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Expand your knowledge about the latest food and beverage automation software, controls, and machinery in our features, columns, and product reviews.

]]> https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/rss/2630-automation en-us Modernization Investments Improve Operator Safety 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.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103614 Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103614-modernization-investments-improve-operator-safety How to Select Automation Technologies for Food Manufacturing Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) 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.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103593 Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103593-how-to-select-automation-technologies-for-food-manufacturing Simplifying the Alphabet Soup of Industrial Networks 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.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103580 Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103580-simplifying-the-alphabet-soup-of-industrial-networks Put Contextualized OEE Data to Use Managing Plantwide Processes 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.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103573 Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103573-put-contextualized-oee-data-to-use-managing-plantwide-processes How Coriolis Meters Helped Milk Processor Galloway Company Reduce Giveaway and Improve Efficiency Galloway Company turned to Emerson for Coriolis meters to optimize its dairy processing operations by delivering precise and dependable flow measurements.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103566 Thu, 05 Mar 2026 11:35:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103566-how-coriolis-meters-helped-milk-processor-galloway-company-reduce-giveaway-and-improve-efficiency How Can Data Integration Support AI Adoption in CPG Manufacturing? Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) 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.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103559 Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103559-how-can-data-integration-support-ai-adopting-in-cpg-manufacturing ISA Publishes New Standard for SCADA Systems The ISA-112 Part 1 standard provides a vendor-neutral and technology-independent framework for the long-term management of SCADA systems and execution of SCADA modernization projects.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103552 Thu, 26 Feb 2026 09:54:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103552-isa-publishes-new-standard-for-scada-systems The Data Dilemma: Why AI Fails for Mid-Sized Food Processors 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.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103544 Mon, 23 Feb 2026 12:06:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103544-the-data-dilemma-why-ai-fails-for-mid-sized-food-processors AI: In Quest of and Fulfilling the Perfect Batch 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.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103517 Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103517-ai-in-quest-of-and-fulfilling-the-perfect-batch Motor and Drive Sustainability: Don’t Forget to Look at the Bigger Picture 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.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103515 Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103515-motor-and-drive-sustainability-dont-forget-to-look-at-the-bigger-picture Automating Reverse Packaging: A True Food Processing Challenge Rethinking the operation could unlock more productivity, and the key to successful automated reverse packaging hinges on robot 3D vision system technology.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103523 Fri, 06 Feb 2026 13:49:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103523-automating-reverse-packaging-a-true-food-processing-challenge Now We’re Talking: Improving Manufacturing Communication Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) In a recent survey, Weavix found manufacturing workers are satisfied with their communication strategies but there’s still room for improvement.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103524 Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103524-now-were-talking-improving-manufacturing-communication How Caraway Tea Company Approaches Automation Caraway Tea Company says it has adopted a practical, in-house approach to automation by designing and building custom production solutions.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103503 Mon, 02 Feb 2026 10:23:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103503-how-caraway-tea-company-approaches-automation AI, Sustainability and Health: Top Food Industry Trends in 2026 Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) Last year was an eventful year for the food manufacturing industry, and FOOD ENGINEERING expects many of the major themes to carry over into 2026.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103473 Tue, 20 Jan 2026 06:00:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103473-ai-sustainability-and-health-top-food-industry-trends-in-2026 Making Cloud-Based Maintenance & EAM More Resilient There was a time most maintenance and EAM software operated strictly within a facility or enterprise, but the development of AI and off-premises, cloud-based computing has made it possible to do heavy computing and trending in the cloud. But what happens when the “cloud” goes down?

