The Leading Source for Food Manufacturing News
Greenwashing—I've Been Had
November 10, 2009 4:35 am | by Carrie Ellis, Editor, Chem.Info | Articles | CommentsThere aren’t many feelings worse than that of being duped, especially if you have an elevated estimation of your own intellectual powers. (I tested at 29 on my ACT exam, I swear.) Most of the time, I like to think that I’m pretty shrewd when it comes to marketing schemes and statistics being twisted by the most keen of spin doctors, distinctly because as an editor—trust me—I’ve seen it all.
The Evolution Of Clean—For Your Pump Tool Kit
November 10, 2009 4:30 am | by Wallace Wittkoff, Global Hygienic Director, Pump Solutions Group | Articles | CommentsNot surprisingly, food safety has always been a top concern for the companies that produce processed foods and beverages. So, it goes without saying that this is a precise industry, one that requires the highest standards in hygienic and sanitary production processes.
Lawmaker Wants Probe Of E. Coli In School Lunches
November 10, 2009 4:18 am | News | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — The chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee wants an investigation into the risk of deadly E. coli getting into school lunches. Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., is worried about a recent outbreak that killed at least two people and sickened about two dozen others in 11 states.
Pepsi To Fund Projects To 'Refresh' Communities
November 10, 2009 4:17 am | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — PepsiCo Inc., looking to freshen up the image of its namesake soda, is pledging to pay at least $20 million for projects people create to "refresh" their communities. The soft drink maker's "Pepsi Refresh Project" will be used throughout next year to market Pepsi soft drinks, including Diet Pepsi and Pepsi Max, and will have a heavy social media presence as consumers list their projects online and vote on the winners.
NJ Plant Rolls Out 'Green' M&Ms
November 10, 2009 4:15 am | News | CommentsHACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (AP) — Those green M&Ms are getting greener. A New Jersey candy factory that produces M&Ms flipped the switch Monday on a dedicated solar array that's the largest in the nation to serve a single manufacturing complex, according to Public Service Enterprise Group Inc.
USDA Announces Pork Board Appointments
November 10, 2009 4:14 am | News | CommentsWASHINGTON (USDA) — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced five appointments to the 15-member National Pork Board (Board). The five were chosen from among eight pork producers nominated by the National Pork Producers Delegate Body during its meeting in Dallas, Texas, in March.
FDA Issues 2009 FDA Food Code
November 10, 2009 4:13 am | News | CommentsSILVER SPRING, Md.(PRNewswire-USNewswire) — The Food and Drug Administration today announced the publication of the new FDA Food Code, a model code and reference document that provides the technical and legal basis for regulating the retail and food service segment of the food industry. The 2009 FDA Food Code is a key component of the President's overall public health-focused food safety framework for maintaining a safe food supply.
Vision Inspection System
November 9, 2009 11:38 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe Vision Inspection System visually scans containers for physical defects at speeds of up to 500 packages per minute. The system identifies and removes defective packaging that would negatively affect package integrity or brand image: misaligned or damaged closures and tipped, doublestacked or wrong-sized containers.
Wireless RTD Probe/Transmitter
November 9, 2009 11:37 am | Product Releases | CommentsOmega's new wireless RTD probe/transmitter assembly features a stainless steel probe connected to a polypropylene water tight transmitter housing. Units are shipped ready to install and operate with the push of a button. The assembly is available with or without 3-A approved thermowells for clean-in-place sanitary applications.
High Capacity Cheese Shredder
November 9, 2009 11:36 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe USDA-approved CCX-D Cheese Shredder offers ergonomic, user-friendly features along with addressing sanitation concerns. The exterior is made-up of stainless steel specifically designed to deter bacterial growth. Attached swing-away feed hopper eases maintenance and lends to sanitary design. Top hinged dual panels provide efficient access to drive parts.
