Convenience Foods Association

Welcome to the Snack Food Association.

The Snack Food Association (SFA) is the international trade association of the snack food industry representing snack manufacturers and suppliers. SFA represents over 400 companies worldwide. SFA business membership includes, but is not limited to, manufacturers of potato chips, tortilla chips, cereal snacks, pretzels, popcorn, cheese snacks, snack crackers, meat snacks, pork rinds,snack nuts,party mix, corn snacks, pellet snacks, fruit snacks, snack bars, granola, snack cakes, cookies and various other snacks. Click HERE for our membership video!

SFA Urges EPA to Revise Food-to-Fuel Mandates

June 23, 2008 – In comments co-signed by six other national industry organizations, the SFA today urged the Environmental Protection Agency to revise the food-to-fuel mandates included in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 in an effort to ease upward pressure on the price of food and commodities.

“Although there are many factors contributing to the sharp increase in US and global food prices – including increasing global food demand, export restrictions, adverse weather and higher energy prices – a significant new factor, and the only factor affecting food and feed prices that is under the control of the Administration, is the federal food-to-fuel mandate diverting food into fuel production,” the letter said. “We urge the Administrator to freeze federal food-to-fuel mandates for 2008 and 2009 at the US production level for 2007.”

The comments, filed in support of a request by Texas Gov. Rick Perry for a waiver of renewable fuel standards (RFS), pointed out that the rapid expansion of corn ethanol and bio-diesel has increased demand for corn and vegetable oils and the price of foods made from those product as well as other crops that compete with corn and soybeans for acres. Between 2006 and 2008, US corn ethanol production accounted for 75 percent of the growth in global demand for course grain and 50 percent of the growth in demand for all grains, the letter said.

In addition to SFA, the comments were signed by the American Beverage Association, Grocery Manufacturers of America, the International Foodservice Distributors Association, National Council of Chain Restaurants, National Restaurant Association, and the National Retail Federation.

The document pointed out that since the 2005-2006 crop year, farm-level corn prices have increased more than 150 percent, and farm-level soybean prices by more than 100 percent. “A surge in corn ethanol production has contributed to unprecedented increases in prices, which have contributed in turn to high feed and food prices,” it said, predicting that the price of corn, which jumped from $2.06 in 2004-05 to $6 in April 2008, will remain high for several years. Food prices, meanwhile, are now rising at twice the overall rate of inflation.

SFA members can review the entire document by clicking here.

SFA Cosponsors Food Before Fuel Campaign

June 18, 2008 – The Food Before Fuel Campaign – a partnership of environmental, retail, hunger, Hispanic and food industry groups, including the Snack Food Association, has launched a cooperative effort urging Congress to revisit the nation’s food-to-fuel policies, a key factor in the growing global food crisis.

As part of the campaign, SFA Chairman Daryl Thomas, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Herr Foods, Inc., Nottingham, PA, and President & CEO Jim McCarthy participated in a media conference call June 18 to discuss the urgent need for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to revisit food-to-fuel mandates given recent flooding in the Midwest and $8 per bushel corn.

Congressional policies require the conversion of more than one-third of all U.S. corn to ethanol, with additional subsidies and tariffs further promoting the diversion of food to fuel. Food policy experts broadly agree that these policies have contributed to record food price inflation, and the International Monetary Fund reports that U.S. food-to-fuel policy is responsible for more than 30% of food price inflation globally.

According to the campaign’s statement of principles, members will encourage policymakers to “revisit and restructure policies that have increased our reliance on food as an energy source, and to carefully address how to develop alternative fuels that do not pit our energy needs against affordable food and environmental sustainability.”

During the media conference call, Thomas, McCarthy and others stressed that June’s flooding in the Midwest will increase corn and other commodity prices which are already skyrocketing because of diversion to ethanol and biodiesel.

For details about the Food Before Fuel Campaign, including a petition urging Congressional action, please click here.

SFA Urges Congress to Reconsider Food-to-Fuel Policies

Thomas told committee members that snack food manufacturers like Herr’s have seen production costs rise by at least 15 percent due to the skyrocking costs of commodities. Farm-level corn prices have increased more than 150 percent, and soybean prices have jumped more than 100 percent, he said.

“Congress should reduce our reliance on food as an energy feedstock and should instead accelerate the development of fuels that do not pit our energy needs against the needs of the hungry or the environment,” Thomas said, noting that food prices rose by 4.9 percent during 2007 – the largest increase in 17 years – and the domestic price of basic staples such as eggs, milk, meat and eggs have increased even more dramatically in the last three years. (Continued, Please click HERE.)

New Online Member Education Programs From SJU & OSU Available

The Snack Food Association, in conjunction with Ohio State University (OSU) and St Joseph’s University (SJU), is now offering on-line courses in food science and food marketing for SFA member company associates.

The program was developed in conjunction with the two universities to provide SFA member company personnel easy access to continuing education at a reduced cost for tuition for SFA members. The program offers courses in key disciplines requested by SFA members.

A series of new SJU marketing courses will be available early in 2008, and for a limited time all SJU courses will be offered to SFA members tuition-free.

To learn more, click HERE.

Past News Headlines

• It’s All About Sweets & Snacks
• Day in DC 2008
• SFA TO LAUNCH SNACK WORLD, A NEW QUARTERLY MAGAZINE
• SFA 2007 Management Conference Offers Insight into New Opportunities for Snack Food Companies.
• SFA Testifies Against Maryland Snack Tax
• SFA Urges Changes in Food Safety Legislation