Cross-Functional Food Innovation .taxonomy-header__description{ width: 675px !important; max-width: 100% !important; }

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Cross-Functional Food Innovation explores the strategies, technologies, and best practices shaping modern food manufacturing across R&D, production, and distribution. This topic brings together insights on food safety, sustainability, digital transformation, and workforce development to help food and beverage companies break down silos, improve collaboration, and build smarter, more resilient operations. Articles in this collection highlight how integrated teams drive innovation, efficiency, and long-term growth across the food supply chain.

]]> https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/rss/16717 en-us Recipe for Growth: How CJ Schwan’s Powers Pizza Production with People and Automation Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) 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.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103609 Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103609-recipe-for-growth-how-cj-schwans-powers-pizza-production-with-people-and-automation Engineering for Uncertainty: How to Build Flexibility into Food Plant Design 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.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103545 Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103545-engineering-for-uncertainty-how-to-build-flexibility-into-food-plant-design Taking a Cross-Functional Approach to Food Industry Trends Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) Bob Garrison, chief editor of Prepared Foods, Kelley Rodriguez, editor-in-chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, and Alyse Thompson-Richards, editor-in-chief of FOOD ENGINEERING, discuss the biggest trends impacting the food industry in 2025 and beyond.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103465 Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103465-taking-a-cross-functional-approach-to-food-industry-trends HHS, USDA Unveil Dietary Guidelines Prioritizing ‘Whole Foods’ Over ‘Highly Processed’ Foods These agencies cite chronic health conditions, including obesity and diabetes, and “pharmaceutical intervention” for the recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103458 Wed, 07 Jan 2026 14:34:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103458-hhs-usda-unveil-dietary-guidelines-prioritizing-whole-foods-over-highly-processed-foods How Food Manufacturers Can Prepare for the FDA’s Synthetic Dye Phase-Out Compliance will require not only formulation changes but also process redesign, supply chain realignment and organizational adaptation.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103426 Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:01:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103426-how-food-manufacturers-can-prepare-for-the-fdas-synthetic-dye-phase-out Circana: GLP-1 Users to Represent 35% of U.S. Food and Beverage Sales by 2030 The research highlights a pivot toward healthier lifestyles among GLP-1 users, driven by a 41-point increase in weight management being cited as their primary health goal since 2021.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103375 Tue, 18 Nov 2025 09:41:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103375-circana-glp-1-users-to-represent-35-of-us-food-and-beverage-sales-by-2030 Chilling and Freezing: Are Temps on Spec in Your Freezer and Cold Room? Regulatory bodies say you need to monitor temperature in your cold storage facilities and leave a lot of leeway in how and when to do it. Fortunately, the most rudimentary capabilities of today’s wireless temperature devices and data collection systems more than meet regulatory demands.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103300 Tue, 21 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103300-chilling-and-freezing-are-temps-on-spec-in-your-freezer-and-cold-room From Farms to Aisles: What’s Fueling Change in the U.S. Food System? Rob Dongoski, global lead, agriculture and food, for management consulting firm Kearney, discusses major drivers for change in the U.S. food system, including generational purchasing patterns, growing interest in health and sustainability, and implementing technology to harness consumer insights and improve efficiency.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103310 Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103310-from-farms-to-aisles-whats-fueling-change-in-the-us-food-system What’s Driving Change in Food Manufacturing? Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) AI, automation and consumer trends continue to drive change in food and beverage manufacturing, according to our 2025 State of Food Manufacturing survey.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103287 Mon, 06 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103287-whats-driving-change-in-food-manufacturing A Look at How Smart Manufacturing Is Addressing Operational, Economic Challenges Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) For its 10th annual State of Smart Manufacturing Report, Rockwell Automation surveyed 1,560 manufacturing leaders about the internal and external challenges they face and how they’re using technology to address them.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103264 Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103264-a-look-at-how-smart-manufacturing-is-addressing-operational-economic-challenges Food Packaging Innovations Balance Safety, Sustainability and Consumer Demands Food packaging is entering a new era where innovation is as much about how equipment supports sanitation, compliance and durability as it is about what materials are used.