Acme Food Sales Inc. — Sample Bill of Lading Data (PNUM7026)

Updated: 2026-10-11 | Writer: TurkExim | Page ID: PNUM7026

Acme Food Sales Inc., based at 5940 1st Avenue South in Seattle, Washington, is a long-standing importer of specialty Mediterranean and organic pantry goods entering the United States through the Port of New York and New Jersey. The sample bill of lading presented on this page — issued under ZIM INTEGRATED SHIPPING SERVICES LTD aboard the container vessel ZIM MONACO, voyage 37E, on 20 March 2015 — captures a single consolidated shipment of organic capers, sun-dried tomatoes, organic whole olives, organic mixed medley olives, and organic roasted red peppers moving from Piraeus, Greece to the New York/Newark area. The file is one of hundreds of public U.S. customs manifests that document Acme Food Sales Inc.'s activity in the organic and specialty food segment.

This page reproduces the full manifest data in a clean, structured format and adds commercial context around the importer, the carrier, the routing, and the commodity mix. Readers can use it as a reference example of how a U.S. consignee appears in publicly available bill of lading datasets, what HS codes apply to each commodity line, and how Mediterranean organic goods are typically consolidated into a single container for transatlantic delivery. The page also expands on Acme Food Sales Inc.'s business model, sourcing strategy, quality assurance practices, and position in the competitive U.S. specialty food import market.

1. Sample Bill of Lading — Key Fields at a Glance

The table below reproduces the public bill of lading dataset for the 20 March 2015 Acme Food Sales Inc. shipment. Each field corresponds to a column in the underlying U.S. customs manifest dataset, and together they paint a complete picture of a single transatlantic food import transaction: who shipped, who received, what was inside, how it moved, and under which contract of carriage. Understanding each field is essential for analysts, trade researchers, and competitor intelligence professionals who rely on bill of lading data to map supply chains.

Two fields deserve special attention. First, the shipper name and shipper address are masked (shown as *** and **) in the public dataset; this is common when the shipper has requested confidentiality or when the data provider applies privacy redactions. Second, the country of origin is recorded as Ukraine, while the foreign port of lading is Piraeus, Greece and the place of receipt is Izmir, Turkey — a reminder that for consolidated shipments the country of origin reflects where the goods were produced, not the port where the ocean leg began. The cargo was collected in Izmir, shipped overland or by short-sea feeder to Piraeus, and there loaded onto the ZIM MONACO for the transatlantic voyage to Newark.

2. Commodity Breakdown and HS Code Mapping

The Details field on the manifest contains five distinct commodity lines consolidated inside container ZCSU8686915. All five lines carry the same brand reference ("365"), suggesting a private-label retail program — the "365" brand is widely associated with Whole Foods Market's everyday-value line of pantry staples. Together, the five lines aggregate to 3,346 packages and 9,935.49 kg of organic Mediterranean specialties. The breakdown below reconstructs each line, its gross weight, package count, and Harmonized System (HS) classification.

Across the five lines, three observations stand out. First, the brand consistency ("365 Organic" across four of the five lines) confirms that this is a coordinated retail-ready import program, not a one-off purchase. Second, four of the five lines are preserved in brine and packed in glass jars — a homogeneous handling profile that makes them ideal for consolidation in a single container. Third, the mix balances volume-heavy items (roasted red peppers, olives) with lighter, higher-value-per-kilo items (capers, sun-dried tomatoes), which is a typical retail-assortment optimization pattern designed to spread container and freight cost across multiple SKUs.

3. Routing, Vessel and Container Details

The cargo's journey began at the place of receipt in Izmir, Turkey, a major hub for Aegean agricultural exports — particularly olives, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, and other Mediterranean specialties. From Izmir, the goods were moved (likely by short-sea feeder or truck) to the foreign port of lading at Piraeus, Greece, where they were loaded aboard the container vessel ZIM MONACO for the transatlantic leg. ZIM MONACO is part of ZIM INTEGRATED SHIPPING SERVICES LTD's fleet, sailing under voyage number 37E on this particular rotation.

