Sharon Spielman

Sharon Spielman is former senior editor of Food Engineering magazine. She has more than 25 years of experience as a writer and editor for a range of trade publications, including those that cover food and beverage processing, restaurants and institutions, chefs, process heating and cooling, finishing, and package converting.

Food Safety

FDA hosts New Era of Smarter Food Safety Summit on E-Commerce

Public meeting will discuss the safety of foods sold online and delivered directly to consumers

Sharon Spielman

September 3, 2021

The FDA announces its New Era of Smarter Food Safety Summit on E-Commerce: Ensuring the Safety of Foods Ordered Online and Delivered Directly to Consumers, which will take place virtually October 19-21, 2021.

Managing Pet Food Ingredients

From standards to testing to certificates of analysis, the ingredients in pet food must be managed to the same standard as human food

Sharon Spielman

September 1, 2021

For many of today’s pet owners, just serving up Fido’s food in a bowl is not enough. Consumers want their pet’s mealtime to move from mediocre to meaningful.

Supply Chain

Maintaining Supply Chain Inputs and Outputs

Technology helps ensure integrity, safety and transparency in supply chain I/Os

Sharon Spielman

August 25, 2021

For food and beverage processors, supply chain management covers a lot of territory, including maintaining inputs and outputs.

FE August 2021 Wet cleaning system 2 Cablevey. Photos courtesy Cablevey Conveyors

Field Reports

Enclosed Wet Cleaning Improves Food Safety, Increases Product Changeovers

National Frozen Foods Corp. installed a tubular cable conveyor system from Cablevey Conveyors to improve cleaning efficiency

Sharon Spielman

August 17, 2021

When National Frozen Foods Corp., a national processor of frozen vegetables since 1912 that processes more than 400 million lbs. of product annually, was looking to meet higher compliance standards while increasing the speed of packaging, they found a solution in a tubular conveyor system.

FE August 2021 Xtreme Metal Detector. Photo courtesy Eriez

Dry Processing Technology

Meeting Product Purity Specs with Metal Detection

Berryhill Foods uses Eriez metal detectors to ensure their premium blueberries and raspberries are safe and pure

Sharon Spielman

August 1, 2021

Since the mid-1990s, Berryhill Foods in Fraser Valley, B.C., Canada—with its rich, fertile soil conditions and temperate climate—has been providing premium blueberries and raspberries to a range of customers. Although Berryhill’s customers vary, their exacting standards do not.

Sunshine Mills, Inc. issues voluntary recall of certain dog food products due to potentially elevated levels of Aflatoxin

To date, no adverse health effects related to these products have been reported

Sharon Spielman

July 30, 2021

Sunshine Mills, Inc., has issued a voluntary recall of certain products due to potentially elevated levels of Aflatoxin above the acceptable limit.

Voluntary recall of greenhouse leafy greens

To date, no illnesses have been reported

Sharon Spielman

July 27, 2021

Old Souls Farms, LLC, St. Paris, Ohio, has initiated a voluntary recall of greenhouse leafy green products following a positive test of Listeria monocytogenes.

Give and Go Prepared Foods recalls certain muffin products

To date, no illnesses have been reported

Sharon Spielman

July 22, 2021

Give and Go Prepared Foods (U.S.A.) Corp. announced today a voluntary nationwide recall of certain muffin products due to the potential for the products to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Tyson Foods Inc. recalls RTE chicken products due to possible listeria contamination

To date, FSIS was notified of two persons ill with listeriosis

Sharon Spielman

July 9, 2021

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced last week that Tyson Foods Inc., a Dexter, Mo., establishment, recalled approximately 8,955,296 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Tech Update: Automated storage and retrieval systems offer challenges, benefits and new technology

A technology that once was considered nice to have is becoming a must-have in the food and beverage industry.

Sharon Spielman

July 5, 2021

With a market that is expected to reach $10.3 billion by 2027, food and beverage companies need to know the benefits and challenges of implementing AS/RS.