Food and Beverage Manufacturing Top Stories
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Sustainability

Groups accuse US Roundtable for Sustainable Beef of 'greenwashing'

A group of NGOs say the US Roundtable for Sustainable Beef sustainability plan is unsustainable

Wayne Labs, Senior Contributing Technical Editor

July 6, 2018

A "Sustainability Framework" produced by the US Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) has been criticized as "greenwashing" by a number of environmental groups.

Sustainability

Major water savings has California grape packaging supplier ahead of sustainability goals

Company reduced water usage by 40 percent and increased profits in eight weeks

Wayne Labs

June 25, 2018

Styrotek, a manufacturer of expanded polystyrene foam packaging for grapes, recently undertook a major water efficiency program. In eight weeks, the company reduced its water usage from 20 million gallons per year to 12 million.

Automation

Opinion: Now is the time to digitally transform F&B manufacturing

IIoT and hybrid/cloud deployment models are accelerating change

Keith Chambers

June 25, 2018

In April, I presented a case for why digital transformation in the Food & Beverage industry has now come of age. Food Engineering hosted their Food Automation & Manufacturing conference in Bonita Springs, Florida. Industry leaders gathered to explore the latest trends and technologies in manufacturing, automation, sustainability and food safety. Leading brands like Maple Leaf, PepsiCo and Land O’ Frost shared strategies on driving innovation and sustainability through digital transformation strategies.

Field Reports

U.S. Water helps feed mill solve alkalinity problem

Feed mill turns to U.S. Water to help address high levels of alkalinity

Casey Laughman

June 25, 2018

U.S. Water’s EnergyOUT system offers processors an energy efficient, sustainable system to treat water feeds for issues such as alkalinity.

Dry Processing Technology

Meat snack exporter detects success with Fortress

Metal detectors avoid false positives from oxygen absorber

Casey Laughman

June 18, 2018

When UK-based Meatsnacks Group needed a metal detector that wouldn’t return false positives from oxygen absorbers, it turned to Fortress Technology for a specialized solution.

Engineering R&D

Wireless sensors help maintain the ideal environment

Wireless sensors can help processors manage temperature, humidity levels in plants

Wayne Labs

June 18, 2018

When a bakery’s cake frosting started slumping, operations employed a wireless mesh sensor network to tackle the icing problems.

Food Manufacturing

Manufacturing for changing consumer needs

As customer behaviors shift, processors need flexibility and adaptability.

Casey Laughman

June 15, 2018

With lead times on ingredient changes and product development being measured in months at a minimum, correctly identifying when trends have legs is critical.

Food Safety

How to manage recalls

New tools help processors manage recall processes

Crystal Lindell

June 8, 2018

As new regulations have led to increased food recalls, companies work to digitize their food safety systems, hoping they will help make it easier to track their products.

Plant Construction Survey

2018 Plant Construction Survey: Rising Rate of Food & Beverage Plant Renovations/Expansions

Many food & beverage processors are renovating/expanding their existing plants to meet FSMA and consumer demands.

Wayne Labs

June 8, 2018

Food Engineering's 41st annual Plant Construction Survey reveals that the ratio of the number of plant renovations and expansions versus new, greenfield projects has again risen from last year, indicating several owners and operators are trying to stay put.

Cold Chain

Internet protocols make the refrigerated supply chain more efficient

Initiative aims to move refrigerated foods through the supply chain more efficiently to reduce spoilage

Wayne Labs

June 6, 2018

Just as the Internet makes use of hardware to relay data via the best routes regardless of who owns the hardware, a new “Physical Internet” for the Cold Chain (aka Cold PI) initiative is being developed by Tippmann Innovation (Ti) and Georgia Tech’s Supply Chain and Logistics Institute and the Physical Internet Center.

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.