Compact Dicer
November 9, 2009 4:47 am | Product Releases | CommentsAble to switch easily from one type of cut to another, the compact DiversaCut SPRINT® Dicer accepts a wide variety of vegetables, fruits and meats. Maximum product input size is approximately 6.5" (165.1 mm) in any dimension. The dicer produces a myriad of flat or crinkle slices, strip cuts, and dices up to 1" (25.
Bulk Bag Filler
November 9, 2009 4:46 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe C1-2 Bulk Bag Filler uses an automatic gain in weight adjustment to monitor and compensate for any weight variation. Using programmable one-touch controls, the operator can control unit operations as well as upstream in-feed devices. A filling rate of up to 20 bags an hour is attainable, depending on the ‘flowability’ of the product and conveyor used.
Thermal Transfer Printer
November 9, 2009 4:44 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe affordable continuous motion 53LT offers OEMs and end-users a cost effective way to upgrade from hot stamp printing to more versatile thermal transfer printing. Featuring 300-dpi resolution, printer resident barcodes, cassette ribbon loading and large 600-meter ribbon capacity, the 53LT offers high-end performance at an affordable price.
Exporting Yourself
November 9, 2009 4:42 am | by Karen Langhauser, Editor-in-chief | Articles | CommentsA few years ago, I came down the stairs Christmas morning at my parent’s house to find a 28” X 20” wrapped gift waiting for me under the tree. I excitedly asked “what is it?!” (as if I wasn’t just about to open it and find out). My mom quickly informed me it was “boring.
Lift Trucks Keep Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Churning
November 9, 2009 4:41 am | by Susan Comfort, Product Manager of Class II Lift Trucks, The Raymond Corporation | Articles | CommentsAmericans love ice cream. Over the last 10 years, total production of ice cream and related frozen deserts has been over 1.5 billion gallons, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This high demand led ice cream manufacturer Ben & Jerry’s, maker of popular, quirky flavors like Cherry Garcia® and Phish Food®, to reevaluate its operations.
FDA, FSIS To Hold Public Meetings On Food Safety
November 9, 2009 4:36 am | News | CommentsWASHINGTON D.C. (FDA) — A joint public meeting focused on improving the system for tracing of food products and ingredients that are causing illness outbreaks or presenting other risks to the health of consumers was announced Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the U.S.
$1.26B PepsiCo Ruling Vacated
November 9, 2009 4:35 am | News | CommentsMILWAUKEE (Canadian Press) — A judge has tossed out a decision—for now at least—that could have cost PepsiCo Inc. $1.26 billion after the soft drink maker didn't respond to a lawsuit claiming it stole the idea for bottled water. The decision Friday by a Wisconsin court means PepsiCo will get its say in court—now that it has found out about the case.
Lawyer: Activists Provoked Animal Abuse
November 9, 2009 4:33 am | News | CommentsBURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — The lawyer for a Vermont slaughterhouse that was ordered shut down for allegedly mistreating baby calves says the person who secretly filmed footage that led to the closure provoked a plant worker to mistreat the animals. Officials shut down Bushway Packing Inc.
Mold, Slime Found In Freshly Cleaned Meat Plant
November 9, 2009 4:32 am | News | CommentsOTTAWA (Canadian Press) — A top-to-bottom scrubbing after a deadly listeriosis outbreak apparently didn't fully cleanse a Maple Leaf Foods plant of mold, slime and meat debris, newly released documents show. Inspectors found a troubling lack of hygiene at the company's Toronto facility just weeks after it reopened last year from a temporary shutdown for cleaning, according to inspection reports.
Got Chocolate Milk?
November 9, 2009 4:31 am | News | CommentsMILWAUKEE (AP) — The creators of the "Got Milk?" campaign are getting ready to make a big push to keep chocolate milk on kids' minds and on school lunch menus, a plan that has some educators and obesity activists none too pleased. The new ad campaign from the dairy industry, set to launch Monday, emphasizes that sugary flavorings are ways to get kids to drink milk.
