2024 January

Food Engineering

The January 2024 issue of FOOD ENGINEERING features Predicting Food and Beverage Manufacturing Trends for 2024, food industry technician program, artificial intelligence, and more!

2024 Trends

Predicting Food and Beverage Manufacturing Trends for 2024

Signs of a recession are still around, but food and beverage manufacturers will continue to invest in their facilities to increase throughput.

Derrick Teal

January 23, 2024

The two words that should be kept in mind are labor and automation.

Workflow

Increased Throughput Calls for New Productivity Tools

Which kind of productivity tool or platform is needed as companies take on continuous improvement projects, smart manufacturing upgrades or pilot programs?

Grant Gerke

January 18, 2024

Which kind of productivity tool or platform is needed as companies take on continuous improvement projects, smart manufacturing upgrades or pilot programs?

Artificial Intelligence: Still Needs Fine Tuning To Succeed In Manufacturing

While there are already some AI tools available, proving their effectiveness will take some dedicated teamwork from suppliers, integrators and manufacturers.

Wayne Labs

January 4, 2024

Artificial intelligence and humans working as a team will make manufacturing more efficient and cost effective.

Recent graduates from the FPSA’s FIT program

Training

Help Wanted: Food Industry Technician Program Surges Forward

This innovative training program, started by the Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA) in 2019, develops essential plant skills that allow workers to flourish in early career settings.

Grant Gerke

January 9, 2024

With explosive growth in the industry, food brands and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are working hard to add younger employees and leverage older workers or mentors.

Lasers Speed Food Preparation While Slashing Energy Consumption

Food processing industries and applications are able to realize quick and precise food preparation while saving energy by using laser ovens.

Aidan Freeburg

Dr. Toby Strite

January 11, 2024

High-efficiency laser heating solutions are poised to impact the food processing industry as low carbon footprint alternatives to conventional ovens.

A successful validation can be worth the investment

Thermal Process Validation Trials: 3 Tips to Minimize Cost and Protect Your Brand

Mary L. Bandu Ph.D.

December 11, 2023

Successful trials will not only ensure the labor and material costs are kept to a minimum but will also ensure indirect costs associated with negative impact to brand are avoided.

Regulatory Watch

FDA Shares Information on Redundancy Risk Management Plans for Critical Food Manufacturers

January 16, 2024

This new requirement was established following a months-long infant formula shortage sparked by insanitary conditions at one of the nation’s largest infant formula facilities.

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.