The Leading Source for Food Manufacturing News
China To Boost Food Safety Measures
March 10, 2010 4:25 am | News | CommentsBEIJING (AP) — China will step up food safety efforts in the wake of a massive dairy scandal, expanding supervision to reach more of the country's countless small farms, an agriculture official said Wednesday. China has been struggling for several years to overcome a series of food safety problems, including one that started two years ago when at least six children died and nearly 300,000 children fell ill after consuming tainted infant formula.
Expert Summit: The Future of Food
March 10, 2010 4:24 am | News | CommentsCHICAGO (PRNewswire) — Field Trip Factory, the nation's leading provider of hands-on, immersion learning experiences, will host its second annual Dietitian Summit in conjunction with National Nutrition Month. The only forum of its kind, the primary goal of this intimate gathering of leading experts is to help the food industry better support consumer health where it matters most, in the aisles of the nation's grocery stores.
New Owner Eying Closed Neb. Meat Plants
March 10, 2010 4:23 am | News | CommentsHASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — A new company is buying the former Premium Protein Products plant in Hastings, planning to run a custom slaughter operation. Managing partner Jim Stevens says Hastings Acquisitions LLC also hopes to buy the Premium Protein operation in Lincoln. He said Tuesday that his group has two weeks to reach a deal for the Lincoln plant.
Georgia House Lawmakers OK Food Safety Bill
March 10, 2010 4:21 am | News | CommentsATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia House has approved a bill that puts teeth in a food safety bill that cleared the Legislature last year. It was prompted by a 2009 salmonella outbreak that originated in a south Georgia peanut processing plant, sickened hundreds and was linked to the deaths of at least nine people.
On The Edge Of My Driver’s Seat
March 10, 2010 4:20 am | by Carrie Ellis, Editor, Chem.Info | Articles | CommentsSo what’s the holdup, you ask? And rightfully so. Lawmakers have been hailing the environmental revolution as the way out of this deep pit called an economic recovery, but have yet to sign anything that would toss a ladder into the deep hole to offer a few folks a glimpse of light. (Listen closely for the whispers of health care.
A Discussion Of HVAC Coil Coatings
March 10, 2010 4:19 am | by Joshua D. Sole, Ph.D., Senior Mechanical Engineer, and Alan H. Brothers, Ph.D., Senior Materials Engineer, Mainstream Engineering Corp. | Articles | CommentsMany HVAC manufacturers, distributors, and contractors may not realize that hundreds of thousands of coil failures have occurred during the last decade from corrosion. The cause is most typically environmental pollutants, which range anywhere from salt-air, to household cleaning agents, pesticides, formaldehydes, building materials, and even off-gassing of food.
P&G Recalls 2 Pringles Flavors
March 9, 2010 6:39 am | News | CommentsCINCINNATI (AP) — Procter & Gamble Co. has recalled two versions of Pringles chips because of concerns about potential Salmonella exposure. The Cincinnati-based consumer products maker says the Cheeseburger and "Taco Night" versions of the snack are being recalled. The company is offering replacement coupons or refunds.
Customer Center
March 9, 2010 5:09 am | Product Releases | CommentsReiser's new 6,600 square foot Customer Center features a customizable processing room with space to run individual machines or fully automated lines, as well as a full test kitchen for preparing, cooking and sampling finished product. The facility allows product to be processed under the same conditions found in most top-of-the-line food plants in the industry.
'Food Policy Blueprint' Lays Out Healthy Food Plan
March 9, 2010 4:22 am | News | CommentsDENVER (LiveWell) — LiveWell Colorado, a non-profit organization committed to reducing obesity in Colorado by promoting healthy eating and active living, today released a "Food Policy Blueprint." The Blueprint identifies the most pressing policy needs and opportunities to strengthen access to healthy foods in Colorado.
Clinton, Beverage Group: School Efforts Working
March 9, 2010 4:21 am | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. beverage industry has largely stopped delivering sugary drinks to schools and has replaced them with lower-calorie options, the head of the industry's trade association said Monday. The association released a report showing a a 95 percent decline in sales of full-calorie soft drinks to schools between fall 2004 and fall 2009.
