Food and Beverage Manufacturing Top Stories

Engineering R&D

Novel compressed air drying system leaves out the desiccant

Wayne Labs, Senior Contributing Technical Editor

January 22, 2020

Typically, in food applications where compressed air may come in direct contact with food, regenerative desiccant dryers are able to dry the air to ISO 8573 Class 1-2 requirements.

Tech Update

Employing wireless sensors without a clear goal could prove inefficient

Wayne Labs

January 22, 2020

How do you implement a sensor-based IIoT system that can fulfill your needs now and into the future?

Field Reports

Brewer expands growth, operates greener with a Miura steam boiler

Sharon Spielman

January 20, 2020

When the owners of Badger State Brewing Company decided to continue their expansion and growth, they added a Miura LX-100SG steam boiler to build out processing capabilities while reducing fuel consumption and lowering emissions—helping to achieve their goal of being an even greener brewery.

IIOT Communications

IIOT sensor communications issues still need work

NIST’s Nenad Ivezic provides a more detailed view of the progress made in standardizing data communications in the food supply chain—including sensors and IIoT at the farm and industrial levels

Wayne Labs

January 17, 2020

While much of the work involving the standardization of communication in the overall food supply chain is finished, there is still work needing to be done regarding the standardization of IIoT sensor data. I asked Nenad Ivezic, leader of the Process Engineering Group in the Systems Integration Division of the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Engineering Laboratory, to fill us in on the particulars.

How food and beverage marketing claims can affect the production process

Sharon Spielman

January 17, 2020

Today’s consumers demand transparency more than ever, so the labels on food and beverage products are an important component in such a competitive market.

Food Safety

FDA moves to in-depth analysis after romaine field tests didn’t find outbreak strains

'Root-cause' investigation will help determine needed preventive controls

Rose Shilling

January 16, 2020

E. coli tests of romaine fields where investigators traced contaminated lettuce did not turn up outbreak strains, so the FDA will move to an in-depth “root-cause” investigation for three outbreaks.

Viking Masek saves energy with solar array

Energy savings

Packaging machine company turns toward the sun

Solar power helps Viking Masek save some big bucks

Wayne Labs

January 9, 2020

Solar arrays aren't just for sunny southern climes; they can reduce energy bills up north, too.

Plant of the Year

J.M. Smucker wins 2020 Food Engineering Plant of the Year

MycoTechnology wins Sustainable Plant of the Year

Casey Laughman

January 7, 2020

J.M. Smucker’s Longmont, Colo. production facility has been named the 2020 Food Engineering Plant of the Year.

The basics of cleaning and sanitation in food plants

Understanding the difference between cleaning and sanitizing is critical

Richard F. Stier

January 7, 2020

Sanitation maintains or restores a state of cleanliness and promotes hygiene for prevention of foodborne illness.

How companies are coping with intentional adulteration rule enforcement

Rose Shilling

January 6, 2020

A big part of implementing a food defense plan is deciding between expensive technology and cheaper, low-tech strategies to protect your product from intentional adulteration.