Alyse Thompson-Richards has held many positions with BNP Media, first serving as an intern at Candy Industry in summer 2012. She joined Candy Industry's staff full time as associate editor in August 2016 after a few years at newspapers in West-Central Illinois. Alyse has since served on Cannabis Products Insider and joined FOOD ENGINEERING in 2024. She has bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Spanish from Western Illinois University. Image courtesy of Thompson-Richards
EIC Alyse Thompson-Richards recaps some recent plant openings and expansions in the food and beverage industry, including Little Sesame’s new plant, InnovAsian’s frozen food facility, Charcuterie Artisans’ innovation center, BRIDOR’s expansion, M2 Ingredients’ innovation center and Boh Bah’s production facility.
Data silos and poor data quality continue to impact AI adoption in CPG manufacturing, recent research from Veev shows, but continuing integration and unification is helping.
AI is revolutionizing manufacturing with applications in predictive analytics and product development. Despite challenges like data silos and integration, progress is being made towards agentic AI. Discover how companies are adapting and what the future may hold.
EIC Alyse Thompson-Richards recaps some recent plant openings and expansions in the food and beverage industry, including DrinkPAK’s East Coast beverage manufacturing facility, V&V Supremo’s Wisconsin plant, Danone’s Texas facility expansion, Cal-Maine Foods’ optimization and expansion project, and MMPA’s dairy plant acquisition.
Food and beverage manufacturers continue to invest in their operations, but their capital expenditure is more deliberate under dynamic economic conditions
Food and beverage manufacturers continue to invest in their operations, but their capital expenditure is more deliberate under dynamic economic conditions
The 2026 edition will feature the largest trade show floor in its history, with more than 665,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space and more than 1,380 exhibitors.
The 2026 edition will feature the largest trade show floor in its history, with more than 665,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space and more than 1,380 exhibitors.
Bob Garrison, chief editor of Prepared Foods, Kelley Rodriguez, editor-in-chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, and Alyse Thompson-Richards, editor-in-chief of FOOD ENGINEERING, discuss the biggest trends impacting the food industry in 2025 and beyond.