Articles
The Lead
The New Food Fight: Defending Against Labeling Litigation
May 21, 2013 | by Andrew J. Scholz, Matthew R. Shindell, and Matthew D. Cabral, Goldberg Segalla LLP | Comments
As if American food manufacturers didn’t already face enough challenges, they now face a barrage of lawsuits from a growing number of creative and well-funded trial lawyers who see food and beverage manufacturers as their next big target.
Risk-Management Mechanisms Associated with Gluten Intolerance
May 20, 2013 10:34 am | by Jonathan M. Cohen & Jenna A. Hudson, Gilbert LLP | Comments
A gluten-free product tainted with gluten may make it to consumers despite a company’s best...
Q&A: Maintaining a U.S. Manufacturing Presence
May 8, 2013 12:23 pm | by Lindsey Jahn, Associate Editor | Comments
Food Manufacturing spoke with Roger Kilmer of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (...
Food Safety Update: Laboratory Testing
May 8, 2013 9:23 am | by Krystal Gabert, Editor | Comments
The Food Safety Update section of Food Manufacturing is designed to offer our readers...
Assess Your Technology Ladder When Addressing Burn Risk
May 22, 2013 5:04 pm | by Scott Brooksby, Olson Brooksby PC | CommentsThe danger of serious burns in any manufacturing environment often are misunderstood or underappreciated — as are the staggering human and economic costs. With a single bad burn, a worker can be scarred for life, and manufacturers or insurers may be exposed to tens of millions of dollars in worker’s compensation payments, settlements or verdicts.
Challenging Lighting Environments
May 22, 2013 4:45 pm | by Rob Bresnahan, Larson Electronics LLC | CommentsNot all operating environments are the same. Differences in humidity, wetness, and temperature ranges, the presence of corrosives, and the presence of flammable or explosive gases and vapors can pose a serious challenge for electrical lighting.
Kellogg's Goes Green, Stays Cool
May 21, 2013 1:43 pm | by Coolerado | CommentsWith manufacturing plants across the globe, Kellogg’s has made its mark on the breakfast cereal industry. Kellogg’s is making great strides toward sustainability, which include choosing energy-efficient air conditioners to cool its plant in Mexicali, Mexico.
Microsoft Q&A: 'Manufacturing Is a Hotbed of Innovation'
May 21, 2013 1:03 pm | by Jeff Reinke, Editorial Director | CommentsAlthough it’s not difficult to find prominent industry leaders willing to tout all the positive elements the manufacturing industry represents, there is the risk of “preaching to the choir” in relaying this information to a manufacturing-centric audience.
Open Innovation Creates New Opportunities in Food Manufacturing
May 21, 2013 11:16 am | by David Feitler, PhD, Senior Program Manager, NineSigma | CommentsOpen innovation is the systematic inclusion of parties outside your four walls and outside your existing networks. Companies practice open innovation because they want to reduce the time it takes to get to market, avoid getting trapped by their own thinking, and pursue with agility new opportunities outside their core expertise.
Cold Storage Company Cuts Energy Use by $100K
May 20, 2013 9:37 am | by Michael Schratz, Global Marketing Director, Dialight Corporation | CommentsAiming to reduce energy consumption and eliminate ongoing, costly lighting maintenance, Zero Mountain Cold Storage Warehouse, a leader in cold-storage service, recently upgraded two of its facilities to next-generation LED lighting by Dialight Corporation.
Attracting Talent: A Lesson in Battling Perception
May 17, 2013 11:08 am | by Maria Ferrante, Vice President, Education & Workforce Development, PMMI | CommentsFood manufacturers and other processors face many challenges when seeking to place young professionals in engaging, stable positions that require strong mechatronics skills and problem-solving capabilities as well as backgrounds in math and science.
Cheaper Equipment Isn’t Always Less Expensive
May 17, 2013 9:11 am | by Carol Thorsen, Wynright Corporation | CommentsThe difference between shopping at a general site and one that specializes in warehouse and industrial equipment and supplies is that with the latter you can explain what you need, ask questions and ensure that when the products are delivered they’ll actually work in your application.
