership Council unpacked the complexities of the...

10.05.21 - Leaders from the Foodservice Leadership Councils recently joined IFMA for a series of webinars to share their perspectives on the current landscape. While many challenges and opportunities were shared by the leaders within five foodservice segments, the common thread binding all of the segments was that of shortages — both by way of products and staff.

Each month IFMA highlights the newest companies that make up our diverse membership community. This month we welcome our new Manufacturer members: Gourmet Nut, IRCA/Dobla, Mars Foodservices, and Quorn Foods; and Associate members: Alterna Capital Solutions, and Meal Ticket. Learn more about what these great companies have to offer.

09.29.21 - As Chair of the Board of Directors of IFMA in 2021, it has been my pleasure and honor to serve our membership and the foodservice industry over the past year. It has been a difficult time for our country and our industry, but through it all, our membership has remained resilient as an organization and IFMA has provided even more value in our time of need. Read more >>

09.14.21 - Antoinette “Toni” Watkins, MS, RDN, System Director of Food & Nutrition Services at Riverside Health System, was named the 2021 Gold Plate Award recipient by the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) during the 67th Annual Gold & Silver Plate Awards Celebration.

Meet the distinguished Silver Plate Class of 2021. IFMA's annual Gold & Silver Plate Awards honors the nation’s leading foodservice operator talent. Learn more about the nation's top foodserive operators.