Below are links to Specialty Foods
Trade Groups and Organizations:
Business | Dairy | Food
Processing (General) | Fruits/Vegetables
HACCP | Meats | Safety/Sanitation | General
Agriculture
Business
Entreworld.org
A resource center for entrepreneurs
funded by the Ewing Marion Kaufman Foundation.
Has links to business information and sites, information
on entrepreneurship workshops, an extensive glossary
of business terms.
http://www.entreworld.org
IdeaCafe.com
Business information from marketing
to planning and legal requirements. Entrepreneur
profiles, chat rooms, expert advice, information
on grants and e-marketing.
http://www.ideacafe.com
National Association for the Self
Employed
Advocacy, information and legislative
summaries with a small business focus. Offers membership
benefits. Has lists of links to entrepreneurship
and financial resources.
http://www.nase.org
Prince Edward Island Food Technology
Centre - Atlantic Canada Food Processor's Guide
A great resource for all food processors,
Canadian or otherwise. U.S. processors should refer
to U.S. regulations, not those refered to on this
site. Includes information on setting up and running
a small scale food business, marketing ideas, equipment,
and business planning.
http://www.gov.pe.ca/ftc/cottage/index.php3
Virginia Cooperative Extension -
Starting a Food Processing Business in Virginia
Online resource available for download
as a PDF file. Contains basic information for anyone
interested in starting a food processing business
as well as federal resource link and Virginia-specific
resources.
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/foods/348-963/348-963.html#TOC
Dairy
Hometown Creamery Revival
A project of Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
(SARE) program of USDA, the Hometown Creamery Revival promotes on-farm
processing as a means of making dairying a sustainable way of life for
small farms. Has links to cheese and dairy workshops and trade groups as
well as publications.
http://www.ibiblio.org/creamery/
Food Processing (General)
National Association for the Specialty
Food Trade, Inc
NASFT Fancy Food Show web site: http://www.fancyfoodshows.com
Information about past and upcoming Fancy Food Shows. Information for exhibitors,
attendees, etc.
New York State
Small Scale Food Processors Associationhttp://www.nyssfpa.com/
The Small Scale Food Processors Association is
a working group of processors, as well as support
organizations The association addresses the concerns
of many small scale processors within New York
State. It is made up of 11 Regions across New York
State, including New York City and Long Island.
Vermont Specialty Foods Association
Lists
of links to member companies. Members range from
small scale food processors to label design consultants
and insurace providers.
http://www.vermontspecialtyfoods.org
Vermont Food Venture Center
The
mission of the Vermont Food Venture Center is to
provide the needed resources for entrepreneurs
to start a specialty food business and/or to help
grow an existing business.Ê The Center also
strengthens the Vermont agricultural industry by
assisting and developing value-added products and
providing on-going technical assistance to the
State's specialty food producers.Ê The Center
is owned and operated by the Economic Development
Council of Northern Vermont, Inc.
http://www.edcnv.org/vfvc.htm
Fruits/Vegetables
Produce Marketing Association (PMA)
Non-profit
organization whose members market fresh produce.
Information on industry trends, conferences, trade
shows. Also provides food safety links.
http://www.pma.com/
International Fresh-Cut Produce Association
(IFPA)
Advances the industry by supporting
its members with technical information, representation
and knowledge to provide convenient, safe and wholesome
food. Site includes: publications on food safety,
small food businesses and the produce industry,
links to industry and government web sites, press
releases and events and conference listings.
http://www.fresh-cuts.org
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical
Control Point)
The International HACCP Alliance
Developed
on March 25, 1994. It is housed within the Department
of Animal Science at Texas A&M University. The
International HACCP Alliance was developed to provide
a uniform program to assure safer meat and poultry
products. Site includes: latest regulatory and
industry HACCP news,iInternational HACCP training
schedule, downloadable monthly information sheets.
http://www.haccpalliance.org
Seafood Network Information Center
Web
site for the Sea Grant Extension Program, Food
Science & Technology, University
of California, Davis. Site includes: list of Seafood
related events around the world, links to HACCP
information at many governmental levels, links
to nutrition, marketing and regulatory information
for Seafood Products including international regulations.
http://www-seafood.ucdavis.edu
Meats
American Association of Meat Processors
(AAMP)
North America's largest meat trade
organization. Membership includes medium-sized
and smaller meat, poultry and food business: slaughterers,
packers, processors, wholesalers, in-home food
service business, retailers, deli and catering
operators, and industry suppliers. Site has links
to publications, news, and resources.
http://www.aamp.com/
American Meat Science Association
(AMSA)
Mission is to provide the forum
for all interests in meatÑcommercial, academic,
government and consumerÑto come together
in a reasoned, scientifically-based atmosphere
and address the needs of the processing and marketing
segments of industry, the consuming public, its
own members and others in the biological and nutritional
sciences. Site includes news, extensive list of
links to government and industry, calendar of events.
http://www.meatscience.org/
National American Meat Processors
Association (NAMP)
An international nonprofit
trade association dedicated to meat processing
companies that provide customers with reliable
and safe meat, poultry, seafood, game and other
products. Site includes: news items relating to
meat processing, order form for meats publications,
some conference listings.
http://www.namp.com
Safety/Sanitation
The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis
Network (FAAN)
FAAN aims to increase public awareness of food allergies and anaphylaxis,
to provide education, and to advance research on behalf of all those affected
by food allergies. Site includes extensive information on food allergies,
recalls due to undeclared ingredients, summaries of research articles.
http://www.foodallergy.org
Food Safety.gov - Gateway to Governmental
Food Safety Information
Umbrella site for
governmental food safety information. Site includes:
links to consumer and producer food safety regulations
and issues, links to federal food safety agencies,
food safety alerts, information on food borne pathogens
and an area to submit food safety complaints.
http://www.foodsafety.gov
General Agriculture Sites
ATTRA - Appropriate Technology Transfer
for Rural Areas
The national sustainable
farming information center operated by the private
nonprofit National Center for Appropriate Technology
(NCAT). Provides technical assistance to farmers,
Extension agents, market gardeners, agricultural
researchers, and other ag professionals in all
50 states. Information on: sustainable farming
production practices , alternative crop and livestock
enterprises , innovative marketing. Technical assistance,
publications, and resources are provided free of
charge to appropriate users.
http://www.attra.org
