Food Engineering articles from December 2005

Food Engineering archives from December 2005

Manufacturing efficiency where you'd least expect it.(EDITOR'S NOTE)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... After you have been doing something for 25 years, you have to hope you would finally get the hang of it. The silver anniversary I am referring to is Food Engineering's 25th annual salary and job satisfaction survey featured in this issue. While...

Calendar.(Calendar)
December 1, 2005... JANUARY 2006 9-13 Principles of Bread and Roll Production, Manhattan, KS; American Institute of Baking; 800-633-5137; www.aibonline.org. 15-18 2006 Dairy Forum, La Quinta, CA; International Dairy Foods Association; 202-737-4332;...

Traditional Baking.(PLANT OPENINGS & EXPANSIONS)(completes its expansion and increases its production)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... A producer of wire-cut, deposit and rotary cookies, Traditional Baking completed an 18,000sq.-ft, expansion at its Bloomington, CA, facility. Production capacity has been increased to 90,000 lbs., or 3.3 million cookies daily.

Ruiz Foods.(PLANT OPENINGS & EXPANSIONS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Ruiz Foods is renovating a 262,000-sq.-ft. vacant facility in Dennison, TX, which will include 65,000 sq. ft. of freezer space, 50,000 sq. ft. of process space and 20,000 sq. ft. of loading docks.

Smithfield Foods is planning a $213.5 million expansion project on behalf of three subsidiaries.(PLANT OPENINGS & EXPANSIONS)
December 1, 2005... Smithfield Foods is planning a $213.5 million expansion project on behalf of three subsidiaries. An $81 million expansion project at Farmland Foods pork processing facility in Crete, NB, will create extra capacity for the production of smoked...

Heinz rules in customer satisfaction study.(MANUFACTURING NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Setting a new record with a score of 91, the highest score ever recorded in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), H. J. Heinz Company remains the leader in the food manufacturing segment for the sixth straight year. "Perceived...

Streamlining rules on labels.(REGULATORY WATCH)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) and Rep. Ed Towns (D-NY) have introduced the National Uniformity for Foods Act (H.R. 4167) that would create national, uniform food safety standards and warning requirements, replacing what backers call a patchwork of...

Corn dogs vs. bagel dogs.(REGULATORY WATCH)
December 1, 2005... Federal agencies are asking for public input as they try to clarify agency jurisdiction over certain food products that contain meat and poultry. By law, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, has authority over meat and poultry products. FDA...

ConAgra Foods.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)(appoints Lou Nieto )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Lou Nieto joined ConAgra Foods as president of packaged meats and dell. Most recently, he was president and chief executive officer of Federated Group, a privately held provider of private brands to grocery retailers.

Kraft Foods.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)(appoints Karen May )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Kraft Foods hired Karen May as executive vice president, global human resources. May replaces Terry Faulk, who is retiring.

Alfa Laval Inc.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)(appointment of Alessandro Terenghi)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Alessandro Terenghi was appointed president of Alfa Laval Inc. He most recently served as managing director of Alfa Laval's Adriatic region.

Chloe Foods Corp.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)(acquisition of Salad De-Lites)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Chloe Foods Corp. acquired Salad De-Lites, a Bronx, NY-based distributor of premium salads and other food products.

Unilever.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)(appointment of Michael Polk)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Michael Polk was named group vice president of Unilever's foods and home and personal care business, and Alan Jope was appointed group vice president, global spreads, cooking products & dressings, food category. Prior to these appointments,...

Dole Food Co.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)(appointment of Javier Idrovo )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Dole Food Co. promoted Javier Idrovo to president of Dole Worldwide Packaged Foods, to replace Peter M. Nolan, who is retiring.

Dean Food's WhiteWave Foods.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)(appointment of Joseph Scalzo)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Joseph Scalzo is president and chief executive officer of Dean Foods' WhiteWave Foods division. Scalzo was most recently group vice president of personal care and global value chain for the Gillette Co.

H. J. Heinz Co.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)(appointment of Scott O'Hara)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Scott O'Hara will join the H. J. Heinz Co. on January 1, 2006, as executive vice president, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World. O'Hara is currently senior vice president, Europe for Gillette Group International.

SK Foods.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)(appointment of Lisa Crist )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Lisa Crist will become director of human resources and environmental health and safety for SK Foods, an international grower and processor.

Food Products Association.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)(appointment of Jenny Scott )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Jenny Scott is vice president of food safety programs for the Food Products Association. She will direct the FPA's food safety activities on issues including food inspection and HACCP.

Clearly Canadian Beverage Corp.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)(appointment of Brent Lokash )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Clearly Canadian Beverage Corp. appointed Brent Lokash as president. He will be responsible for all facets of corporate operations.

Pepsi Bottling Group.(INDUSTRY & PEOPLE)(appointment of Robert King)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The Pepsi Bottling Group named Robert King as president, North American Field Operations. Most recently, he was senior vice president, national sales and field marketing for the company.

