January 2019 | Food Engineering

Krones Varioline 1M pick-and-place packer

Automation Series

The connected food plant of the future will be a lean information machine

Wayne Labs, Senior Contributing Technical Editor

January 14, 2019

To be able to monitor production readings without manual intervention not only improves product quality, but also can stop processes before damage to the final product.

Green Series

Balancing Capital Investment with Long-Term Sustainability Goals

Casey Laughman

January 14, 2019

When processors make major capital investments, a lot of questions have to be answered.

Food Safety

How food processors can create a plan for traceability and recalls

All processors need a program for traceability and recalls

Richard F. Stier

January 18, 2019

All food processors, no matter what they produce or where they are located, should develop, document, implement and maintain a program for traceability and recalls.

Keep It Safe

How an Effective Ergonomics Program Contributes to Worker Safety

Sharon Spielman

January 18, 2019

OSHA reports an increase in recent years in the reporting of cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) and other work-related disorders due to ergonomic hazards, which are physical conditions that can pose risk of injury to the musculoskeletal system.

Engineering R&D

Better Juice Uses Innovative Process to Reduce Sugar in Orange Juice

The long-standing problem with processed "fresh" orange juice has been that it's packed with sugar and has little, if any, fiber

Wayne Labs

January 21, 2019

Better Juice's process harnesses a natural enzymatic activity in non-GMO microorganisms to convert a portion of the simple fructose, glucose and sucrose sugars into fibers and other nondigestible sugars.

Editor's Note

Cannabis products are edging their way into the food and beverage industry

January 14, 2019

Cannabis has been on everyone's radar for a long time, but with more states legalizing it, we're starting to see its momentum build.

2018 Rockwell Automation Fair Food and Beverage Forum

Manufacturing News

Food and Beverage Companies Share Their Approaches to Digitalization

Wayne Labs

January 16, 2019

Three major food/beverage companies described their “digital transformations” at the Rockwell Automation Fair Food & Beverage Forum.

Regulatory Watch

FDA announces meetings for draft guidance for produce

Sharon Spielman

January 18, 2019

The FDA will hold four public meetings to discuss “Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption: Draft Guidance for Industry.”

Regulatory Watch

USDA announces NOSB meeting

Sharon Spielman

January 18, 2019

The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has announced an in-person meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).

Food Packaging

High Pressure Certified Seal Now Being Used on Foods

Logo expands from juices to guacamole; more products to follow

Rose Shilling

January 14, 2019

Good Foods guacamole and other dips are the first foods beyond beverages approved to advertise on the package that they’re made using high pressure processing (HPP).

Food Packaging

Water brand teams with KHS on Germany's first recycled PET bottle

Rose Shilling

January 7, 2019

Germans can buy water in bottles made of 100 percent recycled PET for the first time, KHS Group filling and packaging says.

Field Reports

IT System Helps Seafood Processor Handle Traceability, Logistics

January 23, 2019

Fish processing company Norfisk is using an IT solution from CSB-System to handle sales and logistics for four countries from a single operation in northern Germany.

Field Reports

Ice Cream Maker Updates Pumps for Precision Dosing of Chocolate Sauce

German company needed a reliable, accurate peristaltic pump with less downtime for the precision task

January 23, 2019

When Hamburg, Germany-based Paradies Eis needed a better way to dose hot chocolate sauce into ice cream, it turned to peristaltic pumps from Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG).

Field Reports

Juice maker invests in aseptic filler

Serbian company Nectar says KHS system offers better microbial control and higher-quality product

January 28, 2019

When Nectar started up its first production line for processing fruit juice in beverage cartons 20 years ago near Novi Sad in northwest Serbia, there was no telling how fast the company would develop.

Field Reports

Brewery saves time on temperature calibration

When 100 RTD sensors need to be calibrated, saving time saves money

January 28, 2019

The New Belgium Brewery in Asheville, N.C., has long been noted for innovation in its design and its sustainable practices.

Field Reports

Rugged Pallet Rack Helps Cold Storage Distributor Optimize Operations

Rack designed to application helps Manfredi keep up with growth

January 30, 2019

To meet retailer demand for efficient cold chain distribution east of the Mississippi River, Manfredi Cold Storage has had to keep expanding its Kennett Square, Pa., facility.

People & Industry News

People and Industry News: January 2019

January 14, 2019

Announcements about new hires, staff promotions, association news, awards, mergers and acquisitions.

