Food and Beverage Manufacturing Top Stories

Candy packaging

Hershey launches more sustainable packaging

New design uses 32 percent less material, including 3.12 fewer pounds of corrugate.

July 13, 2017

Hershey is launching an innovative new packaging approach that the company developed in 2016 to reduce corrugate waste, lessen its carbon footprint and improve sustainability efficiencies across the supply chain.

Replacement Parts

Food processors are spending less on replacement parts

Report shows that more companies are spending less on replacement parts, but searching for the lowest price is still a low priority for companies.

Crystal Lindell

July 12, 2017

Food and beverage companies are spending less on replacement parts than they did in the past.

Food Science

Vinome uses DNA to recommend wines

‘DNA-based wine experience’ uses genetic samples to recommend wines

Casey Laughman

July 11, 2017

A new wine service is replacing a sommelier with science.

Tech Update: Engine Room

Efficiency improvements offer new choices for engine room equipment

Utility costs, environmental concerns play major roles in evaluating purchasing options for new equipment and components.

Casey Laughman

July 10, 2017

Replacing or upgrading engine room equipment can offer energy efficiency improvements.

Maintenance

Predictive maintenance, Internet of Things can lead to big maintenance savings

The Industrial Internet of Things and low-cost sensors make PdM a must-have tool to stay competitive.

Wayne Labs

July 7, 2017

Knowing when a machine will fail and for what reason can give processors a way to save money on maintenance.

M&As

Campbell Soup to buy Pacific Foods for $700 million

The acquisition is expected to expand Campbell’s healthful food offerings.

Debra Schug

July 7, 2017

Pacific Foods will become part of Campbell’s Americas Simple Meals and Beverages division.

Food Safety

Chicken bites recalled due to possible bone fragments

Recall announced after bone found in product

Casey Laughman

June 30, 2017

Vernon, Calif.-based Overhill Farms, Inc., is recalling more than 50,000 pounds of chicken bites that may be contaminated with bone fragments.

Tariffs

Opinion: How tariffs and other changes can have unintended consequences

A proposed foreign steel tariff that would hurt the canned food industry shows how easy it is for one policy change to drastically impact other sectors.

Casey Laughman

June 27, 2017

An increase in the importation cost of tinplate steel would lead to higher costs for manufacturers, which leads to higher prices for consumers.

Processing

Amazon and the shift to direct-to-consumer packaged food

915 Labs CEO Mike Locatis discusses how processors can prepare for consumers purchasing more groceries online.

Debra Schug

June 27, 2017

A spotlight on new technology to improve the processing and packaging of healthier food.

Dirty Jobs

Mike Rowe thinks more kids should skip college

Dirty Jobs host recently spoke at PowerPlex about the need to encourage more students to pursue a trade.

Crystal Lindell

June 27, 2017

While he isn’t anti-college — Rowe himself has a degree — he does believe more people should be encouraged to do blue collar work, such as learning a trade or working in the manufacturing sector.