Ten Commandments of Industrial Ethernet
May 16, 2013 11:45 am | by Mike Fahrion, Director of Product Management, B&B Electronics | CommentsFrom network security to documentation to IP address protocol and siloing of information, this list of 10 "commandments" will keep your network strong, secure and functional and should be front-of-mind for information technology professionals and plant managers alike.
Labor Productivity & Global Competiveness
May 16, 2013 9:22 am | by Simon Macpherson, Senior Director Operations, Kronos EMEA | CommentsWith tremendous price competition from developing countries and a world where products can be replicated across the globe and transported with ease, manufactures need to look at every aspect of their operations for competitive advantage and productivity improvements.
The Hidden Cost of Summer Heat
May 15, 2013 11:37 am | by Megan Browning, Big Ass Fans | CommentsUncomfortable working conditions lead to heat-related illnesses and decreased productivity, which negatively affect the bottom line of the business. When working conditions become distracting and debilitating to workers, personal comfort must be addressed to regain lost productivity.
Five Reasons to Adopt a PLM System
May 15, 2013 9:17 am | by Chuck Cimalore, CTO and Co-founder, Omnify Software | CommentsThe availability of PLM systems specifically designed for the small to mid-size market has helped to alleviate concerns and opened a door for Small to Mid-size Manufacturing Businesses (SMBs) to be able to take advantage of PLM, and realize the same benefits as their larger counterparts.
What Food Manufacturers Need From MRO for a Reliable Plant
May 14, 2013 11:47 am | by George Krauter, Vice President, Storeroom Solutions | CommentsThere are maintenance, repair and operations surveys that show that “quick response and product knowledge” combine for over 75 percent of what was important to plant management; price is less than 8 percent of the consideration and fulfillment programs just 3 percent.
Don’t Give in to Bird Activity at Your Facility
May 14, 2013 9:18 am | by Patrick T. Copps, MS, B.C.E., Technical Services Manager, Orkin, LLC | CommentsBirdwatching is an activity that fascinates people; it gives avid fans a chance to relax outdoors while watching birds react with each other in their natural habitats. But around your facility, there should be little to no bird activity, as birds can wreak havoc on your property and products.
Is the U.S. Ready to Take Manufacturing Back?
May 13, 2013 12:18 pm | by Patrick Van den Bossche, Pramod Gupta, Hector Gutierrez, Chui Lee — A.T. Kearney | CommentsWord on the street is that substantial portions of previously offshored manufacturing operations are due to return to the United States. A number of macroeconomic factors seem to have tipped the balance in favor of domestic manufacturing.
The Devil is in the Metrics
May 13, 2013 9:12 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | CommentsMetrics will drive behavior. Our goal is to identify or create metrics that deliberately drive desired behavior. Consider the practice of using Corrective Action Reports (CARs) to identify and track process “escapes” or problems that result in undesired outcomes.
Brainstorm: Instrumentation (Part II)
May 10, 2013 12:02 pm | by Shannon Foos, Segment Manager, Process Network Connectivity and Asset Management, Rockwell Automation | CommentsThe Food Manufacturing Brainstorm features industry experts sharing their perspectives on issues critical to the overall food industry marketplace. In this issue, we ask: How can accurate instrumentation increase efficiency in food processing plants?
Reducing Total Packaging Cost, Automatically
May 10, 2013 9:16 am | by John King, Food Equipment Director, North America, Sealed Air Corporation, Cryovac Food Packaging Division | CommentsEfficient operations at processing facilities are more critical than ever if meat product manufacturers are to remain profitable. Fortunately, advancements in packaging machinery and the potential for automation resulting from these innovations can play a pivotal role in enhancing efficiency for meat processing operations.
Brainstorm: Instrumentation (Part I)
May 9, 2013 11:15 am | by Tim Freeman, Managing Director, Freeman Technology | CommentsThe Food Manufacturing Brainstorm features industry experts sharing their perspectives on issues critical to the overall food industry marketplace. In this issue, we ask: How can accurate instrumentation increase efficiency in food processing plants?
100% Lean Beans
May 9, 2013 9:16 am | by Anna Wells, Executive Editor, IMPO | CommentsStarbucks' Carson Valley roasting facility won the 2012 Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME)’s Manufacturing Excellence Award, which cites North American plants that demonstrate significant progress in their journeys towards operational excellence over a three year period.
