Casey Laughman

Industry News

Coronavirus drives increase in meat sales

Ground beef is biggest gainer

March 19, 2020

Meat sales have increased rapidly during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a new report from the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) shows.

Editor's Note

Planning and preparation can save the day

Casey Laughman

March 16, 2020

We all have those days when a bunch of little stuff is getting under our skin. But then we have those other days, where we don't joke or complain about having "one of those days" because something has gone seriously wrong.

training programs for food and beverage employees

Training plays a part in employee happiness and retention

Casey Laughman

March 9, 2020

Employee training is a cornerstone of an effective processing operation. But as processors struggle to find and keep qualified employees, it is also a benefit that can help keep employees happy and more willing to stay.

Editor's Note

This year's FA&M conference is the antidote for the winter blues

Casey Laughman

February 17, 2020

In last year’s February issue, I wrote about how I was trying to overcome the depressing sight of snow and ice on the ground by thinking ahead to April and our annual Food Automation & Manufacturing Conference in Miami. The more things change …

Industry News

Obituary: Spraying Systems Co.'s Tim Oberg

Director of Spraying Systems' food and pharmaceutical team passes away at 53

Casey Laughman

January 30, 2020

Tim Oberg, director of the food and pharmaceutical team at Spraying Systems Co., passed away on Nov. 15, 2019, after battling cancer.

Editor's Note

Changes big and small create challenges for food and beverage manufacturers

Casey Laughman

January 13, 2020

After the mad dash to end one year, January seems like a chance to get your feet back under you as you start the next.

Plant of the Year

J.M. Smucker wins 2020 Food Engineering Plant of the Year

MycoTechnology wins Sustainable Plant of the Year

Casey Laughman

January 7, 2020

J.M. Smucker’s Longmont, Colo. production facility has been named the 2020 Food Engineering Plant of the Year.

Editor's Note

Identifying and documenting workarounds for process challenges can help prevent failures

Casey Laughman

December 13, 2019

Whether it’s water efficiency, packaging, food safety, material flow or anything else you can think of, there is always a point in the process that creates challenges, and that point is usually a headache for processors of any size.

North Carolina Food Innovation Lab takes aim at food production of the future

Casey Laughman

November 13, 2019

Depending on who is asked, Kannapolis, N.C., is most well known for being the birthplace of either Parliament-Funkadelic’s George Clinton or NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. The mind behind “Atomic Dog” and the Intimidator don’t have a whole lot in common, but one thing they do share is a legacy of turning their respective fields on their heads

Editor's Note

Sustainable solutions offer big challenges to food processors

Casey Laughman

November 13, 2019

It’s fair to say that the easy part is over, or at least mostly over. But sustainability isn’t going away because corporate sustainability goals, cost pressures and demands for details about sustainable production and ingredients from consumers are all here to stay.