History

The Food Marketing Institute was formed in 1977 through the merger of the National Association of Food Chains and Super Market Institute, two organizations that had served the industry since the 1930s. Robert Aders, former U.S. undersecretary of labor, becomes its first president and CEO and serves from 1977 – 1993. Other presidents and CEOs of the organization include Timothy M. Hammonds (1993 – 2008) and Leslie G. Sarasin (2008 – present).

In 1996, the Food Marketing Institute founded the FMI Foundation, which seeks to ensure continued quality and efficiency in the food retailing system and is operated for charitable, educational and scientific purposes. To help support the role of food retailing, the FMI Foundation focuses on research and education in the areas of food safety, nutrition and health.

In 2002, the Board of Directors of the Food Marketing Institute approved a plan to join FMI’s food retail and wholesale members with the grocery wholesale members of Food Distributors International (FDI).

In 2003, the Food Marketing Institute acquires the Safe Quality Food supplier certification program from the Department of Agriculture of Western Australia. The SQF program is designed to manage food safety and product quality utilizing industry specific codes of practice and regulations.

In 2020, the Food Marketing Institute formally rebranded to use the acronym FMI. The organization adopted the tagline, The Food Industry Association, and FMI stands for Food Marketplace Inc. This change reflects FMI’s strategy to more broadly represent the food marketplace and embrace a more interconnected supply chain. FMI views retail as the heart of the food industry and recently expanded its membership in response to retailers’ needs, helping them facilitate access and connectivity with suppliers and other business partners.

Learn More In Supermarket Anniversary Facts