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Plant Sanitation

Top five ways to get your plant sanitation FSMA-ready

Although the final FSMA preventive controls and cGMP provisions may be more than a year away, now is the time to develop and apply requisite science-based food safety plans.

Julie Larson Bricher

April 9, 2013

On January 4, 2013, two years after the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law, FDA issued its proposed Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (HARPC) regulations.

Tech Update - Pumps

Look before you leap into pump selection

While there may be more than one pump solution for a specific application, it pays to do some homework first to find the most efficient solution.

Wayne Labs

April 9, 2013

Increase efficiency. Improve product handling characteristics. Meter ingredients or cleaning chemicals more accurately. Cut maintenance time and downtime. Decrease energy usage.

Engineering R&D

Energy savings flow from pasta dryer’s exhaust air

Process temperature and relative humidity are managed in a new dryer design that improves the quality of long goods pasta production while generating energy savings.

Mikell Knights

April 9, 2013

Bühler was investigating how to improve the conditioning of pasta through enhanced dryer control.

Packaging

Prize-winning packs

Microwaveable bacon package wins Product of the Year Award.

Hallie Forcinio

April 9, 2013

A microwaveable, susceptor-equipped bacon package for Embotits Espina, a 102-year-old maker of cold cuts headquartered in Vic, Spain, earned the Product of the Year Award.

Dry Processing

Organic grain packager fills it to the limit

Taking the load off the backs of operators, this automatic bag filler also has increased production rates by 40 percent.

Wayne Labs

April 9, 2013

Grain Millers, based in Eugene, OR has been packaging conventional organic whole grain products for more than 30 years.

Food Defense Systems

Staff vigilance: The first line of food defense

Facing mandates to safeguard against deliberate contamination, food companies walk a fine line between implementing effective defenses and creating an uncomfortable workplace.

Kevin T. Higgins

March 6, 2013

The joke in certain circles is that the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which explicitly cites the need to guard against intentional adulteration, should more accurately be referred to as SCFEA: the Security Consultants Full Employment Act.

Packaging Materials

Multifaceted empowerment

New packaging materials add functionality, improve sustainability, lengthen shelf life and enhance shelf impact of food products.

Hallie Forcinio

March 6, 2013

Innovative packaging materials and concepts give new and established products greater functionality, sustainability, shelf life and shelf impact.

FSMA Update

The devil’s in the details

Looking for some light reading material before going to bed? The first proposed rules for the Food Safety Modernization Act are not the place to start.

Kevin T. Higgins

March 6, 2013

The second anniversary of the signing into law of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was celebrated January 4 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with the long-delayed unveiling of the first proposed regulations affecting manufacturers and their upstream partners in the food chain.

Tech Update: Wireless Applications

Eliminate wires and legwork with radio communications

Wireless systems help alleviate plant installation obstructions and provide cost efficiencies. With FSMA looming, it’s time to get moving to support electronic recordkeeping with wireless capabilities.

Wayne Labs

March 6, 2013

Look around you. You probably have operating parameters you’d like to measure and track to satisfy the requirements of regulators, especially with FDA getting serious about implementing parts of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

Continuous improvement

Engaged staff equals better performance

Virtually every manufacturer with a business continuity plan wants to improve continuously, including in the way it approaches continuous improvement.

Kevin T. Higgins

February 6, 2013

Like motherhood and love of country, continuous improvement is a concept that demands support. None dare speak against it; all are obliged to sing its praises.

On Demand Kelley Rodriguez, Editor in Chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, will be joined in this 60-minute webinar by industry experts to help unpack the latest research.

On Demand Driven by climate goals, business risk, client interest, and resilience considerations, food and beverage companies are increasingly turning their attention to decarbonizing their production processes.