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103455 Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103455-making-cloud-based-maintenance-and-eam-more-resilient 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 Agentic AI: Should it Make Your Processing and Business Decisions? To make good decisions, people, automation and AI systems need quality data — but to let an AI agent make an autonomous decision without input from operators and key decision makers means a processor needs to have lots of accurate data based on real and known sensory inputs, which may not exist in many plants and enterprises.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103413 Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103413-agentic-ai-should-it-make-your-processing-and-business-decisions FDA Expands Agentic AI Capabilities The agency says agentic AI deployment will enable its staff to further advance the use of AI to assist with more complex tasks, such as meeting management, pre-market reviews, review validation, post-market surveillance, inspections and compliance and administrative functions.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103402 Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:44:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103402-fda-expands-agentic-ai-capabilities How Pre-Engineered Cobots Support Food Manufacturing Collaborative robots — or cobots — are gaining traction not just as an entry point to automation but as a strategic lever for resilience and growth. And among them, pre-engineered cobot systems are emerging as a fast path to impact.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103397 Mon, 01 Dec 2025 12:50:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103397-how-pre-engineered-cobots-support-food-manufacturing From Chaos to Coordination: The Role of AI in Food Logistics Food manufacturers who use today’s demand environment as a sandbox will face future chaos with a prepared AI that knows their operations intimately and can respond faster than any human team alone.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103388 Mon, 24 Nov 2025 10:11:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103388-from-chaos-to-coordination-the-role-of-ai-in-food-logistics How Coriolis Meter Advancements Can Support Food Manufacturing Reduced sensor size, multiple transmitter offerings and advanced software further expand Coriolis flow meter capability.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103385 Fri, 21 Nov 2025 07:00:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103385-how-coriolis-meter-advancements-can-support-food-manufacturing IFS and Boston Dynamics Collaborate to Enhance Field Operations IFS, provider of industrial AI software, and Boston Dynamics, a leader in mobile robotics, are collaborating to transform how asset-intensive organizations manage and optimize their field operations.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103381 Wed, 19 Nov 2025 07:00:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103381-ifs-and-boston-dynamics-collaborate-to-enhance-field-operations Barry Callebaut Partners with NotCo to Explore AI-Driven Chocolate Recipe Development The initiative forms part of Barry Callebaut’s multi-year digitalization agenda, where Barry Callebaut is entering into the AI era and reinforcing the company’s commitment to deliver innovation.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103377 Tue, 18 Nov 2025 10:27:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103377-barry-callebaut-partners-with-notco-to-explore-ai-driven-chocolate-recipe-development Duravant to Acquire Matthews Automation Solutions Matthews Automation Solutions delivers warehouse execution system (WES) and warehouse control system (WCS) software, controls and integration services.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103370 Fri, 14 Nov 2025 11:44:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103370-duravant-to-acquire-matthews-automation-solutions Digital KPIs Emerge but Are Brands Finding Accurate Data? Food giants are closing legacy plants and building greenfield facilities to achieve higher volumes, greater flexibility and increased margins. So how are plant managers and corporate leadership executing, managing and delivering data to help operators find accurate KPIs and OEE metrics?

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103357 Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103357-digital-kpis-emerge-but-are-brands-finding-accurate-data Early Action on AI Can Boost Competitiveness Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) Many food manufacturers may not know where to begin implementing AI, and new research from IFS shows they’re not alone. However, to realize gains and stay competitive, getting started is key. 

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103347 Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103347-early-action-on-ai-can-boost-competitiveness Tips for Building Food Packaging Lines Starting with a clean slate to build your packaging line may be easier than incrementally adding automation, but you must know your products intimately and define your wants and needs of the line — and in the future.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103332 Tue, 28 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103332-tips-for-building-food-packaging-lines How Virtual Twins Provide a Strategic Advantage for Manufacturers With the virtual twin in place, teams can “fly through” the factory before it exists, test different layouts, and watch the flow of parts, people and robots to see where space, time or energy will be wasted.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103335 Mon, 27 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103335-how-virtual-twins-provide-a-strategic-advantage-for-manufacturers 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 G&J Pepsi Deploys Cyngn Autonomous DriveMod Tugger Cyngn's collaboration with G&J Pepsi will focus on deploying DriveMod solutions to automate material handling tasks within G&J Pepsi's facilities.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103316 Tue, 14 Oct 2025 10:20:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103316-g-and-j-pepsi-deploys-cyngn-autonomous-drivemod-tugger