November 2019 | Food Engineering

Green Series

Energy Efficiency Strategies for Food Processors

Wayne Labs, Senior Contributing Technical Editor

November 1, 2019

While food processors have to commit to using a certain amount of energy to meet production and food safety requirements, there are ways to be more efficient about how that energy is used.

Sustainability

Reduce, reuse, recycle can help processors meet water usage goals

Sharon Spielman

November 18, 2019

Although potable fresh water may seem like an endless resource, it is becoming scarcer as the population continues to grow and as the climate continues to change.

Sustainability

Packaging industry pumps up R&D to keep pace with green goals

Rose Shilling

November 11, 2019

One after another, food and beverage companies have declared plans to cut waste and move toward the ultimate goal: packaging materials that are reused over and over.

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

Tech Update

Why be liable for workplace injuries if robots can do the job safely, efficiently?

Wayne Labs

November 22, 2019

Robots in picking, packing and palletizing applications have performed some new feats—thanks to clever system integrators who have given them sensitive touch, better grips and keen vision.

Engineering R&D

RAIN uses vacuum cycles for extraction to occur at the deepest layers of coffee

Wayne Labs

November 18, 2019

The Reverse Atmospheric Infusion (RAIN) process also works with other media to create new and exciting organic and natural beverages or extracts to use in new products.

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.

Food Safety

Assessing risk in your operation’s food safety plan

By law, your assessment must evaluate two elements: likelihood and severity of occurrence

Richard F. Stier

November 18, 2019

After the Food Safety Modernization Act was passed, there was a great deal of angst and fear in the food industry about the impending implementation of hazard analysis, risk-based preventive controls.

Manufacturing News

Much food waste comes from misinterpretation on product date labels

Wayne Labs

November 18, 2019

The proliferation of various forms of date labels is enough to cause consumers not to buy a product with a short “sell by” date, leaving it to be junked at the store—or tossed prematurely at home—when the product is still perfectly fine.

Regulatory Watch

FDA partners with leafy greens industry to enhance food safety

Sharon Spielman

November 18, 2019

The FDA has launched an initiative to better understand the ecology of human pathogens in the environment in the Yuma agricultural region.

Regulatory Watch

FDA launches food safety dashboard

Sharon Spielman

November 15, 2019

As the seven foundational rules of FSMA reach their compliance dates, the FDA has begun to track their impact on the food safety system.

People & Industry News

People and Industry News: November 2019

November 11, 2019

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

Plant Openings

Plant Openings & Expansions: November 2019

November 11, 2019

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

New Plant Products

Remote temperature monitoring

November 19, 2019

The Sentinel system uses cloud technology to provide supervised 24/7 remote monitoring of temperatures inside industrial food refrigerators and freezers and other environmental conditions that can affect the operation of cold storage units.

New Plant Products

Food Defense Plan Builder 2.0

November 19, 2019

An updated version of the Food Defense Plan Builder (FDPB) is designed to help companies meet the requirements of the Intentional Adulteration rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act.

New Plant Products

Modular in-rack freezing system

November 20, 2019

QFM is designed to improve on the performance of the company’s QuickFreeze, while adding flexibility, remote control and new ways to manage blast freezing and tempering demand.

New Plant Products