Columns

The food processing industry needs automation to succeed

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 15:31:49 -0400

A long list of concerns continues to keep businesses in the food processing industry on their toes. Inflation. Supply chain issues. Hiring challenges. The pandemic. However, a connective thread runs through these four: automation.

What’s in a Name?

costam@bnpmedia.com (Michael Costa) — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 00:00:00 -0500

The cultivated meat industry is still in its infancy, and like many other burgeoning technologies—food or otherwise—the actual agreed-upon name for what the finished product will be called is being debated by those who make it.

New for 2022

costam@bnpmedia.com (Michael Costa) — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 00:00:00 -0500

A new year and new opportunities are in motion for the industry, after a (sometimes) bumpy but successful 2021.

A Continuing Story

costam@bnpmedia.com (Michael Costa) — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Hello! I’m Michael Costa, the new editor-in-chief at FOOD ENGINEERING.

An ending and a beginning

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Editor-in-chief Casey Laughman says goodbye to the food and beverage industry.

Plant of the Year Submissions Show Innovation Abounds

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 00:00:00 -0400

What Keurig Dr Pepper and Cuisine Solutions—and the other submissions we received for this year's Engineering Plant of the Year and Sustainable Plant of the Year award—do have in common is the level of innovation and creative solutions present throughout the plants.

Supply chain challenges aren't going away

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Annual survey shows what's top of mind for processors.

Fixing it on the fly

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Fri, 04 Jun 2021 00:00:00 -0400

We had a minor snag with one of the feature stories for this issue.

What does the future hold?

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Wed, 05 May 2021 00:00:00 -0400

There’s a helicopter on Mars.

It’s still pretty amazing to be able to type those words.

Looking for innovative solutions

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Food and beverage processors look for new ways to improve operations while facing the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Innovation drives success in food safety

rickstier4@aol.com (Richard F. Stier) — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 00:00:00 -0400

It is imperative that food processors understand that innovation is an imperative, and a failure to innovate can mean that they will begin to fall behind their competitors.

A novel way to clean wastewater streams

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Aquacycl used bacteria to clean up a wastewater stream and generate enough electricity to run the system and produce clean water.

Plans vs. preparation

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Recent events show just how important it is to be truly prepared.

A new platform brings new opportunities

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 09:00:00 -0500

Any fundamental shift in how you produce your product is a scary thing, and it requires buy-in and cooperation across multiple departments to ensure it’s done properly.

How food and beverage processors can build a glass and brittle plastic program

rickstier4@aol.com (Richard F. Stier) — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 09:00:00 -0500

There are many different foreign materials that could and actually have ended up in foods. The most insidious of these and the one most feared is glass.

New year brings new lineup of most popular cover stories

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 10:00:00 -0500

Food Engineering has revamped its schedule of most prominent annual features. Casey Laughman shares some of those changes as we kick off 2021.

Celebrate your successes as 2020 ends

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 09:00:00 -0500

It was a challenging year for all of us, but there are still things to be proud of as 2020 comes to an end.

It’s been a strange year, but we have to find ways to be sustainable

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 09:00:00 -0400

Food and beverage manufacturers must keep looking for new ways to improve sustainability with water, energy and waste.

Food industry leaders added to editorial board

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 09:00:00 -0400

Food and beverage industry leaders join the Food Engineering Editorial Advisory Board to provide insights that inform coverage decisions.

A strange year has processors trying to figure out what comes next

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 12:00:00 -0400

The COVID-19 pandemic has kicked food and beverage production into overdrive. A lot of us are feeling more worn out than ever.

How to manage food labels to ensure allergens are clearly noted on any product

rickstier4@aol.com (Richard F. Stier) — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 09:30:00 -0400

One of the most common causes of allergen recalls is the use of the wrong package or wrong label on a container. It is imperative that food processors make sure that the correct label is placed on each and every product, especially for foods with allergens.

COVID-19 makes it hard to define normal for food and beverage

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 16:00:00 -0400

We've all had our lives turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic, and that's going to continue for at least a little while longer.

Digital transformations require honest communication, admission of mistakes

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 09:00:00 -0400

Having honest and direct communication about what is and isn’t working is the difference between success and failure.

What the COVID-19 pandemic can teach us about the internet

Fri, 19 Jun 2020 09:30:00 -0400

When I was an electrical engineer building emergency wireless communications networks, I learned about the importance of having backups—sometimes the hard way, with a 3 a.m. phone call reporting a system is down and the backup system didn’t kick in.

Digital transformation begins now for Food Engineering

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 09:00:00 -0400

Beginning with our July issue, Food Engineering will be a 100% digital publication.

Although coronavirus dominates the headlines, other safety concerns still matter

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Tue, 12 May 2020 09:00:00 -0400

Day-to-day operations are still the highest priority, even as food and beverage processors work to protect employees and contractors from coronavirus.

Coronavirus upends life, work and the food and beverage industry

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 09:00:00 -0400

The coronavirus pandemic we’re dealing with has created a situation that is beyond anyone’s control. That means we adapt, adjust and make the best of it.

Planning and preparation can save the day

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 09:00:00 -0400

We all have those days when a bunch of little stuff is getting under our skin. But then we have those other days, where we don't joke or complain about having "one of those days" because something has gone seriously wrong.

This year's FA&M conference is the antidote for the winter blues

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Mon, 17 Feb 2020 09:00:00 -0500

In last year’s February issue, I wrote about how I was trying to overcome the depressing sight of snow and ice on the ground by thinking ahead to April and our annual Food Automation & Manufacturing Conference in Miami. The more things change …

Changes big and small create challenges for food and beverage manufacturers

Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 09:00:00 -0500

After the mad dash to end one year, January seems like a chance to get your feet back under you as you start the next.