TreeHouse Foods, Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its snacks division to Atlas Holdings LLC of Greenwich, Conn. Atlas owns and operates 19 manufacturing and distribution businesses, which together employ more than 17,000 associates at more than 150 facilities worldwide. Atlas agreed to pay $90 million for the division, subject to closing adjustments.
With meat production on the rise—in fact tripling over the last four decades, according to the Worldwatch Institute—HPP (high-pressure processing) has proven itself not only to kill dangerous microbes, but also to extend shelf life by a factor of two to four times. Trouble is, with these merits, HPP meats tend to lose their color, which is a turnoff to some consumers.
Michael Taylor, former deputy commissioner for food for FDA and present co-chair of the Stop Foodborne Illness Board, suggested that in spite of all the technology, collaboration and education to improve food safety, crisis management still drives changes.
When we think of IIoT, we often consider the roles it plays in fine tuning processes to peak efficiency, minimizing downtime through predictive or prescribed maintenance, or acquiring data and processing it to improve food quality and safety. But, we don’t always think of another role IIoT can play, and that is using its capabilities to produce unique products in a very small quantity and package and ship them to individual customers.
Food Engineering's recent Food Automation & Manufacturing Conference addressed several high-tech Industry 4.0 topics, including predictive maintenance (PdM). I’d like to show how you can use IIoT tools to improve your maintenance program—and maybe even better your OEE scores in the process.
Sara Lee Frozen Bakery celebrates the addition of a state-of-the-art 10,000 sq.-ft. R&D innovation center and test kitchen with an opening ceremony at its headquarters in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.
A Midwest chocolate manufacturer was experiencing an overheating problem with the tanks resulting in over-cooking of the cocoa butter, causing it to caramelize.
The meat industry has been using BI technology for decades to batch chill fresh product sold to wholesalers, restaurants and supermarkets. However, traditional cryogenic injectors have always posed problems.