COLD CORNER - EDITOR'S LETTER

We Want Your Vote!

Kelley Rodriguez, Editor-In-Chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods

This is an election where you’ll be excited – hungry, even! – to cast your vote. The annual Best New Retail Products Contest is back for another year, with voting this month to coincide along with National Frozen Food Month.

With 25 finalists, the top three finishers will be featured in our May issue. So spread the word and help R&FF select the best new retail offerings in refrigerated and frozen foods by voting now!

And I invite you to join me for a special LinkedIn Live event on May 8, where the winners of R&FF’s annual Best New Retail Products Contest will be unveiled.

People in nature, Body jewelry, Smile, Chin, Eyebrow, Sleeve, Happy

Get a preview of the May eMag and see which three cold companies take home gold, silver and bronze! 

Turning to this month’s issue, the March eMag cover story tackles the age of EPR. By 2030, nearly a fifth of the U.S. population is expected to subject to Extended Producer Responsibility laws, but packaging suppliers and the cold foods companies who rely on them cannot wait years – or in some cases, even months – to comply.

Our latest Cold Chain Perspectives columns comes from Poppy Hill at Gresham Smith and examines the “box-in-box” approach – a powerful combination of durability, constructability and lifecycle efficiency when cold storage space is urgently needed.

A blue award badge for 'Best New Retail Product 2026' from Refrigerated & Frozen Foods magazine.

David Feder, RDN, our group technical editor, reports on how the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the MAHA movement and more will influence cold foods formulation.

Plus, a look at some of the latest in cold and frozen mealtime solutions.

As always, don’t forget to sign up for our weekly and monthly eNewsletters and follow us on socials.