Fishermen Prepare For Coming Federal Rules
March 9, 2010 4:20 am | News | CommentsNEW BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) — Some fishermen and advocates for the industry voiced concern at a regional summit Monday about upcoming federal regulations they warn could put them out of business, while others suggested the changes were a necessary way to curb overfishing. Fishermen and elected leaders gathered at the New Bedford Whaling Museum ahead of a scheduled May 1 switch to a "sector" system of fishing.
Reed's, Jones Soda Consider Merger
March 9, 2010 4:19 am | News | CommentsLOS ANGELES (Reed's) — Reed's, Inc., maker of top-selling sodas in natural food stores nationwide, and Jones Soda, Inc., a leader in the premium soda category and known for its unique branding and innovative marketing, announced today that the two companies have entered into a Letter of Intent (LOI) regarding a merger, with Reed's as the surviving company.
Manufacturer Expands Pet Food Recall
March 9, 2010 4:18 am | News | CommentsLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nature's Variety has expanded its recall of chicken-flavored pet food because of concerns over salmonella. The Lincoln, Neb.-based company said Monday that the raw, frozen food is being recalled because it could be contaminated with salmonella. The recall includes three-pound packages of chicken medallions, six-pound packages of chicken patties and two-pound packages of chicken chubs.
Sweetener Colloquium Draws Record Attendance
March 9, 2010 4:17 am | News | CommentsWASHINGTON, D.C. (IDFA) — Supply shortages, the use of corn sweeteners and Mexican market factors were just a few of the topics covered at this year's International Sweetener Colloquium, February 21-24 at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Fla. With record-breaking attendance, the 2010 Sweetener Colloquium drew nearly 400 industry professionals, making it the largest annual gathering in almost a decade.
My Garbage Blanket
March 9, 2010 4:15 am | by Anna Wells, Editor, IMPO | Articles | CommentsAs I drove down Madison’s Beltline highway during last Friday's lovely 40-degree afternoon in search of lunch, I saw some of the first signs of spring. The city-wide blanket of snow was beginning to look like a blanket soaked in beer and run across a dirty wood floor. We’re used to having an ugly springtime here… road dirt, salt, and sand do exactly what you might expect when mixed with melting snow, which is to create a muddy, mushy stream that takes time and a good city drainage system to resolve.
Chipotle Takes A Shine To Polished Concrete Flooring
March 9, 2010 4:14 am | by Seth Warren Rose, Managing Director, The Eneref Institute | Articles | CommentsBecause of its countless benefits and sustainable advantages, polished concrete flooring may soon become the common flooring technology for facility managers in the food manufacturing industry. Polished concrete is a trend in sanitary flooring that has recently captured the interest of facility managers of the grocery and restaurant industry, and is already the main stay of some industrial market sectors.
Packaging Robot
March 8, 2010 8:21 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe VersaPak Gantry Robot series offers high speed, heavy payload, robotic precision and a small footprint to handle a wide variety of secondary packaging applications. The Collation Conveyor provides dual servo, high speed indexing and adjustable flight spacing to accurately group almost any size package.
When Words Collide
March 8, 2010 5:29 am | by Kim H. Pries and Jon M. Quigley PMP, Value Transformation, LLC | Articles | CommentsEmployees deliver, upper management doesn’t. Why does management make unilateral decisions to reduce compensation not only for future work, but for work that has already been performed? Jon M. Quigley PMP Kim H. Pries “People are our greatest resource.
Technology Essential In Future Food Production
March 8, 2010 4:42 am | News | CommentsMANHATTAN, Kansas (PRNewswire-USNewswire) — To feed a world population projected to exceed 9 billion people by 2050, technology that can enhance food production will be a significant asset, according to a Kansas State University agricultural economist. Ted Schroeder, university distinguished professor of agricultural economics, said dramatically increased food prices around the world in recent years, social unrest over food scarcity in countries like Argentina, Bangladesh, Egypt, Mozambique and many others — combined with a growing world population — are raising the question what will it take to feed the world's population 40 years from now.
Consultant Questions Viability Of U.S. Sugar Deal
March 8, 2010 4:41 am | News | CommentsWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A state financial consultant is questioning whether Florida's multimillion-dollar plan to buy land from U.S. Sugar Corp. for Everglades restoration remains affordable. In a Feb. 17 letter to the South Florida Water Management District's chief financial officer, the consultant warns the district has difficult "financial decisions.
