Articles
The FSMA Kicks into High Gear
March 27, 2013 11:00 am | by Scott Scdoris, Director, Food & Beverage, Celsis Rapid Detection | CommentsTwo years after President Obama signed the sweeping FSMA into law, the FDA has issued two proposed rules on produce safety standards and preventive controls for food processing facilities. The new rules, which will govern about 80 percent of the U.S. food supply, aim to usher in a new era of food safety by shifting the focus of federal regulators from reacting to contaminations to preventing them.
The Future of Package Printing (Part I)
March 27, 2013 9:00 am | by PMMI | CommentsModern packaging goes far beyond its primary objective of protecting the contents within it. The fact is, it serves as a critical communication platform. Think of the ingredient and nutritional information it lists and how it displays expiration dates and tracking codes to ensure freshness and product safety.
Food Quality Control Starts Outside the Loading Dock (Part II)
March 25, 2013 2:15 pm | by Eric Breen, 4SIGHT Systems Manager, 4Front Engineered Solutions | CommentsA yard and dock management system provides facilities with increased visibility and productivity in their yard, loading dock and warehouse. Whether you need just a yard management system to provide real-time data using RFID and GPS tracking a dock management system to increase loading dock efficiency.
Beware The Ill-Planned Innovative Rollout
March 25, 2013 1:27 pm | by Moe Glenner, President, PURELogistics | CommentsIt happens repeatedly. A company adopts a new technology platform that ostensibly will ease the workload, streamline operational processes and result in overall gains in efficiency and budget spending. The intention is spot-on but the execution is decidedly less so.
Food Quality Control Starts Outside the Loading Dock (Part I)
March 25, 2013 12:25 pm | by Eric Breen, 4SIGHT Systems Manager, 4Front Engineered Solutions | CommentsFood and beverage manufacturers and distributors rely on maintaining environmental control and minimizing the time product spends on the loading dock to survive in extremely competitive markets. These operations often run multiple shifts with tremendously high loading cycles.
Taking a Proactive Approach to Food Safety and Quality
March 22, 2013 10:30 am | by Bob Shapiro, CEO of GSC Packaging | CommentsFood safety has garnered national attention in the wake of the sequester cuts that took effect on March 1, 2013. The automatic spending cuts affect numerous government agencies, including the FDA, which is responsible for regulating approximately 80 percent of all food sold in the United States.
Q&A: Springing Forward with Pest Prevention
March 21, 2013 11:10 am | by Lindsey Jahn, Associate Editor | CommentsWith warmer weather on the horizon, it is important for food manufacturers to put prevention measures in place for warm-weather pests. Food Manufacturing spoke with Patricia Hottel about the steps processors can take to get a head start on spring pest prevention.
What Food Manufacturers Want from an MRO
March 21, 2013 10:30 am | by Lindsey Jahn, Associate Editor | CommentsMaintenance, repair and operations (MRO) suppliers are a critical resource for keeping a food facility up and running. Food Manufacturing conducted a survey to gauge how our readers interact with their MRO suppliers, as well as what matters most when it comes to choosing a supplier.
What Can HPP Do for Seafood Processors?
March 21, 2013 9:00 am | by Errol Raghubeer, Ph.D., Vice President, Microbiology & Technology, Avure Technologies, Inc. | CommentsA heightened regulatory climate, the relentless quest for processing efficiencies, and enhancing revenue through new product development are top-of-mind issues in the seafood industry. Controlling pathogenic Vibrio, coliform bacteria, and viruses in oysters and other shellfish will always be paramount to public health.
Gulf Seafood Update: An Industry Regains Its Sea Legs
March 20, 2013 10:30 am | by Lindsey Jahn, Associate Editor | CommentsWhen the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in April 2010, 4.9 million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico, bringing the area’s seafood industry to a halt. Nearly three years later, Gulf seafood players stand united with plans to make the industry stronger than ever.
Q&A: Preventing Recalls in a Fast-Paced Industry
March 19, 2013 9:00 am | by Lindsey Jahn, Associate Editor | CommentsThe FDA recently proposed new rules as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). As the food regulatory landscape continues to change quickly, it is more important than ever for food facilities to employ the latest technology to prevent product recalls before they occur.
Food Safety Update: Juice Processing
March 18, 2013 2:30 pm | by Krystal Gabert, Editor | CommentsThe Food Safety Update section of Food Manufacturing is designed to offer our readers insight into the state of food safety concerns across the industry. We received hundreds of responses to this month’s survey on juice processing.
Fishing for a Better Tuna
March 18, 2013 10:30 am | by Krystal Gabert, Editor | CommentsThree years ago, Mike Babcock opened Oregon Seafoods as a company with strong ties to the local economy. Oregon Seafoods in Coos Bay, Ore., aims to help sustain the local fishing economy by processing tuna and salmon for sale to area grocers and food service companies.
Air Movement Improves Workplace Safety
March 18, 2013 9:00 am | by Big Ass Fans | CommentsConcrete slabs often begin to sweat anytime there’s a change in temperature or humidity. The options for dealing with this phenomenon range from air conditioning your entire facility to increasing air movement with highly efficient large diameter, low speed overhead fans — guess which one’s more affordable.
How Government Can Help Small and Midsize Manufacturers Export
March 15, 2013 12:30 pm | by Mike Collins, Author, Saving American Manufacturing | CommentsSmall and midsize Manufacturers (SMMs) are action oriented and they don’t like attending seminars or doing market research. They want to visit foreign countries but visiting foreign countries is expensive. Therefore, there are two ways the government can help them in exporting.
Eliminate Volatility with Dynamic Operations (Part II)
March 15, 2013 10:30 am | by Gary Godgrey & Russ Rasmus, Accenture | CommentsAs manufacturers manage against those concerns, we have identified four key areas where we suggest that they concentrate as they re-imagine their operations to add greater flexibility, efficiency and customer responsiveness. Each area is supported by “the building blocks” for dynamic and flexible operations.
Successfully Implementing a Condition Monitoring Program (Part II)
March 14, 2013 12:30 pm | CommentsSelection of a condition monitoring (CM) technology is not an easy task and requires it that many concerns be taken into consideration. Determination of what functionality is needed, selection of a technology provider that can deliver the required technology, and an available budget are all critical considerations to think about before making a purchase.
Eliminate Volatility with Dynamic Operations (Part I)
March 14, 2013 10:30 am | by Gary Godfrey & Russ Rasmus, Accenture | CommentsBy adapting their operations to flex with markets, smart manufacturers with global footprints are learning to profit from permanent volatility, while insulating themselves against downside risk and simultaneously moving with speed and agility to capitalize on opportunities as they arise.
Successfully Implementing a Condition Monitoring Program (Part I)
March 13, 2013 12:30 pm | by Trent Phillips, LUDECA | CommentsSelection of a condition monitoring (CM) technology is not an easy task and requires that many concerns be taken into consideration. Determination of what functionality is needed, selection of a technology provider that can deliver the required technology, and an available budget are all critical considerations to think about before making a purchase.
Learn from Success Too
March 13, 2013 10:30 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | CommentsToo easily we forget that we should also examine how we achieve those occasional perfect outcomes. As we immerse ourselves in continuous process improvement, we get in the habit of tearing down and examining everything that doesn’t meet expectations, go according to plan, or work efficiently enough.