Efficiency's tough sell: the package costs less, storage space is saved and waste disposal costs are slashed. So why aren't more schools using the Mini-Sip pouch?(FOOD PACKAGING)
December 1, 2005... Build a better mousetrap, the cliche goes, and the world will beat a path to your door. In the case of DuPont's Mini-Sip, the path is pocked with obstacles, and the wait for the knock is taking longer than rescue from "Lost" island. The...

Want milk? Just concentrate.(FOOD PACKAGING)
December 1, 2005... Function trumps form in foodservice packaging, and one of the more innovative functional packages for milk is entering distribution with a push from a Boise, ID, firm. The Good Cow Co. launched its milk dispensing system last summer after...

Bananas as billboards.(FOOD PACKAGING)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The difference between a commodity item and a value-added product can be as simple as the package--or, in the case of Dole Food Co.'s Superfoods initiative, a sticker. Logos identifying certain fruits and vegetables as particularly good...

Conveyor dumping station.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on PACK EXPO Las Vegas and FPM Expo Products)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Flexicon's manual dumping station for pneumatic conveying systems collects dust created during manual dumping of powder and bulk solids from containers. The hopper is configured with a non-flow-through, pick-up adapter for introducing material...

Case packer.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on PACK EXPO Las Vegas and FPM Expo Products)
December 1, 2005... The Pro Packer 2500 series case packer delivers simple operation and provides positive product control with minimum use of vacuum, says Bosch Packaging, the manufacturer. The machine offers a 4-in. by 7-in, wide footprint, including the...

Spiral belt.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK: Focus on PACK EXPO Las Vegas and FPM Expo Products)
December 1, 2005... KVP says its PR620SPS plastic spiral belt for conveying small products offers radius strength over 1.5 times greater than conventional spiral belts. The company says the belt has 570 lbs. of radius strength in widths from 12 in. to 60 in. (with...

Spiral conveyor.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK)
December 1, 2005... Ryson's spiral conveyor for mass flow of full and empty bottles, cans, jars and small containers conveys products up or down in a continuous mass flow. The spirals have a small footprint that provides space savings. Only one drive motor is...

Film technologies.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK)
December 1, 2005... Pliant says its one- or two-pass lamination process provides more latitude in processes and conversions. The peelable seal technology features high-performance sealants in combination with wide seal range for target seal strengths, good hot...

Ribbon blenders.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK)
December 1, 2005... Sanitary ribbon blenders for vacuum operation from Charles Ross and Son are manufactured in type 316 stainless steel and are polished to enable easy cleaning between batches. Agitators and shaft assemblies are designed and constructed with...

Synthetic lubricant.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK)
December 1, 2005... Haynes 500 Plus Spray is a synthetic grease spray lubricant of sanitary food grade that is suitable for high and low temperatures common in high-speed bearings. It can reduce lubrication intervals by adhering to the bearing despite water...

Package sorter.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK)
December 1, 2005... Key Technology's Optyx G6 3000 series sorter with Raptor laser technology offers state-of-the art G6 color cameras and a G6 sorting platform with laser technology to maximize the simultaneous detection and removal of defects and foreign...

Feeder controls.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The K-Tron Control Module, a next-generation SmartConnex feeder control, harmonizes the full functionality of two controls into a single, compact housing, offering more flexibility and better performance, says the company. The control module...

Barrier films.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK)
December 1, 2005... These co-extruded films from Ampac Flexibles feature The Dow Chemical Co.'s Saran polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) resin. Recent advances in Saran resins and in multilayer blown film extrusion processing (including larger dies) make it possible...

Machinery lubricants.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK)
December 1, 2005... Sprayon S00210 Food Grade Silicone Lube from Krylon provides a lubrication solution for machinery including slides, slicers, dough mixers, conveyors and poultry eviscerators. The NSF registered and HI-rated lubricant is colorless and odorless...

AC drive.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK)
December 1, 2005... TB Wood's E-trAC X4 AC drive provides operation in hostile environments. Its IP66-rated, contamination-proof enclosure features cast alloy frames and polycarbonate covers that exceed NEMA 1,12, and 4X standards. Available in models from 1 hp to...

RFID printer/encoder.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK)
December 1, 2005... The R110Xi UHF EPC printer/encoder from Zebra Technologies offers fully integrated support for Class 0 (read only) and Matrics Class 0+ (read/write) smart labels. Built to withstand industrial environments, the unit is upgradeable to support...

Contactless energy transfer.(TECHNOLOGY SOURCEBOOK)
December 1, 2005... Movitrans, a contactless energy transfer system from SEW-Eurodrive, causes no electromagnetic interference and is insensitive to outside influences. The device has been EMC tested according to BGV B11 and is a suitable power supply system for...

The right fit improves satisfaction: how do you find employees who will be satisfied and loyal? One key--provide balance.(25th Annual Salary & Job Satisfaction Survey)
December 1, 2005... In some ways, it was a typical morning. The cashier was pleasant, the coffee was hot and the convenience store was abuzz with activity. The morning was cool and crisp, a typical autumnal day in the Northeast. It was then that I noticed a...

