The Leading Source for Food Manufacturing News
Addressing Mechanical Equipment For Safer Operation
March 3, 2010 5:17 am | by Jeff Schnitzer and Jim Rogers, GE Energy Services | Articles | CommentsProtecting employees, minimizing machinery downtime, maximizing health Safety is a necessity for any industrial plant. Around the world, the focus on the safety and health of employees in the workplace is a growing priority for individuals and organization. In the U.S., for instance, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) and the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) recently combined to express a commitment to safe work, which they say must be prominent in a congressional jobs bill now under consideration.
Step-By-Step To Finding The Perfect Workbench
March 3, 2010 4:39 am | by James Anderson, Vertical Market Manager, Lista International | Articles | CommentsPurchasing a workbench or workstation may at first seem like a simple task. Your employees have work to do, and they need an efficient, comfortable, and practical place to do it. But behind that deceptively simple proposition may lurk a number of variables that must be considered to make sure you get what you actually need.
China Jails 3 Execs For Tainted Milk Products
March 3, 2010 4:37 am | News | CommentsSHANGHAI (AP) — Three Shanghai dairy executives have been sentenced to jail after milk products their company made were found to be tainted with an industrial chemical at the center of China's milk safety scandal. Shanghai Panda Dairy Co. was forced to close last year when unacceptably high levels of melamine, which can cause kidney stones or failure, were found in milk powder and condensed milk.
Farmers Move From Cows To Chardonnay
March 3, 2010 4:37 am | News | CommentsWARREN, Conn. (AP) — A winter breeze rustles through the brittle and dormant vines twisting along the hills of Bill Hopkins' vineyard, the latest transformation of a Connecticut farm that since 1786 has been keeping up with changing agriculture, markets and consumer tastes. The 100-acre family farm on Lake Waramaug in western Connecticut's Litchfield Hills has raised sheep, race horses, tobacco, grain crops and dairy cows.
Study: Food-Borne Illnesses Cost U.S. $152B
March 3, 2010 4:36 am | News | CommentsYAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — Food-borne illnesses, such as E. coli and salmonella, cost the United States $152 billion annually in health care and other losses, according to a report released Wednesday by a food safety group. The report comes as the U.S. Senate considers legislation that would require more government inspections of food manufacturers and give the Food and Drug Administration new authority to order recalls, among other things.
Seafood Company Recalls Oysters In 10 States
March 3, 2010 4:35 am | News | CommentsNEWPORT, Ore. (AP) — OM Seafood Co. is recalling oysters that were harvested from Yaquina Bay on the Oregon coast and distributed to nine other states. The Portland-based company said Tuesday that the oyster meat and oysters in the shell, harvested from Feb. 1 through Feb. 24, may be contaminated with norovirus.
TreeHouse Acquires Sturm Foods
March 3, 2010 4:34 am | News | CommentsWESTCHESTER, Ill. (AP) — Food maker TreeHouse Foods Inc. said Tuesday it has completed the $660 million acquisition of Sturm Foods Inc. TreeHouse announced the acquisition of Sturm, a maker of hot cereal and powdered soft drink mixes, in December. The transaction will strengthen TreeHouse's presence in private-label groceries, TreeHouse has said.
Cutting 'Junk Foods' From Schools May Level Obesity Rates
March 3, 2010 4:34 am | News | CommentsSAN FRANCISCO (AScribe Newswire) — New policies that eliminate sugary beverages and junk foods from schools may help slow childhood obesity, according to a San Francisco State University study released today and published in the March issue of the journal Health Affairs. "This is one of the very first comprehensive investigations that examined whether childhood obesity trends changed after new statewide policies were enacted in California," said the study's first author Emma Sanchez-Vaznaugh, assistant professor of health education at SF State.
Tank Washers
March 2, 2010 11:15 am | Product Releases | CommentsTankJet™ 4 Tank Washers provide high-impact cleaning of tanks up to 98’ (30 m). The units provide consistent impact over the entire pressure range to ensure superior cleaning. The washers are equipped with special nozzles that minimize turbulence and improve stream integrity for increased impact and greater cleaning effectiveness.
Hydraulic Fluids
March 2, 2010 11:02 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe new HyPar FG Series Hydraulic Fluids are specially formulated synthetic blend lubricants, designed for hydraulic equipment used in the food service, beverage and packaging industries. These fortified hydraulic fluids contain oxidation inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors and antiwear additives to extend equipment maintenance intervals.
