Jan 17, 20252 min read

By: Tom Cosgrove, Director, Industry Relations, FMI and Laura Judy, Manager, Web & Digital Communications, FMI

Bulk Foods

When I first started at FMI, I always brought a notebook and some loose paper to every meeting. The notebook was for the usual reason: taking notes to reference later. The loose paper had a different purpose. There were some unfamiliar terms (and a lot of acronyms!), and I used those loose sheets to write down anything I didn't recognize. I'd then stealthily slide it to a colleague, who would quickly jot down the definition and slide it back to me.

A lot has changed since I first started at FMI, but one thing has stayed consistent: the industry loves their acronyms and has a unique set of terms. I am proud to announce that we have worked to re-build and update the industry glossary on the FMI website to help define the terms and acronyms within the industry. This effort has been a true collaboration with our Private Brands Leadership Council's Strategic Sourcing Work Group and the talented web team within our Communications Department.

Key features of the new page include:

  • Updated user experience.
  • Refined search results.
  • Introduced a "term du jour" showcasing definitions each time the page is refreshed.
  •  "Latest additions" added to the landing page.
  • Easy upload functionality on the backend for our web team to add or update terms in the future.
Search Capability Enhancements

We've added numerous behind-the-scenes programming enhancements to improve the search functions. These changes will help users quickly find more accurate information without unnecessary clicks.

  • The glossary search now displays full definitions directly, instead of linking to definition detail pages.
  • Additionally, the glossary search functionality was enhanced to show matching glossary terms in a drop-down format when a visitor starts to type.
  • The definition detail page has a button to "Search This Term on FMI.org," further encouraging users to explore our website.

My former self from back when I was passing slips of paper would be so thankful for this feature on the website. The great thing about the new glossary is that it is open to everyone, so I encourage you to check it out and share with others.

Food Industry Glossary