Food and Beverage Manufacturing Top Stories

Top Seedz Gains the Advantage with Automated Cracker Production

Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Rebecca Brady, CEO of Top Seedz, and her husband Will Brady, COO, are expanding and automating operations, recently commissioning a second manufacturing line. This has doubled production capacity, putting Top Seedz on track to reach $100 million in annual sales.

Food Plant Openings and Expansions July 2026

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

EIC Alyse Thompson-Richards reports on recent food and beverage industry developments, including new plants from Bauducco and Gelatys, expansions from Killer Brownie and DG Foods, and Good Culture’s partnership with a Michigan dairy co-op.

FDA Advances Post-Market Review of Phthalates Used in Food Contact Materials

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The U.S. FDA has evaluated eight ortho-(o)-phthalates used as plasticizers in food contact for a cumulative risk assessment. This analysis will inform the FDA's upcoming safety assessment and determine if these substances should be grouped based on their chemical or pharmacological similarities.

How Impedance Sensors Advance CIP Processes

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Impedance sensors give operators a new method of observing soil removal in real time, reducing the uncertainty that undermines CIP efficiency.

Food Plant Openings and Expansions June 2026

Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

EIC Alyse Thompson-Richards recaps some recent plant openings and expansions in the food and beverage industry.

Innovative Materials Offer Increased Sustainable Functionality

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

While research insights indicate that most companies have a low-to-moderate likelihood of increasing their use of reusable materials, recyclable materials continue to be the primary focus for packaging innovation and sustainability initiatives.

Will the Food and Beverage Market Grow in 2027?

Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

It's essential to remember that the primary goal of food manufacturers is to provide products for consumers. Understanding consumer demand, trends, and behaviors is key, as these factors greatly impact product and process design.

How Coconut Cult Keeps Culture Alive through Automation

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

To keep the culture and grow the company, Coconut Cult partnered with Integrated Packaging Machinery to implement its first robotic automation system, featuring three custom KUKA robots at the company's manufacturing facility in Utah.

How Koch Foods Streamlined Endpoint Operations with a Unified Thin Client Strategy

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 12:00:00 -0400

As Koch Foods evaluated its endpoint strategy, it faced a familiar issue for many manufacturers: how to modernize IT infrastructure without increasing operational complexity or sacrificing reliability.

Robotics Solutions for All Food Processing Jobs and Seasons

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

This visual overview, featuring images and videos of robotics applications in the food industry, illustrates what is possible with modern vision systems, artificial intelligence and robotics in a range of applications — from agricultural harvesting to serving up RTE meals, smart palletization and carcass cutting.

Data Modeling in Processing Targets Micro-Stops to Increase Quality

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

AI may dominate industry conversations, but data modeling is delivering measurable results today. Discover how food, dairy and pet food manufacturers are using real-time production data to improve quality, increase throughput and give operators the insights needed to drive smarter decisions.

Smart Packaging: What Is It?

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The world of smart packaging comprises many parts — intelligent equipment, recyclable materials, captivating art and lots of data — but pulling it together is a challenge. However, if done correctly, it benefits everyone in the supply chain from producer to consumer with timely information.

When Food Meets Fermentation: Engineering the Next Revolution in Protein Production

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:13:00 -0400

The next phase of growth is shifting from science to scale — infrastructure is required to produce alternative proteins with the precision and consistency required of these systems.

Cross-Functional Food Safety: Breaking Silos to Drive Safe Food Manufacturing

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

Food manufacturers face stricter demands as recalls and outbreaks push a more reactive focus on food safety. Responsibility is shifting from quality teams to shared ownership, using cross-functional approaches to improve safety, compliance, and daily practices.

Mitigating Brand Risk with Assured Product Destruction

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Finding a secure way to manage waste in the food and beverage industry helps ensure that through every change of hands waste is handled discreetly and securely, mitigating brand risk.

CPG Firms Must Move Strategically to Meet Sustainable Packaging Goals

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

As CPG companies transition to sustainable materials, trade-offs are almost guaranteed.

How Do Food Manufacturers Feel About Food Safety in Their Facilities?

Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Food safety underpins every aspect of food manufacturing, yet new CRB research shows cost and competing priorities continue to hinder improvements. This month's From the Editor explores why investing in hygienic design and facility planning remains essential.

How Automation Supports Variability and Flexibility in Food Manufacturing

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:06:00 -0400

As product portfolios expand and production requirements become increasingly complex, manufacturers are under growing pressure to maintain efficiency with systems originally designed for predictable, repetitive production.

Food Plant Openings and Expansions May 2026

Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0400

EIC Alyse Thompson-Richards highlights recent food and beverage industry developments, including Ferrara’s South Carolina plant, Ferrero’s line installation, Conagra Brands’ expansion in Arkansas, Walmart’s new milk processing facility, Kraft Heinz’s investment in Canada, and Swaggerty Farms’ expansion.

The Value of Speed in Track-and-Trace Environmental Monitoring Programs

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Effective environmental monitoring programs are defined not by how much data they collect, but by how quickly they trace data forward and backward to isolate the source and analyze the impact.

How Conveyor Monitoring Can Cut Costs, Prevent Downtime in Food Manufacturing

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 10:07:00 -0400

With unplanned downtime costing up to hundreds of thousands of dollars per hour, food manufacturers are rethinking how they monitor and maintain the systems that keep production moving. Conveyor systems offer a scalable and cost-effective starting point for predictive maintenance.

Track and Trace Product Temperature on the Road

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

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.

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

Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:00:00 -0400

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.

Shifts in Training Are Mandatory for Battling the Workforce Gap

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:02:00 -0400

Food and beverage plants require predictive, remote and machine-embedded tools on packaging machinery to ensure uptime, but operator shadowing and hands-on repetition are equally important for operational efficiency.

Contextual Data and Advanced Analytics Support OEE

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

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.

Cultured Meat Faces Old and New Obstacles

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

For cultured meats to succeed in the market, they will have to prove themselves cost-effective to produce, be as food-safe as their conventional counterparts and gain acceptance from consumers — though some states have already banned FDA-approved cultured meats.

FPSA, PMMI Unveil 2026 Processing State of the Industry Report

Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:33:00 -0400

The organizations, which have long published parallel industry reports, have joined forces to offer food manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) an overview of market performance and a glimpse at what to expect going forward.

PODCAST: Prioritizing Food Safety Over Audit Readiness

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In a recent podcast, Bonna Cannon, president, owner and principal consultant of Bonnafide LLC, discusses how to prioritize true food safety over audit preparation, turning audit insights into operational improvements and building food safety into plant design.

Sourcing Food-Safe Tubing Systems for Food and Beverage Operations

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Knowing how to find partners who can provide consistent, quality tubing that meets all regulatory requirements is essential for food manufacturing and supply chain professionals.

Designing Hygienic Drainage to Control Listeria in RTE Facilities

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:21:00 -0400

While Listeria remains a consistent threat in the ready-to-eat (RTE) space, experience and recall data indicate that upgraded drainage can reduce key risk vectors and provide better tools for staff and management to identify and control hazards.