Production improvement is always a driver in manufacturing, but there are other areas of concern in food and beverage, as survey participants make clear.

Staff expansions and production efficiencies are bright spots in an industry feeling the effects of economic forces beyond its control.

Capital budgets are up, production outlooks are brighter as food industry professionals shift focus toward new opportunities.

Change is constant, and North American food manufacturers are determined to make sure that the performance in their plants is better tomorrow than it is today. That is one of the key findings in this year's State of Food Manufacturing Study, a survey measuring the pulse of the industry, first undertaken by Food Engineering in 1980. The concern with continuous improvement is virtually universal, based on responses to a new question on how survey respondents' organizations are addressing this need. Given a list of eight options, none of the 186 food professionals who answered the question selected, "No program in place."

While the growth rate in plant improvements is slowing, food companies are still enjoying a positive manufacturing environment.