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SEG Mobile Food Pantry to Distribute 70K Turkeys to Families

Southeastern Grocers Inc.is holding more than 20 mobile food pantry events to distribute over 7,000 turkeys to families and individuals experiencing hunger. (Photo: Business Wire)

Southeastern Grocers Inc., parent company and home of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, together with the SEG Gives Foundation, is giving back to its communities facing food insecurity ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday by supporting more than 20 mobile food pantry events to distribute over 7,000 turkeys to families and individuals experiencing hunger. To further its commitment to alleviating hunger in the Southeastern communities it serves, SEG is also launching its annual in-store community donation program benefiting Feeding America – the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization.

The mobile food pantry events are designed to reach communities where the need is most significant, including in its hometown of Jacksonville, the Florida Panhandle, Central Florida, South and Southwest Florida, the New Orleans and Acadiana area and the greater Birmingham, Ala., area. SEG recognizes the importance of coming together during the holiday season and is eager to help families get access to the food they need to enjoy a festive meal together.

Raymond Rhee, chief people officer of Southeastern Grocers, said,“We believe in the spirit of giving and the transformative power of gratitude. This is the season to give thanks, and we are honored to share the abundance of the season by distributing turkeys and Thanksgiving meal essentials to families in need. By helping provide nourishment to our neighbors facing food insecurity, we are also fostering a sense of community and togetherness as we embrace the true meaning of the season. Through our ongoing commitment to giving back, we invite our valued customers to join us on this journey as we launch our holiday hunger relief donation program benefiting our long-standing partner Feeding America. Together, we can make this holiday season a special time for all.”

More than 44 million people, including over 13 million children, live in food insecure households, according to Feeding America. To help ensure no one in its communities goes without a warm meal this Thanksgiving, SEG is supporting mobile food pantry events organized by Feeding America partner food banks, including Feeding Northeast Florida, Feeding Tampa Bay, Feeding the Gulf Coast, Feeding South Florida, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, as well as local nonprofit and military organizations. Community members facing hardship are encouraged to reach out to their local food bank for more information regarding the distribution events and to explore additional resources for sustained assistance.

In the spirit of giving, and to broaden its support during the holidays, SEG is activating its annual holiday hunger relief program to help raise funds and awareness for food insecurity. Now through Dec. 19, Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie customers can help their neighbors in need this holiday season by donating $1, $5 or rounding up their grocery bill. Every cent raised will support Feeding America and partner food banks throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.

To help customers stuff their carts with savings this holiday season, Winn-Dixie is offering a “Thanks-Winning” holiday meal for under $30,1 providing customers with a traditional Thanksgiving feast, including a 15-pound or less frozen Butterball turkey and SE Grocers sides. The grocer is providing additional savings opportunities by holding down the price on grocery staples with its brand-new seasonal discount program. Winn-Dixie’s new “Price Hold” program lowers prices on more than 1,000 commonly shopped items to help customers stretch their grocery budget more than ever before. Customers can save over 20%2 on average when shopping items marked in blue Price Hold signage throughout Winn-Dixie stores.

In appreciation of the grocer’s associates, all Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day to give associates a well-deserved day of rest with family and friends. All stores will close as normal Wednesday, Nov. 22 and reopen for regular business hours Friday, Nov. 24.

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Arizona Sued Over Cage-Free Eggs Rule on Restaurateur’s Behalf

Courtesy Arizona Department of Agriculture

Arizona small business owner Grant Krueger was already running his restaurants on razor-thin margins before the state Department of Agriculture mandated that only cage-free eggs be sold in Arizona. The Goldwater Institute and Pacific Legal foundation have filed suit on Krueger’s behalf, challenging the agency’s mandate, which they say violates the Arizona Constitution.

Over Krueger’s 34 years in the restaurant business, said he’s seen first-hand the impact of reckless government policy, including inflationary pressures, wage mandates and COVID decrees. Now, at a time when restaurants and restaurant-goers alike are already struggling with inflated food prices, the new cage-free egg rule will increase costs, while poaching his rights and scrambling the rule of law, according to Goldwater.

“I had no seat at the table for any of this,” said Krueger, who buys more than 2,000 eggs per week to supply his three Tucson-area restaurants, Union Public House, Reforma Modern Mexican and Proof Artisanal Pizza. “Unaccountable, unelected bureaucrats shouldn’t be able to arbitrarily impose these kinds of harmful mandates on small business owners like me.”

The egg rule wasn’t passed by the Arizona Legislature. Cage-free eggs are more expensive to produce than conventional methods—so much so that the mandate could impose up to $66 million in increased costs on Arizonans, according to Goldwater. But rather than go through the proper lawmaking process on critical policy questions, AZDA bureaucrats usurped the legislature’s lawmaking authority, creating a brand-new policy that affects the entire state—all while acting with zero checks and balances.