On arrival in the United States, the vessel called at the New York/Newark Area, specifically the Port of Newark, New Jersey — one of the busiest container terminals on the U.S. East Coast and the primary entry point for Mediterranean food imports destined for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic markets. The U.S. destination port listed on the manifest is identical to the port of unlading, indicating the container was picked up locally (or drayed to a nearby warehouse) rather than being transshipped onward by ocean. From Newark, the cargo would have been trucked cross-country to Acme Food Sales Inc.'s Seattle facility — a coast-to-coast domestic move of approximately 2,900 miles.

Carrier and Equipment Identifiers

The relationship between the house B/L and the master B/L is important. The master bill (ZIMUIZM15333216, one digit shorter) is issued by the ocean carrier to the freight forwarder or NVOCC and covers the entire container; the house bill (ZIMUIZM153332169) is issued by the forwarder to the actual consignee — in this case Acme Food Sales Inc. — and is the document the importer uses to claim the goods at the destination terminal. The fact that both bills share the ZIMUIZM prefix confirms that ZIM acted as both carrier and document issuer on this movement, rather than the movement being intermediated by a third-party NVOCC.

4. Introduction to Acme Food Sales Inc.

Acme Food Sales Inc. is a premier player in the U.S. food import industry, specializing in the importation of high-quality Mediterranean and organic pantry products — including, but not limited to, sun-dried tomatoes, organic capers, organic olives, and roasted peppers — into the United States. With a commitment to excellence and a deep understanding of global supply chains, Acme Food Sales Inc. has established itself as a leading supplier in the specialty food market, serving a diverse clientele that includes national supermarket chains, independent gourmet retailers, wholesalers, and food manufacturers. The bill of lading sample reproduced above is one concrete record of this activity, capturing a single shipment that brought nearly 10 metric tons of organic Mediterranean goods into the U.S. market in March 2015.

This introduction delves into the company's history, operations, market positioning, and the integral role it plays in the U.S. specialty food industry. While Acme Food Sales Inc. is perhaps best known in trade datasets for its sun-dried tomato volumes, the sample manifest shows that the company's actual portfolio is considerably broader — it handles multiple organic vegetable SKUs across three HS chapters simultaneously, all under a coordinated private-label retail program. This breadth is one of the company's defining characteristics and a key differentiator in a market segment where most competitors specialize narrowly.

5. Company Overview and Operations

Acme Food Sales Inc. operates from its headquarters at 5940 1st Avenue South in Seattle, Washington — a location that places it within the Georgetown industrial corridor, close to the Port of Seattle and well-positioned for both West Coast distribution and cross-country freight movements. From this central hub, the company oversees a complex network of overseas suppliers, freight forwarders, customs brokers, warehousing partners, and domestic distribution channels that together move specialty food products from Mediterranean origins to U.S. retail shelves. The Seattle base also gives Acme Food Sales Inc. a strategic advantage in servicing Pacific Northwest retailers and foodservice accounts, while its East Coast port of entry (Newark, as shown in the sample manifest) allows efficient access to the denser Northeast consumer market.

The company prides itself on rigorous quality control processes, extensive industry knowledge, and a dedication to customer satisfaction that has helped it retain long-term private-label partnerships. In the bill of lading sample, the recurrence of the "365" brand across four of the five commodity lines indicates a structured, recurring private-label supply relationship — the kind of program that requires the importer to maintain consistent quality, packaging, and lead times across multiple SKUs over many years. Sustaining such a relationship requires not only sourcing competence but also strong regulatory, customs, and logistics execution capabilities, all of which Acme Food Sales Inc. has demonstrably built over time.

