Whole Foods Market, based in Austin, TX, has received a spot on FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for 18^th year in a row. This year, it ranked number 55 and was noted as a top job creator.

Informa Exhibitions is launching a new conference: the Healthy Retail Conference & Expo to be held Scottsdale, AZ, at the Scottsdale Fairmont Princess Resort October 28-30. The conference will have meet-up groups, presentations, keynote speakers and a two-day exhibit hall. The focus of the eventon the “Healthy Retail Revolution,” and is intended for retail channels, including convenience, grocery, club, mass, gourmet, drug, online and natural.

According to the Hemp Industries Association of Washington, D.C., the 2014 U.S. retail market for hemp food and body care products totaled $200 million. “Sales of popular hemp items like non-dairy milk, shelled seed, soaps and lotions have continued to skyrocket against the backdrop of the new hemp research provision in the Farm Bill, and increasing grassroots pressure to allow hemp to be grown domestically on a commercial scale once again for U.S. processors and manufacturers,” the groups stated. These data were collected by SPINS from natural and conventional retailers, excluding Whole Foods Market, Costco and certain other stores that do not provide sales data (52 weeks ending December 31, 2014). This marks a 26.8% increase conventional stores and a 16.3% growth at natural retailers.

The Global ID Group has created the Food Quality Alliance, an integrated platform of over 40 testing, training and certification services offered by the Global ID Group, CCOF, the Orthodox Union and The Acheson Group, LLC.

The World Tea Media and the North American Tea Championship Judging Panel honored Alvita of New York, NY, with a third place award in the herbal category for its Organic Hibiscus Herbal Supplement.

UL is now working with the Natural Products Association of Washington, D.C., to administer NPA’s GMP certification program, audit companies and make the final decision about whether products the standards. The two will have a co-branded, dietary supplement-specific badge logo that can be used on product labeling.

FortiSalt from Mineral Resources International of Roy, UT, was judged “superior” in a triple-blind tasting by a Masters of Taste panel chosen by Chefs in America.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, May 2015