Plant Openings

Plant Openings: January 2019

January 21, 2019

Announcements about new food and beverage plant construction projects, plant renovations and plant expansions.

New Plant Products

NETZSCH NEMO progressing cavity pump

January 17, 2019

Suitable for pet food applications, the NETZSCH NEMO progressing cavity pump transfers meat and gravy emulsions from a cooking station to the mixer and from the mixer to the filling and packaging station.

New Plant Products

Hoffmann + Krippner P53-80-D18 miniature ultrasonic sensor

January 17, 2019

The Hoffmann + Krippner P53-80-D18 EHEDG-certified compact ultrasonic sensor has an integrated cable screw connection, support clamp and V4A stainless steel housing construction with a roughness depth of 0.6μm.

New Plant Products

Simutech training system

January 16, 2019

The Simutech training system teaches critical manufacturing troubleshooting skills by incorporating gamification and simulation.

New Plant Products

Mencom industrial protocol gateways

January 16, 2019

Engineered for legacy systems integration, Mencom Protocol industrial gateways seamlessly integrate new protocols into an existing layout and connect them to outdated protocols.

New Plant Products

Metal Detector Testing

January 16, 2019

Providing a traceable, auditable way to test the performance of food metal detectors, Fortress Halo automatic testing technology effectively duplicates the signal disturbance that occurs during manual testing, without having to physically pass a metal contaminant through the metal detector.

New Plant Products

Lyco sanitary screen

January 16, 2019

The Lyco Sanitary Zero Maintenance screen has a fully automatic dual canister water filtering system that purges and switches filters, without manually changing or isolating valves.

New Plant Products

PFI Magna weigh feeders

January 16, 2019

PFI Magna weigh feeders offer weight control and weight monitoring on 1 continuous vibratory conveyor.

New Plant Products

Larson Electronics HLSW-PB20-2PSW explosion-proof contact switch

January 15, 2019

The Larson Electronics HLSW-PB20-2PSW nonmetallic explosion-proof maintained contact switch contains explosion-protected contact blocks rated for up to 690VAC, can handle 20 amps for switching duty and has a 2 hp rating.

New Plant Products

Verti-Lift scissor lift tables

January 15, 2019

Verti-Lift stainless steel scissor lift tables with tilt capabilities for product positioning come in washdown designs.

New Plant Products

Hardy IIoT-ready E-Scale-6500 bench scale

January 15, 2019

The Hardy IIoT-ready E-Scale-6500 bench scale offers a direct industrial network connection via EtherNet/IP, Profibus-DP and Modbus protocols, and includes an integrated weight processor.

New Plant Products

JW Winco GN 305 hygienic design hand levers

January 15, 2019

JW Winco GN 305 hygienic design adjustable hand levers have a sealed mounting surface that enables fastening without dead spaces.

New Plant Products

Hyde FC Revolution seafood processing blades

January 15, 2019

Engineered with stainless steel, Hyde FC Revolution seafood processing blades have a smooth Ra microfinish.

New Plant Products

Brushless motor controls from American Control Electronics

January 15, 2019

American Control Electronics PML Series microcontroller-based, configurable controls are designed for brushless DC motors ranging from 90 to 280 VDC, up to 5 amps/1.5 hp, using either 115 VAC or 230 VAC line sources.

New Plant Products

PDC R-300 twin pack shrink sleever

January 14, 2019

Engineered for producers of aerosols for foods, the PDC R-300 aerosol twin pack shrink sleever reconfigures from shrink labeler to multipacker and back again.

New Plant Products

Griswold SafeGuard pump diagnostic system

January 14, 2019

The Griswold SafeGuard predictive maintenance system provides wireless access, 24/7 proactive alerts and actionable guidance to resolve a problem when one occurs.

New Plant Products

Readco Kurimoto continuous mixing processors

January 14, 2019

Readco Kurimoto sanitary, continuous mixing processors have solid, 1-piece, removable, rotating shafts with removable end plates and tri-clover feed and discharge connections.

New Plant Products

Alfa Laval Mixproof aseptic valve

January 14, 2019

Designed for dairy, food and beverage product manufacturers, the Alfa Laval Mixproof aseptic double-seat valve has a diaphragm with a PTFE face and reinforced EPDM backing.

New Plant Products

Wilden air-operated double-diaphragm pumps

January 14, 2019

Wilden air-operated double-diaphragm V150 Velocity Series pumps can be oriented in a vertical or horizontal position with multiple inlet and discharge port options.

