Food and Beverage Manufacturing Top Stories

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

Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

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.

Is ‘Desteaming’ Right for Your Food Manufacturing Facility?

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Desteaming — the practice of replacing steam with a right-sized thermal solution like hot water — can improve the efficiency of hot water generation, helping to reduce operational expenses and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Improving Packaging Line Efficiency with Automated Technologies

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:32:00 -0400

In past years, customers have focused more on automation as part of broader sustainability or throughput goals. Now, the focus has shifted slightly, with more emphasis on how many operators can be reassigned or how much support a system will require post-install.

How Are Manufacturers Approaching Energy Efficiency?

Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

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.

Digital Twins Support Predictive Maintenance

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

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.

How Automated Conveying Transformed Private-Label Pie Manufacturing

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:33:00 -0400

Gardner Pie Company turned to Benchmark Automation to develop a series of conveyors to support manufacturing and packaging of baked and frozen pies without damaging tender, flaky crusts.

Friction, Flour and Failure: How to Select Bearings for Industrial Bakery Operations

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 11:07:00 -0400

Bakeries that view bearing selection through the lens of heat stability, contamination control and energy efficiency will reduce disruption and protect both product integrity and margin.

Modernization Investments Improve Operator Safety

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Operator safety is becoming a critical lever for performance in food and beverage manufacturing. As workforce challenges intensify, processors are investing in automation, advanced HMI design and safer equipment to improve both retention and productivity.

How Food Manufacturing Process Visibility Protects Product Quality and Profitability

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:33:00 -0400

In an industry where product quality increasingly determines competitive advantage, the ability to see what you're processing isn't a luxury — it's a fundamental requirement for profitable operation.

Plant and Process Considerations for Switching to Natural Food Colors

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 14:00:00 -0400

A synthetic dye that was once stable across wide pH ranges, heat loads and storage conditions may be replaced with a pigment that behaves very differently under shear, thermal cycling or light exposure.

End-of-Line Versus End-of-Life: Sustainability Throughout the Food Packaging Lifecycle

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 10:03:00 -0400

There are two key points in the lifecycle of food packaging where sustainability gains can be made: end-of-line and end-of-life. At first glance, these terms may appear interchangeable, but they describe distinct stages of food packaging manufacturing.

How to Select Automation Technologies for Food Manufacturing

Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Black & Veatch’s Kim Lovan and Carrie Woehler discuss how food and beverage manufacturers are implementing automation, considerations for vetting solution providers, and how automation projects have evolved.

Precision Fermentation: Everything You Need to Know

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Fermentation has evolved into precision fermentation, utilizing biotechnology to engineer microorganisms that produce high-value food ingredients. These "cell factories" create proteins and compounds, enhancing quality and reducing environmental impact.

Future-Proof Food and Beverage Manufacturing Plants with Fluid Management

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 10:25:00 -0400

By integrating modern pump technology, hygienic design principles, clean-in-place (CIP)-ready systems and energy-efficient components into the plant layout from the start, manufacturers can reduce waste, secure lower long-term operating costs and meet stringent food safety requirements.

Simplifying the Alphabet Soup of Industrial Networks

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

It used to be that if you used one particular vendor’s automation products or sensors, you were locked in forever. With today’s open standards-based networks, users are no longer locked in and can shop around for sensors, industrial PCs, PLCs and industrial network devices.

Put Contextualized OEE Data to Use Managing Plantwide Processes

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

While OEE is a must-have for troubleshooting line problems, contextualized OEE data with its time signatures is a key input in analyzing when and what went wrong with a plant’s total production process, including wasted product and utilities. And it can even aid in the track-and-trace process.

VIDEO | Food Plant Openings and Expansions February 2026

Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

EIC Alyse Thompson-Richards recaps some recent plant openings and expansions in the food and beverage industry, including Little Sesame’s new plant, InnovAsian’s frozen food facility, Charcuterie Artisans’ innovation center, BRIDOR’s expansion, M2 Ingredients’ innovation center and Boh Bah’s production facility.

How Food Manufacturers Can Prevent Conveyor Carryback

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Conveyor carryback is a serious issue in food processing facilities that can disrupt operations if not managed. Many facilities lack effective strategies to handle carryback, risking unscheduled downtime. Operators should implement preventative maintenance measures to minimize its impact.

How Continuous Mixing Supports Efficient and Sustainable Baked Good Production

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The first continuous mixing systems were designed for low-volume production of stiffer doughs and products such as pretzels, crackers and bagels. But in the 30-plus years since, several kinds of continuous mixers have emerged to handle many distinct application challenges and all dough types.

How Can Data Integration Support AI Adoption in CPG Manufacturing?

Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

AI is revolutionizing manufacturing with applications in predictive analytics and product development. Despite challenges like data silos and integration, progress is being made towards agentic AI. Discover how companies are adapting and what the future may hold.

VIDEO | Food Plant Openings and Expansions January 2026

Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

EIC Alyse Thompson-Richards recaps some recent plant openings and expansions in the food and beverage industry, including DrinkPAK’s East Coast beverage manufacturing facility, V&V Supremo’s Wisconsin plant, Danone’s Texas facility expansion, Cal-Maine Foods’ optimization and expansion project, and MMPA’s dairy plant acquisition.

Leveraging Packaging Technology and Design for a Safer Food Supply

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

A food manufacturer’s packaging line represents both the last opportunity to protect food and the last place where risk can be introduced. Treating the packaging line as a critical control point is essential to moving from reactive compliance to proactive prevention.

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

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

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.

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

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 12:06:00 -0500

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.

U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump Tariffs

Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 10:31:00 -0500

In a 6-3 decision, the court ruled the tariffs, including sweeping reciprocal tariffs, to be unconstitutional.

FOOD ENGINEERING’s 49th Annual Plant Construction Survey

Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Food and beverage manufacturers continue to invest in their operations, but their capital expenditure is more deliberate under dynamic economic conditions

Rethinking Electrical Maintenance in Food & Beverage Manufacturing

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 23:59:00 -0500

As expectations continue to rise, organizations that rethink electrical maintenance today will be better positioned to operate safely, reliably and competitively tomorrow.

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

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 13:30:00 -0500

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

AI: In Quest of and Fulfilling the Perfect Batch

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

You don’t have to go it alone when searching for and maintaining the perfect batch. Through machine learning and AI-based batch control, the arduous search becomes easier to realize.

Motor and Drive Sustainability: Don’t Forget to Look at the Bigger Picture

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

As the march continues to make motor efficiency nearly 99%, the way motors are used and applied can make a big difference in the overall sustainability picture of any plant.