April 2026

Food Engineering

ON THE COVER:
► 2026 Plant of the Year

FEATURES:
► Why AI Fails for Mid-Sized Food Processors
► How to Build Flexibility into Food Plant Design
► Additive Manufacturing in Food Production

2026 Plant of the Year

Recipe for Growth: How CJ Schwan’s Powers Pizza Production with People and Automation

With comprehensive automation and cross-departmental collaboration, CJ Schwan’s frozen pizza manufacturing facility and distribution center in Salina, Kansas is the 2026 Plant of the Year.

Alyse Thompson-Richards

April 14, 2026

Blending advanced automation with purposeful design, this year’s Plant of the Year reflects how food manufacturers are engineering smarter, more efficient operations to meet evolving industry demands.

An engineer working on his desktop computer in an office and another engineer in the blurred background.

Maintenance Strategies

Digital Twin Technology Scales Predictive Maintenance Across Multiple Plants

Food producers are now modeling traditional maintenance data, such as vibration and frequency, and executing machine learning in the cloud with digital twin simulations. Anomalies are being modeled while also providing advanced analytics, reducing downtime and repurposing staff.

Grant Gerke

April 7, 2026

At the 2025 Automation Fair, Rockwell Automation CEO Blake Moret noted that manufacturers are enhancing efficiency with automation and AI. Food manufacturers use digital twin and cloud platforms for predictive maintenance, reducing workloads and improving visibility. This article covers strategies for effective implementation.

Austria-based Revo Foods’ 3D printed salmon fillet made from alternative proteins on a bed of rice on a white plate.

Additive Manufacturing: Roles for 3D Printing and Robotics in Food Production

3D printing, while serving roles in package design, tools and spare parts, is finding applications for creating unique foods that aren’t practical for conventional methods.

Wayne Labs

April 28, 2026

Additive manufacturing can describe two technologies in food production — the more commonly known is 3D printing, which has been borrowed from 3D tool and parts making, but robotic work cells can also fit the definition of additive manufacturing.

How Are Manufacturers Approaching Energy Efficiency?

In recent research, ABB outlines how and why players across industries are investing in energy efficiency.

Alyse Thompson-Richards

April 7, 2026

Rising energy costs and global pressures are pushing food manufacturers to prioritize efficiency. ABB research shows energy makes up about a quarter of operating costs, driving investments—but real gains require a holistic, system-wide approach.

Engineering for Uncertainty: How to Build Flexibility into Food Plant Design

Carrie Woehler

February 24, 2026

In an environment defined by rapid changes in consumer behavior, long-term success depends not on guessing the future correctly, but on ensuring the facility can adapt when the future shifts.

AI chip on a dark circuit board with glowing blue lines and orange bokeh.

The Data Dilemma: Why AI Fails for Mid-Sized Food Processors

Chao Yi

February 23, 2026

It is critical for manufacturers such as food processors to recognize that while AI has the potential to become the "turbocharger" of operations, that transformation rarely happens by simply bolting on use cases.

How to Select the Right Pump for Food and Beverage Processing Environments

Calle Danielsson

February 16, 2026

Proper pump selection begins with understanding how the dynamics of each food type affects pump performance.

Regulatory Watch

FDA to Reassess Use of BHA in Food

February 13, 2026

BHA is used to prevent spoilage of fats and oils and can be found in various food products including frozen meals, breakfast cereals, cookies, candy, ice cream and meat products.

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.