6. Business Model and Operations

Acme Food Sales Inc. operates on a robust business model that combines strategic sourcing, meticulous quality control, and efficient logistics. The company's primary focus is on importing Mediterranean and organic food products — a category that spans sun-dried tomatoes, capers, olives, roasted peppers, and related specialties — all of which are key ingredients in a wide range of culinary applications from retail pantry to foodservice. The 2015 sample manifest is a representative snapshot of this model in action: a single consolidated container carrying five distinct SKUs across three HS chapters, all bound for a single private-label retail program. Here is an in-depth look at the various aspects of its operations.

Sourcing and Procurement

Acme Food Sales Inc. sources its products from select growers and producers across the Mediterranean basin. The company has established strong relationships with suppliers in key regions known for their superior varieties — Turkey for sun-dried tomatoes and capers, Greece for olives and roasted peppers, and other Aegean origins for organic specialty vegetables. The sample shipment's journey from Izmir (place of receipt) through Piraeus (port of lading) reflects this Aegean sourcing strategy: Izmir is one of Turkey's largest agricultural export hubs for olives, capers, and sun-dried tomatoes, while Piraeus serves as the natural deep-water loading port for the East Mediterranean to U.S. East Coast trade lane. These partnerships ensure a steady supply of high-quality products and allow Acme Food Sales Inc. to offer its clients a diverse range of specialty food options year-round.

Quality Assurance

Quality is paramount at Acme Food Sales Inc. The company implements stringent quality control measures throughout the supply chain to ensure that only the best products reach its customers. From rigorous testing of raw materials at the supplier's facility to thorough inspections of finished glass-jar products before loading, Acme Food Sales Inc. maintains high standards to meet both U.S. FDA requirements and the more demanding specifications of its private-label retail partners. The organic certifications carried by four of the five commodity lines in the sample shipment — "Organic" appears in the product descriptions for capers, whole green olives, mixed medley olives, and roasted red peppers — require additional documentation and traceability that the importer must manage end-to-end, from the Mediterranean grower all the way to the U.S. retail shelf.

Logistics and Distribution

Efficient logistics is critical to Acme Food Sales Inc.'s success. The company employs a sophisticated logistics system that includes warehousing, inventory management, and distribution across multiple channels. In the sample shipment, the consolidation of five commodity lines into a single container (ZCSU8686915) is itself a logistics optimization: by combining multiple SKUs in one ocean move, the importer reduces per-unit ocean freight, minimizes the number of customs entries, and simplifies warehouse receiving on the U.S. side. Acme Food Sales Inc. utilizes modern technology to track shipments, manage inventory levels, and coordinate with distribution partners — including drayage carriers from the Port of Newark, cross-country trucking providers to Seattle, and regional last-mile carriers serving retail distribution centers. This ensures timely delivery of products and minimizes disruptions in the supply chain.

Customer Relationship Management

Acme Food Sales Inc. places a strong emphasis on building and maintaining positive relationships with its customers. The company's sales and customer service teams provide personalized support, address client needs, and offer expert advice on product selection. In the private-label retail context implied by the "365" branding on the sample shipment, this customer relationship extends deep into the retailer's category management process — Acme Food Sales Inc. is not merely a vendor but a category partner, helping the retailer plan assortment, manage replenishment cycles, and align product specifications with consumer trends. This customer-centric approach has helped Acme Food Sales Inc. build a loyal client base and establish itself as a trusted partner in the specialty food import industry.

7. Market Position and Competitive Advantage

In the highly competitive U.S. food import sector, Acme Food Sales Inc. stands out for several reasons that go beyond the basics of moving boxes from one port to another. The sample bill of lading itself reveals several of these differentiators: the breadth of the commodity mix, the use of organic-certified SKUs, the consolidation discipline, and the recurring private-label relationship. Each of these is examined in more detail below.

Specialization in Mediterranean and Organic Foods

By focusing on Mediterranean and organic specialty foods rather than attempting to cover the entire grocery import spectrum, Acme Food Sales Inc. has developed deep expertise in a specific market niche. This specialization allows the company to offer a coherent product family — sun-dried tomatoes, capers, olives, roasted peppers, and related preserves — that meets the needs of retailers seeking a one-stop Mediterranean pantry supplier. The sample shipment illustrates this perfectly: five SKUs that, taken together, cover most of a retailer's "Mediterranean antipasto" shelf section, sourced under a single consolidated logistics move.