According to the Humane League, Arizona was the 10th state to enact such a mandate. “Arizona prohibited the production and sale of eggs from caged hens, joining nine other states in protecting egg-laying hens at the state level: Utah, Colorado, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Nevada,” according to the Humane League.

“In the fight to free hens from battery cages—brutal metal enclosures as small as filing cabinet drawers—state-wide legislation and regulation is one of the most powerful ways to enact change,” according to the Humane League’s website. “In writing new regulations to protect egg-laying hens from a lifetime of mistreatment and misery in confinement, Arizona is making crucial progress for chickens, not just within the Grand Canyon State but also beyond its borders.

“By 2025, all eggs laid or sold within the state of Arizona must be 100 percent cage-free. This means that, once the rule is fully implemented, over seven million hens will be spared from life in extreme confinement every single year,” according to the Humane League.

“According to the new rule, Arizona farmers are required to provide egg-laying hens with at least one square foot of floor space—an important upgrade to the harsh conditions of battery cages, which confine each bird to an area no bigger than the surface of a small iPad per animal,” according to the Humane League.

According to the Arizona Department of Agriculture, small producers with fewer than 20,000 egg-laying producing hens are exempt from this cage size requirement standard. The rule had been slated to be enforced in October 2022, but a delay was necessary due to the national egg shortage caused by avian influenza. The mandate does apply to retail sales. Egg producers must apply for and receive certification and be registered with the AZDA before selling their eggs.

“The Arizona Constitution is clear: lawmaking is the job of Arizonans’ elected representatives, not unelected regulators,” said Goldwater Staff Attorney John Thorpe. “But bureaucrats are trying to go around the lawmaking process to impose a policy that only helps the government’s favored special interests while hurting everyone else.”

“The legislature cannot give regulatory agencies like the Arizona Department of Agriculture the power to make the law,” said Adi Dynar, an attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation. “Sweeping policies, like the cage-free egg rule, which substantially increase prices for businesses and consumers, must be made by the people’s representatives, not bureaucrats.”

Read the lawsuit here.

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Sprouts Using Instacart’s Foodstorm to Fill Thanksgiving Dinner Orders

Sprouts Farmers Market, one of the largest and fastest growing specialty retailers of fresh, natural, and organic foods in the United States, is now accepting holiday pre-orders for Thanksgiving. Sprouts is partnering with Instacart’s Foodstorm solution, which will strengthen catering services with a seamless digital platform and enhanced customer experience. Shoppers can order through the Sprouts website.

“Sprouts is committed to providing a seamless customer experience across all facets of our business, and we’re thrilled to partner with our friends at Instacart to bring Foodstorm to Sprouts. This will give our customers a new and convenient way to order better-for-you meals this holiday season,” said Nick Konat, president and chief operating officer of Sprouts.

Thanksgiving pre-orders will be available for pickup on November 15 through noon on November 23.

Pre-orders available at sprouts.com/holiday include:

  • Natural Turkeys – no added antibiotics, ever
  • Uncured Spiral Ham, no sugar added, gluten-free
  • Premium Angus Beef Rib Roasts, all-natural USDA choice, no artificial ingredients
  • Vegan Roasts
  • Full meal kits available with any main course meat
  • Fruit, Veggies & Cheese Trays
  • Appetizer Trays
  • Sandwich Trays
  • Bakery & Dessert Trays
  • Seafood Trays

“We are thrilled to share a festive assortment of seasonal better-for-you offerings,” said Scott Neal, chief merchandising officer of Sprouts. “This holiday season, our focus is on providing healthy options for every dietary lifestyle. Celebrate your healthy holiday with organic turkeys, hams, and roasts, and fully prepared holiday meals. There’s always something unique waiting to be discovered, whether it’s a plant-based side dish or one of our award-winning freshly baked pies, we have something for everyone at your table.”

In addition to holiday catering, Sprouts is offering seasonal items for shoppers, available in-store.

Holiday Sides

  • Sprouts Gluten-free Rosemary & Sage Stuffing
  • Sprouts Plant-Based Cornbread Stuffing

Charcuterie Boards Inspiration

  • Champignon Combozola Black Label Blue Cheese
  • Boursin Dairy-free Garlic & Herb Cheese Spread
  • Freybe Tequila Ghost Pepper Salami
  • Brooklyn Cured Trio Beef Salami
  • Sprouts Croccante Italian Crackers
  • Sprouts Grain-free Crackers

Baked Goods

  • Ready-to-decorate Mini Gingerbread House
  • Gingerbread Mug Huggers

December pre-orders resume December 4 with pickups available December 15 through noon on December 24. Sprouts stores will be open Thanksgiving Day 7 am – 2 pm; Christmas Eve 7 am – 7 pm; Closed Christmas Day; Open New Year’s Eve 7 am – 8 pm; Open News Year’s Day 7 am – 10 pm (regular store hours).

For more information and inspiration, visit www.sprouts.com/holiday-inspiration-and-recipes/.

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