R&D Tax Credit Helps Fill Credit Void
March 2, 2010 6:14 am | by Zee Makhani and Mark Lauber | Articles | CommentsWhile waiting for the credit freeze to thaw—retrieve tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands in cash back from the IRS using an underutilized tax credit There’s no secret that the lack of credit for businesses is hurting our economy and the unemployment situation.
Benefits Of Real-Time Traceability
March 2, 2010 4:39 am | by Linda Bryan, CEO, Tamlin Software | Articles | CommentsManufacturing companies are increasingly under pressure to be compliant. Whether mandated by the government, customers, third-party auditors or quality standards such as ISO, companies must prove their ability to track and trace inventory, goods and other items in order to remain compliant and competitive in the local and global marketplace.
HSUS Backs Idaho Senator On Cockfighting
March 2, 2010 4:34 am | News | CommentsBOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho senator is walking a tightrope on poultry-related legislation. Sen. Tim Corder, R-Mountain Home, has secured the Humane Society of the United States' support for his bill to make cockfighting a felony but its ire on another measure he hopes will help thwart the animal-rights group's efforts to outlaw cramped cages for chickens.
Local Growers Seek Helpful Policies
March 2, 2010 4:33 am | News | CommentsATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia's longtime agriculture commissioner, Tommy Irvin, has spent more than 41 years building the state's agricultural empire on international trade. But as Irvin retires this year and the state enters a new era of agricultural leadership, the organization that represents the state's organic and naturally grown producers, Georgia Organics, is looking to rebuild at home.
Sen. Collins Announces Funding For Fishing Industry
March 2, 2010 4:32 am | News | CommentsWASHINGTON, D.C. (CQ Transcriptions, LLC) — U.S. Senator Susan Collins has announced that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) will provide $10 million in additional funding to support New England's groundfish industry. The Maine Department of Marine Resources will receive $2 million to set up a permit bank for fishing permits, through which fishing opportunity will be preserved for small and remote communities in Maine.
Mass. Food Company Plans Expansion
March 2, 2010 4:31 am | News | CommentsFALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) — Officials at a 120-year-old food manufacturing company in Fall River say business has been so good that they plan to double the size of their plant and hire as many as 100 new employees. Todd Blount, president of Blount Fine Foods, tells The Herald News of Fall River that business is up about 10 percent in the restaurant end of their sales and nearly 30 percent in sales to markets and wholesale clubs.
Pepsi Exec: Coke Is 'Just Getting Started'
March 2, 2010 4:31 am | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — PepsiCo executives said Monday their purchase of the company's two largest bottlers was the "right move" for the industry, but a similar play by top rival Coca-Cola won't be as fruitful. Eric Foss, who leads PepsiCo's new beverage unit, said it was ready to plunge in with its new model, having completed the $7.
Atlas Copco Acquires Quincy Compressor
March 2, 2010 4:29 am | News | CommentsStockholm, Sweden (Atlas Copco) — Atlas Copco has completed the acquisition of Quincy Compressor from EnPro Industries, with the exception of Quincy’s Chinese operations, where regulatory approvals from relevant local authorities are still pending. Quincy Compressor designs and manufactures reciprocating compressors, rotary screw compressors and vacuum pumps, primarily under the Quincy brand.
Increasing Motor Efficiency With Power Factor Control
March 1, 2010 4:23 am | by Mark Steinmetz, Field Applications Engineer, VincoTech GmbH | Articles | Comments“Global Warming, Carbon Footprint, and Energy Efficiency” are becoming mantras for the industrial manufacturing sector. With energy costs constantly rising leading to increased overhead costs, the need to use electrical energy in a more efficient manner by reducing the amount is at the fundamental basis of this crisis.
Suit Seeks To Bar Genetically Modified Sugar Beets
March 1, 2010 4:14 am | News | CommentsPHILOMATH, Ore. (AP) — Organic farmers fear this year's spring breezes will be carrying pollen from genetically altered sugar beets, which they say could render their crops worthless, and they hope to persuade a federal judge this week to halt the plantings nationwide. Experts and industry groups say such an injunction could jeopardize U.
