Food Engineering

Dennis Group’s Growth-Ready Facility Planning approach is designed to align early design decisions with strategic future expansion.

The agencies say E. coli samples are genetically similar, and some people reporting illnesses have consumed Raw Farm cheese. However, the company declined to recall product over no positive E. coli tests.

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.

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.

The motors are now available in three sizes and cover a range of applications with their extended power range.

COMPASS identifies and removes stones, sticks, plastic, metal and extraneous vegetable matter, as well as discolored or damaged product and large ice or frozen agglomerates in IQF applications.

When exposing a product with an uneven moisture content (moist interior/drier exterior) to a rapidly oscillating RF field, the energy will preferentially target and remove moisture from the moist interior without overheating or discoloring the exterior surfaces.

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.

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.

A modular, standalone checkweigher for packaged products, the Raptor Flex is installed at the end of inspection lines to reduce product giveaway and ensure compliance with weight regulations.

The new frame delivers up to 355 kW in a compact wall-mounted format, responding to increasing demand for higher output power combined with limited installation space.

Biskup will continue representing CRB across the industry – meeting with clients, attending key conferences and supporting collaboration and knowledge-sharing efforts across life sciences and food and beverage manufacturing.

In this role, Green will continue to lead Campbell’s end-to-end supply chain, including customer logistics and planning, procurement, operational excellence, manufacturing and supply chain category leadership. She will also assume responsibility for food safety and quality.

Galloway Company turned to Emerson for Coriolis meters to optimize its dairy processing operations by delivering precise and dependable flow measurements.

The Vargeão site is Purina's largest investment in Brazil and will nearly double the company's wet pet food capacity in the country when fully operational.

Completed by ARCO National Construction, the facility supports DrinkPAK’s expansion into North Texas and reflects a growing industry trend toward flexible, high-capacity contract beverage manufacturing.

The 250,000-square-foot facility will expand the company's production of rice and ready-to-heat meals in North America.

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.

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. 

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.