June 2026

ON THE COVER:
► Engineering Change: Discovering the Impact of Women Engineers in Food Manufacturing

FEATURES:
► Track and Trace Product Temperature on the Road
► Contextual Data and Advanced Analytics Support OEE
► How Digitalization Supports Pasteurization Recordkeeping

Women in Engineering

Engineering Change: Discovering the Impact of Women Engineers in Food Manufacturing

Women are increasingly pursuing careers in the STEM fields, and to celebrate this growth, the UK-based Women’s Engineering Society is marking the 13th International Women in Engineering Day on June 23.

Alyse Thompson-Richards

June 23, 2026

Dharma Prime and Halak Mehta are inspiring examples of women thriving in STEM careers, particularly in engineering and food science. As they share their experiences and insights, they highlight the importance of diversity and support in these traditionally male-dominated fields.

Quality assurance staff checking food moving along a conveyor belt in an automated production line.

Column | OEE

Contextual Data and Advanced Analytics Support OEE

Food and beverage management is sold on data standardization in plants to support AI-based strategies. This early wave of data standardization projects and solutions is delivering increased context on traditional metrics, such as OEE.

Grant Gerke

June 15, 2026

In an evolving manufacturing landscape, leaders are leveraging AI and advanced analytics to enhance efficiency and decision-making. Contextual data and real-time insights are driving innovation, allowing companies like Ruiz Foods and Kraft Heinz to unlock significant value and optimize operations.

Warehouse worker scanning pallet labels while holding a clipboard.

Track and Trace Product Temperature on the Road

Once it leaves your frozen warehouse, do you know your product’s condition at any given time?

Wayne Labs

June 29, 2026

You know the origins of all your ingredients and everything that happened during the processing, cooling and freezing of your product, but what can you know about your product once it leaves your premises? This is the job of the track part of track-and-trace.

How Digitalization Supports Pasteurization Recordkeeping

Ola Wesstrom

April 28, 2026

Digital recorders and data management software ease recordkeeping and regulatory compliance — compared to traditional paper-based methods — increasing consumer safety and enhancing operational efficiency for processors.

UVC Disinfection Best Practices for Food, Packaging and Logistics Applications

James Clements

April 16, 2026

The companies that treat UVC as a flexible, application-specific toolkit — rather than a single technology solution — will be best positioned to meet the microbial and operational challenges of the next decade.

From the Editor

Are Women Engineers Paid the Same as Men?

While researching our annual Women in Engineering piece, EIC Alyse-Thompson Richards also looked at median annual earnings.

Alyse Thompson-Richards

June 1, 2026

In our annual Women in Engineering feature, we highlight inspiring stories of women like Halak Mehta and Dharma Prime. Despite progress, the pay gap persists, underscoring the need for ongoing efforts toward equality.

Regulatory Watch

FDA: U.S. Infant Formula is Largely Safe

April 30, 2026

Across the products tested, most samples had undetectable or very low levels of contaminants including lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, pesticides, PFAS and phthalates.

Packaging

UPM, Felix Schoeller Partner on Recyclable Barrier for Flexible Food Packaging

April 17, 2026

In response to the growing demand for recyclable packaging, this food-safe, fiber-based solution supports the packaging industry’s transition toward upcoming recyclability requirements under the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.

Power Solutions

NORD Expands IE5+ Synchronous Motor Range to 11 kW

March 16, 2026

The motors are now available in three sizes and cover a range of applications with their extended power range.

Power Solutions

ABB Introduces 315- and 355-kW Wall-Mounted Drives

March 9, 2026

The new frame delivers up to 355 kW in a compact wall-mounted format, responding to increasing demand for higher output power combined with limited installation space.

Discover how the Industrial Metaverse is transforming the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry by enabling companies to design, simulate, and optimize operations in a fully virtual environment.