News

Dr. Jennifer Shuford, the deputy director and chief medical officer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is leaving the agency after being appointed in April. Shuford said in a statement that she is leaving to spend more time with her family, The Washington Post reported. Shuford will stay until Nov. 12, 2026. Read more here.

The NCSA celebrated the 55th anniversary of the Candy Hall of Fame by inducting 11 confectionery industry leaders during a ceremony held Oct. 24, 2026, at the Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek. This year's honorees were:

CDA is especially proud to recognize Kaye Powell of S. Abraham & Sons, Inc. for this well-deserved honor. We congratulate Kaye on this outstanding achievement and are grateful for her continued leadership and involvement in CDA!

The complete 2026 class includes:

• Kaye Powell, S. Abraham & Sons, Inc.
• Allison Miazga-Bedrick, Mars Snacking
• Dale Buys, The Walt Disney Company
• Michael Flynn, Stribbons, Inc.
• Juan Gallicchio, Thayer Distribution (posthumous)
• Tim Galloway, Galloway Company
• Debra Harris, Shankman & Associates, Inc.
• Taz Murray, Murray Asset Management
• Katherine Phegley, Brown & Haley
• Michael Sitarz, Elmer Chocolate
• Alan Yarmaloff, CVS Health

The NCSA also presented its 2026 Distinguished Service Award to Michael Rosenberg, PIM Brands, Inc., in recognition of his decades of leadership, service and lasting impact on the association.

CDA applauds all of this year’s honorees for their lasting contributions to the confectionery industry.

On Oct. 23, 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Administration issued a rule proposing changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) regulations to modernize Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) technology and align EBT with consumer payment processing industry standards, improving both program integrity and convenience for SNAP clients. These proposed changes will protect SNAP benefits from thieves and ensure benefits are accessible by approved households. Written comments are due by Dec. 22, 2026.

StoreMingle is a virtual trade show platform for convenience distributors. A distributor runs its own branded show online and invites its vendors and retail customers. Vendors open booths, go live, and offer show deals. Store owners shop from their phone and place one order split across all their locations. The distributor approves every vendor, product and price, and receives the orders in an Excel workbook ready for its systems. Your show, open to every store on your list.

Contact information for StoreMingle is as follows:

Elioth Fraijo
elioth@storemingle.com
StoreMingle
800 Progress Center Ct, Suite 500
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
(858) 922-1759
www.storemingle.com

Mobisoft helps brands and wholesalers sell smarter and faster, while becoming more efficient, effective and profitable by maximizing the value of every customer visit. Its mobile-first B2B commerce platform, Mobisale, is used daily by sales and distribution teams worldwide, including global brands such as Unilever, Nestlé, General Mills, BAT and Michelin. Mobisoft provides innovative solutions that help consumer goods brands and wholesalers sell and merchandise smarter, distribute more efficiently, grow revenue, save costs and improve profitability while making customers happier.

Contact information for Mobisoft is as follows:

Matan Holander
matan@mobisoft.co
Mobisoft
21 SE 1st Avenue
Miami, FL 33131
(646) 781-7495
www.mobisoft.co

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) has announced that Jessica Zeller has been selected as the next director of CTP’s Office of Compliance and Enforcement. Zeller is coming to CTP from Edwards Lifesciences, where she has served as vice president corporate counsel and general counsel for quality. Read more here.

Join industry peers and top trading partners February 22–24 in Arlington, Texas, for three days of education, networking and business-building. Marketplace features focused sessions on sales, leadership and technology, a one-day turnkey trade show, enhanced networking and signature events like the All-Star Dinner and Marketplace Gives Back.

Be part of the action! Register today and make plans to join us at Marketplace 2027.

Exhibitors: Space is nearly sold out. Secure your booth now.

Questions? eventsupport@cdaweb.net | Marketplace Website
By attending Marketplace 2027, you agree to the CDA Notices & Disclaimers.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requesting nominations by Dec. 14, 2026, for voting members to serve on the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC). Individuals may self-nominate or be nominated by any interested person or organization. Read more here.

On Sept. 25, 2026, CDA attended a Listening Session featuring the Partnership for Food Traceability (PFT) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) where further discussions were held on the challenges of implementing FSMA Section 204(d), the food traceability rule. Read a summary here.

Republic Brands has filed five new lawsuits in New York and New Jersey against companies alleged to have sold counterfeit e-z wider products. Republic also cooperated with New Jersey State Police in their investigation of a New Jersey distributor, resulting in the seizure of thousands of counterfeit booklets and a criminal counterfeiting charge against one of its operators. Read more here.

On Oct. 8, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it is taking steps to identify and offer stakeholders additional flexibilities, as appropriate, for complying with the Food Traceability Rule, and an upcoming public meeting. The draft guidance will, if finalized, provide enforcement discretion from the requirements of the Rule for certain smaller retail food establishments (RFEs) and restaurants. The virtual public meeting will be held on Nov. 6, 2026, to give the public an opportunity to share information on implementation of the Food Traceability Rule and areas of remaining concern, specifically as they relate to lot-level tracking and potential flexibilities for compliance. The public meeting is free and open to the public, but registration is necessary to attend.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus to End Youth Vaping, sent a letter to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas questioning whether potential changes to the agency’s tobacco product review process could weaken scientific standards for manufacturers. The letter follows FDA’s Sept. 28, 2026, announcement that it is considering a new rulemaking to replace the 2021 regulations governing approval of new tobacco products.

Leonard “Lenny” Allen, the second-generation president of Allen Brothers Wholesale Distribution and a longtime figure in the convenience distribution industry, died Sept. 17, 2026, at the age of 97.

Lenny grew up in South Philadelphia, attended South Philadelphia High School and later Penn State University, where he met Pauline “Polly” Allen, his wife of 74 years. Following college, he joined the family business and ultimately became the second-generation president of Allen Brothers Wholesale Distribution.

Allen Brothers was much more than a career for Lenny. Under his leadership, the company grew far beyond its rowhouse beginnings and moved in the mid-1970s to a larger facility. Over the years, it evolved into a major regional distributor serving thousands of convenience stores, mom-and-pop grocery stores, drug stores and other retailers throughout the Mid-Atlantic.

CDA sends its condolences to the Allen Brothers Wholesale Distribution family. Learn more about the life and career of Lenny here.

A new U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report highlights the challenges at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the premarket tobacco and nicotine product application review framework. The report underscores significant performance issues at the agency and the need for greater accountability, while also acknowledging FDA’s more recent strides to improve its regulatory performance. Read more here.