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103252 Fri, 12 Sep 2025 09:12:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103252-food-packaging-innovations-balance-safety-sustainability-and-consumer-demands How Concentration Methods Impact the Transition to Natural Colorants How natural pigment is concentrated can affect taste, shelf life and efficiency of use, but the latest technological advances in heat technology offer more options than ever before.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103244 Tue, 09 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103244-how-concentration-methods-impact-the-transition-to-natural-colorants How Carbon Dioxide Capture and Liquefaction Supports Food Industry Revenue and Sustainability An increasing number of North American food and beverage producers are focusing on the capture and liquefaction of carbon dioxide from their waste processes to reduce costs, generate additional revenue and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103225 Thu, 28 Aug 2025 10:32:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103225-how-carbon-dioxide-capture-and-liquefaction-supports-food-industry-revenue-and-sustainability Divert, Inc. and United States Cold Storage to Turn Food into Renewable Energy As a part of the program, unsold and non-donatable food and beverage products from USCS’s California locations are brought to Divert’s Integrated Diversion and Energy Facility in Turlock, Calif.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103159 Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103159-divert-inc-and-united-states-cold-storage-to-turn-food-into-renewable-energy divert Render_1170x658.jpg How Digital Traceability and Facility Design Are Reshaping Food Safety As manufacturers plan for increased traceability demands, purpose-built facilities with integrated digital traceability systems will streamline compliance and enable faster, more accurate responses that help protect public health.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103105 Thu, 03 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103105-how-digital-traceability-and-facility-design-are-reshaping-food-safety The Sustainability Blind Spot: Rethinking Yard Operations in Food & Beverage Supply Chains Faced with rising ESG expectations, carbon reduction mandates and consumer pressure for climate-conscious sourcing, companies are reevaluating every link in their supply chain. Yet one of the most fuel-intensive, labor-constrained and congestion-prone areas often goes overlooked: yard operations.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103084 Mon, 16 Jun 2025 08:45:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103084-the-sustainability-blind-spot-rethinking-yard-operations-in-food-and-beverage-supply-chains FDA Approves Natural Color Options Following Move to Phase Out Petroleum-Based Dyes In alignment with the FDA’s aim to phase out petroleum-based dyes, the agency has approved three color additives from natural sources for use by food manufacturers.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103054 Mon, 02 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103054-fda-approves-natural-color-options-following-move-to-phase-out-petroleum-based-dyes Carlsberg Sweden, Einride Introduce Electric Beer The limited-edition offering is designed to highlight sustainable, electricity-based processing, packaging and transportation.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/102984 Mon, 21 Apr 2025 11:02:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/102984-carlsberg-sweden-einride-introduce-electric-beer How Do Consumers Feel About Ultra-Processed Foods? Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) A recent study by Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability looks at whether consumers understand the terms “processed” and “ultra-processed: and if they have their own opinions on them.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/102977 Thu, 17 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/102977-how-do-consumers-feel-about-ultra-processed-foods What’s Ahead for the GRAS Pathway? Self-affirmed GRAS determinations made by the food industry are being called into question at federal and state levels, even without health or safety concerns associated with substances that are designated as GRAS.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/102969 Mon, 14 Apr 2025 07:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/102969-whats-ahead-for-the-gras-pathway Pursuing Price Parity: A Closer Look at the Cost of Alternative Protein Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) Alternative protein products are often more expensive than traditional counterparts, but advancements in technology and ingredients can help manufacturers in approaching price parity.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/102912 Wed, 12 Mar 2025 23:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/102912-pursuing-price-parity-a-closer-look-at-the-cost-of-alternative-protein FDA Finalizes Updated 'Healthy' Nutrient Content Claim Manufacturers who choose to use the “healthy” claim have three years to conform but can use the new criteria sooner. 

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/102754 Fri, 20 Dec 2024 10:42:08 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/102754-fda-finalizes-updated-healthy-nutrient-content-claim