Besides focusing on process engineering, food engineers need to become product engineers who interact with other scientific disciplines to better understand food at the nano- and micro-scale level in order to fabricate more nutritious, flavorful and transportable products, argues José Miguel Aguilera.
Whether it's food or beverage manufacturing, production systems are under greater pressure from the supply chain to perform predictably. The lead time to get finished goods ready for shipment is being shortened as companies reduce storage of finished goods, push inventory further into the supply chain and try to reduce inventory risk and maximize working capital. The challenge, however, is that production lines are not always capable of producing to the new management objectives.
Choosing to build a new plant rather than renovate or expand an existing one is based on any number of necessary functions. The existing facility may be outdated and operating costs excessive. Or, a new location may offer advantages such as reduced labor costs, lower taxes, improved access to markets or simply the room to grow. Whatever the reason, it behooves operations and plant managers to plan carefully and understand where they are going and why. Today, a commitment to build a new plant is a commitment to sanitary design.
Machine vision is an essential element of JBT FoodTech’s water-jet portioning machines, and the analytical capabilities of optimized value sorting can help processors achieve even higher portioning profits.
Due to consumer demand for aluminum beer bottle packaging, Anheuser-Busch has added two more brands to its collection of aluminum bottles. Source: Anheuser-Busch.Due to consumer demand for aluminum beer bottle
As a born and bred Philly girl, I watched in wonder as the world media picked up the story of the South Philadelphia cheese steak landmark with the little tiny sign in its window demanding that all patrons place their orders in English. After all, this is America, right? Not really, it's South Philly where people are earthy, honest and anything goes.
A controlled atmosphere packaging system (CAPS) ostensibly was the what's-new element in the Ecolean Group booth at Cologne, Germany's Anuga FoodTec show in April, though for many West European liquid food and beverage processors, the company's entire line is new. Ecolean entered the commercial packaging market seven years ago, beginning in Russia and China and expanding westward into eastern and central Europe. Food companies in Spain, the UK and elsewhere are beginning to use the packaging system.
Koelnmesse's triennial Anuga FoodTec show in Cologne, Germany, spotlights Europe's latest equipment innovations. Among the technologies taking a bow in March was Shaka, the trade name for a reciprocating retort process that significantly reduces processing and cool-down times, particularly for high-viscous foods. Rapid agitation turns the container into a heat exchanger, evening out thermal distribution to the contents. In a comparison to static retort, vegetable soup in a #10 can was sterilized and cooled in 18 minutes instead of 7 hours.
RSS
