Engineering R&D

Portable devices grab moisture measurements anywhere

While fixed-location, on-line near-IR moisture sensors have been used for some time in several industries, a portable device lets you make spot checks in processes to see where problems are occurring.

Wayne Labs

February 4, 2018

A near-infrared (or NIR) handheld moisture meter can help locate a problem in your process without physically touching your product.

Food Trends

Sodexo names top 5 food trends for 2018

Sodexo Chefs say plant forward and fermented foods will be on the menu

Crystal Lindell

February 3, 2018

Rainbow bagels, unicorn food and milkshakes as big as a person's head are so yesterday. What will be on plates over the next 12 months?

Packaging

Tree Top works with Sonoco to launch clear pouches

See-through applesauce pouches allow parents and children to see it before they squeeze it.

Crystal Lindell

January 21, 2018

The new pouches were created as a response to a greater need for transparency in food packaging, and to address the concern about not being able to see food before consuming it.

Engineering R&D

Rapid Listeria testing technology continues to improve

If a swab test performed in a plant comes back positive, waiting to confirm it’s a pathogenic strain can be damaging and costly.

Wayne Labs

January 21, 2018

Listeria is everywhere, but not all strains are particularly dangerous. Improved rapid-testing technology can help you determine how to proceed.

Engineering R&D

Food-grade lubricants may require less frequent changes than previously thought

Give the maintenance staff a break and change the oil in air compressors less often

Wayne Labs

December 20, 2017

Testing methods for food-grade lubricants have improved to predict and determine more accurately the actual lifetime of a compressor oil change—which may be better than previously expected.

Engineering R&D

Plasma sparks new cold sterilization technique

Plasma is known for being in TVs, cutting devices and futuristic rocket engines, but it also is an effective non-thermal lethality agent.

Wayne Labs

November 27, 2017

While plasma could be useful in a number of food applications, using it to create a non-thermal sterilization system will likely be the most attractive to processors.

Engineering R&D

Instrumentation helps provide more accurate fish quality analysis

Your senses of smell and sight may be one way to evaluate the freshness of fish, but this electronic device produces far more accurate results.

Wayne Labs

October 23, 2017

Knowing the quality of the fish before it was frozen would be great and, even better, would be tracking fresh fish from catch/harvest through every step of the supply chain. To do this, a calibrated instrument is needed.