New Plant Products

Sidel EvoFILL Can filler

January 14, 2019

Addressing hygienic requirements, the Sidel EvoFILL Can filler features a "no-base" design, CO2 pre-flushing system and fully cleanable handling parts with reduced top surfaces.

New Plant Products

Shannon Rain Shield protective enclosure

January 11, 2019

The Shannon Rain Shield custom-fit enclosure protects complex surfaces and sensitive equipment, such as pumps, motors, electronic actuators and metering equipment, from water, moisture/humidity, chemicals and temperatures up to 600°F.

New Plant Products

Odor control scrubber from Tri-Mer

January 11, 2019

The Tri-Mer wet odor control scrubber eliminates difficult odors, including hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, dimethyl sulfide, carbon disulfide and n-propyl mercaptan.

New Plant Products

Kollmorgen dual-axis servo drive

January 11, 2019

The Kollmorgen dual-axis AKD2G industrial servo drive features expandable I/O, removable memory, dual-channel STO, a workbench interface, hybrid connector and drive-resident graphic display.

New Plant Products

JBT VAHP granular filler

January 11, 2019

The JBT VAHP granular filler is designed to add sticky fruit particles to premium beverages.

New Plant Products

Dorner AquaGard 7350 V2 sanitary conveyor

January 11, 2019

Built for baking, snack food, pet food and packaging sanitary applications that require occasional wipe-down cleanings, the Dorner AquaGard 7350 V2 modular curve chain, sanitary conveyor is available in straight belt or curved or straight modular belt.

New Plant Products

ABB ST 200 M miniature circuit breakers

January 11, 2019

ABB ST 200 M miniature circuit breakers are intended for use within industrial control panels, appliances and other equipment to protect against overcurrent where branch-circuit protection already has been provided or is not required.

New Plant Products

The GEA VIPOLL multifunction filler

January 10, 2019

The GEA VIPOLL ALL IN ONE monoblock filler handles a range of forms and accommodates a variety of lid shapes for noncarbonated and carbonated beverages with hot and cold filling techniques.

New Plant Products

Rockwell Automation industrial control devices

January 10, 2019

Rockwell Automation industrial control devices allow the deployment of Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) security, which supports transport layer security, into company operations.

New Plant Products

Opto 22 PAC Project Software Suite R10

January 10, 2019

The Opto 22 PAC Project Software Suite R10 provides the ability to designate individual I/O and variable tags as public access for read-only or read-write use in IIoT data communications via MQTT/Sparkplug.

New Plant Products

JD Neuhaus hoist trolleys

January 10, 2019

Designed for dairy and food applications that require beam-traversing motion, JD Neuhaus hoist trolleys facilitate the lateral motion of suspended loads.

New Plant Products

Sandwich line depositors from Hinds-Bock

January 10, 2019

Hinds-Bock servo pump fillers deposit and spread condiments, such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and sauces, as well as sandwich salads, including tuna, egg and chicken, onto bread, buns, tortillas or dough.

New Plant Products

Portioning system from Unifiller

January 10, 2019

By connecting a pastry bag directly to the outlet of the Unifiller piping bag station portioning system and pushing down on the switch, operators can fill up to 10 pastry bags or make 120 deposits per min.

New Plant Products

LAPP OLFLEX SERVO FD 7TCE servo motor cable

January 9, 2019

The LAPP OLFLEX SERVO FD 7TCE UL-listed servo motor cable is run from a control cabinet or inverter to a machine via the cable rack.

New Plant Products

Antaira STM-60XC Modbus gateways

January 9, 2019

Antaira STM-60XC Modbus gateways are scalable for any Modbus RTU or ASCII network.

New Plant Products

ROSS SysCon hazardous locations control panels

January 9, 2019

Used with high-horsepower equipment in hazardous locations, ROSS SysCon control panels include a NEMA 12 main power panel, which houses high-voltage variable frequency drives and motor protection fusing.

New Plant Products

KHS Innofill DRS beer filler

January 9, 2019

The KHS computer-aided Innofill DRS filler for the brewing industry has a hygienic design and quick-release locking system that allows bottle guide parts be changed without tools.

On Demand Kelley Rodriguez, Editor in Chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, will be joined in this 60-minute webinar by industry experts to help unpack the latest research.

On Demand Driven by climate goals, business risk, client interest, and resilience considerations, food and beverage companies are increasingly turning their attention to decarbonizing their production processes.