Joyce Fassl has spent most of her career in magazine management. As the former editor-in-chief of Food Engineering, Fassl has directed the magazine’s editorial staff since 1986, except for a two-year stretch where she oversaw content direction for the debut of Packexpo.com. Her expertise is creating dynamic print and online content, building top-notch editorial teams and managing innovative custom publishing projects and live events. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Penn State University. In addition to supervising all Food Engineering content, Joyce is Program Director for the Food Automation & Manufacturing Conference.
Food safety, sustainability, plant safety, outsourcing, trade secrets, lack of qualified workers. Sound familiar? If you work in the average North American food or beverage manufacturing plant, chances are you face these challenges each month and maybe even each day.
For more than a quarter of a century, Food Engineering has, each year, honored one food or beverage manufacturing plant as a shining example of innovation.
Each
year when we produce the Annual Replacement Parts directory issue of Food
Engineering, the trends we uncover in purchasing habits are pretty standard
fare.
A
recent Food Marketing Institute (FMI) survey reports that consumers are
changing the way they shop not only because of recent foodborne outbreaks, but
also due to rising energy costs. Unfortunately for the food industry, the
survey also says the number of consumers completely or somewhat satisfied with
the safety of supermarket food declined from 82 percent last year to 66 percent
this year, the lowest point in almost two decades.
Lettuce,
spinach, peanut butter and pet food are part of many Americans’ daily lives. As
ordinary as these products may seem, we have all seen in the past year how
extraordinary circumstances can suddenly put processors in a very unwanted
spotlight.
What
were you doing 25 years ago today? Regardless of whether or not you were
employed in the food industry, still in school, or heaven forbid, not born yet,
you know how much the world has changed.
At Food Engineering, we are constantly looking for ways to enhance your knowledge. Besides reading FE each month to keep up on current technologies, many of you have logged on to our free webinars or attended one of our conferences or events.
