Today’s Pickup: wide recalls jolt food supply chain

Good day,

More than a dozen companies have recalled millions of pounds of potentially contaminated food in recent days in a new challenge for food producers facing heightened scrutiny of the U.S. food supply, according to the WSJ. Food manufacturers nationwide are recalling nearly 4 million pounds of food shipped to grocery stores and distributors, after a Canadian supplier recalled vegetables used as ingredients in their food. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration said they are investigating. The vegetables could be contaminated with salmonella and listeria.

Did you know?

Those released from prison are “more likely than the average American to want to work,” but they have difficult times finding jobs. Black women, age 35-44 who have been in prison, face an unemployment rate of 43.6% versus the general population of 6.4%. The same story is told across other demographics, with 35.2% of black men unemployed versus 7.7% of the general population; 23.2% of white women versus 4.3%, and 18.4% of white men versus 4.3%.

Quotable:

“Sears taught America about the modern world through this catalog. It completely changed American life. That catalog was sort of a window into this new consumer world, and it really made a connection with people.”

—Jerry Hancock, Sears historian

In other news:

Slow drip stock sell-off getting worse than past flash crashes

The S&P 500 has fallen in 18 of 23 days, more than past drops. (Bloomberg)

Forwarders must act smarter to prevent peak cargo congestion, says Heathrow

Airport data indicates that volumes will be as strong, or stronger, than last year, when congestion became a major issue. (The Loadstar)

GM’s driverless car bet faces long road ahead

Expectations and high investment are now hitting speed bumps. (Reuters)

Planning paves the way to a truly automated supply chain

In many supply chains, planning remains the bottleneck of a fully automated supply chain. (SupplyChainDive) 

Inside Bird’s scooter economics

Electric scooter rental service Bird told prospective investors in June of this year that it was on pace to generate around $65 million in revenue annually. (The Information) 

Final Thoughts:

At UPS Freight, the company’s LTL unit, matters could quickly come to a head. After decisively rejecting the tentative contract proposal agreed to by union leadership and the company, workers at UPS Freight on Oct. 11 said they would cancel a 30-day contract extension when it expires on Nov. 12. Unless an agreement is reached by then, 12,000 unionized UPS Freight workers could walk off their jobs.

About 62 percent of UPS Freight employees voted down their 5-year contract proposal, citing dissatisfaction with driver sub-contracting language and substandard wage increases.

Hammer down, everyone!