You’ve probably noticed some changes in the way Food Engineering looks.

It’s a pretty big change, which of course means it takes some getting used to. But it also allows us to do some things we couldn’t do before, and I’m looking forward to how we can use it to continue to provide you the best coverage of the commercial food and beverage processing industry.

We’ve been working towards this change for a while, which means we’ve had to go through a lot of evaluation and decisions about what we were doing before, how it could be translated to the new design, and what we should do differently given the new tools we now have.

I’m sure the previous paragraph resonated with a lot of you, for reasons both good and bad. Any fundamental shift in how you produce your product is a scary thing, and it requires buy-in and cooperation across multiple departments to ensure it’s done properly. Any aspect of the change can be a big problem if it’s not identified and dealt with before you’re trying to get the finished product out the door.

In our case, I’m fortunate enough to work with great people who understand the importance of leaving no stone unturned when it comes to a big change like this. Communication is always critical, and so is a willingness to address tough questions raised by people who are suddenly seeing their normal routine go by the wayside.

Now that we’ve got the first issue under our belts, I’m looking forward to the new things we can do and the added flexibility this platform will offer us. I’m sure there will be times along the way that are challenging or at least different from what we’re used to, but the only way to go is forward.

Change is going to happen, regardless of how comfortable we are in our routines. With clear communication, buy-in across the board and a commitment to making it work, it goes from scary to exciting, and I can’t wait to bring you a newer and better Food Engineering.