Global Sourcing Reach

Acme Food Sales Inc.'s global sourcing network gives it access to a diverse array of specialty food products from multiple origins. While the sample shipment originates from the Aegean (Turkey as country of origin, with Izmir as the place of receipt and Piraeus as the loading port), the company's broader sourcing footprint extends to other Mediterranean origins including Italy, Spain, and Greece. This multi-origin capability enables Acme Food Sales Inc. to offer competitive pricing, hedge against weather or harvest disruptions in any single country, and meet the demands of a broad customer base that requires consistent year-round supply.

Quality Commitment

The company's unwavering commitment to quality sets it apart from competitors who compete primarily on price. Acme Food Sales Inc. invests in rigorous quality control processes at every stage of the supply chain and works closely with suppliers to ensure that products meet U.S. regulatory standards, organic certification requirements, and the more demanding specifications of private-label retail programs. The fact that four of the five commodity lines on the sample shipment carry the "Organic" descriptor reflects this commitment — organic certification is not a one-time achievement but an ongoing compliance regime that touches every shipment.

Customer Service Excellence

Exceptional customer service is a cornerstone of Acme Food Sales Inc.'s business. The company's responsive and knowledgeable team provides clients with the support they need, from order placement and production planning to shipment tracking and post-delivery follow-up. For private-label retail partners, this level of service is essential — retailers expect their import partners to manage the upstream supply chain invisibly, so the retailer can focus on merchandising and consumer marketing rather than chasing containers or resolving customs issues.

8. Industry Trends and Future Outlook

The U.S. market for Mediterranean and organic specialty foods is influenced by a number of structural industry trends that shape demand, sourcing patterns, and competitive dynamics. Understanding these trends is essential context for interpreting the sample bill of lading — Acme Food Sales Inc.'s decision to consolidate five organic SKUs into a single March 2015 shipment makes sense only against the backdrop of these broader market forces. The key trends impacting the market include the following.

Health and Wellness

Increasing consumer awareness of health and wellness is driving demand for natural, minimally processed, and organically certified foods. Dried tomatoes, capers, olives, and roasted peppers — all featured in the sample shipment — are well-positioned in this trend. They are perceived as clean-label, plant-based pantry staples that align with the Mediterranean diet pattern, which continues to receive positive coverage in nutritional research and mainstream media. Acme Food Sales Inc.'s decision to lead with organic-certified SKUs reflects this consumer shift and positions the company to capture premium pricing in the natural and organic retail channel.

Culinary Innovation

The growing interest in global cuisines and culinary experimentation in the United States is contributing to sustained demand for specialty ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and Mediterranean olives. Chefs in both restaurant and foodservice settings, as well as home cooks exploring recipes from food media and social platforms, are continuously finding new ways to incorporate these ingredients into salads, pasta dishes, sandwiches, charcuterie boards, and prepared meals. This culinary innovation creates a steady baseline of demand that supports recurring import programs like the one implied by the "365" brand on the sample shipment.

Sustainability

Sustainability is becoming a key focus in the food import industry, with consumers and retailers increasingly seeking suppliers who adhere to responsible farming practices, minimize environmental impact, and provide transparent supply chain documentation. Organic certification — which appears on four of the five commodity lines in the sample shipment — is one tangible signal of this commitment, but Acme Food Sales Inc. and similar importers are also increasingly asked about packaging recyclability (the glass jars in the sample are a positive signal), carbon footprint of the ocean and trucking legs, and fair-labor practices at origin. Looking ahead, Acme Food Sales Inc. is poised for continued growth as it expands its product offerings, enhances its logistics capabilities, and strengthens its global supply network. By staying attuned to industry trends and maintaining its focus on quality and customer service, Acme Food Sales Inc. is well-positioned to meet the evolving needs of the U.S. specialty food market.

9. Frequently Asked Questions