Lean builds steam: assembly industries and the automotive world flocked to lean manufacturing in the last decade. Now, food and beverage processors are getting in step with lean.
December 1, 2005... Fascination with Japan Inc. and its manufacturing prowess reached a crescendo in the early 1980s. Many believed Japan eventually would dominate the industrial world. The Japanese fascination manifested itself in pop culture, with the English...

AccuRate.(WEB WATCH)
December 1, 2005... www.accuratefeeders.com AccuRate[R], a Unit of SCHENCK AccuRate, is a global supplier of bulk solids metering equipment and systems including MECHATRON[R] Volumetric and Gravimetric Screw- feeders, DEA and DMO Weighfeeders, Multicor[TM]...

Eriez.(WEB WATCH)
December 1, 2005... www.eriez.com Eriez.com offers wide selection of equipment for the Food Industry. Products include magnetic plates, grates, traps, metal detectors and vibratory feeders, conveyors and screeners. The site features Ask Orange providing 250...

HunterLab.(WEB WATCH)
December 1, 2005... www.hunterlab.com Measure Color... Measure Quality From inspection and grading of raw materials to monitoring color consistency of final product--HunterLab provides bench-top, portable and on-line color measurement systems for the...

BETE.(WEB WATCH)(Provides web services)(www.bete.com)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... www.bete.com For more than 50 years, BETE's success has been rooted in providing effective engineered solutions for your difficult food processing challenges. BETE offers "one-stop shopping" from problem identification and testing through...

Flexicon Corporation.(WEB WATCH)
December 1, 2005... www.flexicon.com Bulk Handling Equipment Website details flexible screw conveyors, pneumatic conveying systems, volumetric feeders, bulk bag unloaders, weigh batching systems, bulk bag fillers, manual dumping stations and lift-and-seal...

Lee Industries.(WEB WATCH)(provides web services)(www.leeind.com)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... www.leeind.com "TANKS, KETTLES, SWEEP, AGITATORS, MIXERS/BLENDERS, SANITARY BALL VALVES" Lee web site offers both general information and specific technical data on stainless alloy process vessels and systems used by the Food/Beverage,...

Cleveland Eastern Mixers.(WEB WATCH)(provides web services)(www.emimixers.com)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... www.emimixers.com Cleveland Eastern Mixers has been supplying liquid mixing equipment to the Food Processing industry since the 1940's. Especially designed for clean-in-place operations, our mixers feature stainless steel and electroless...

Hinds-Bock Corporation.(WEB WATCH)
December 1, 2005... www.hinds-bock.com Filling and Depositing Technology, Hinds-Bock manufactures food and bakery filling and depositing systems for most flowable or semi-flowable products such as sauces, gravies, soup, peanut butter, pulled pork, entree...

Material Transfer.(WEB WATCH)
December 1, 2005... www.materialtransfer.com Material Handling Equipment & Integrated Systems Company custom designs and manufactures material handling equipment, including container and drum dumpers, bulk bag discharging and filling systems, bulk bag...

Metalfab, Inc.(WEB WATCH)
December 1, 2005... www.metalfabinc.com Completely redesigned and user-friendly web site provides a brief company overview along with detailed info on the company's wide range of Dry Solids Processing Equipment, Worldwide Sales Rep Network, New Products,...

MPE Group.(WEB WATCH)
December 1, 2005... www.mpegroupusa.com The Terlotherm[R] scraped surface heat exchanger offers many advantages over conventional type equipment. Process steps that can be performed include heating, cooling, pasteurization, and crystallization in continuous...

SlipNOT.(WEB WATCH)(www.slipnot.com)
December 1, 2005... www.slipnot.com SlipNOT, Metal Safety Flooring products represent state of the art technology in anti-slip surfaces. We manufacture any shape, size or specification to your details. From bar gratings, floor plates, ladder rungs and rung...

Meyer Industries.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... www.meyer-industries.com Meyer Industries provides a single source for all your food handling and processing needs through the integration of Meyer Machine and Garroutte Inc. Meyer Machine manufactures a broad range of material handling...

POWER Engineers.(WEB WATCH)
December 1, 2005... www.powereng.com POWER Engineers is a full-service multidiscipline engineering firm. POWER delivers solutions through expertise in building and infrastructure design, process controls and systems integration, material handling, process and...

Spraving Systems Co.(WEB WATCH)
December 1, 2005... www.spray.com On the Spraying Systems Co.'s web site you'll find an extensive offering of spray nozzles and other spray products and services. Easy to navigate, the site provides informative food processing application demonstrations,...

Midwestern Industries.(WEB WATCH)
December 1, 2005... www.midwesternind.com With superior craftsmanship we manufacture a full line of screening equipment--including quality replacement screens and parts for any type of separator. Visit our website at www.midwesternind.com or call us toll...

Prater-Sterling.(WEB WATCH)
December 1, 2005... www.prater-sterling.com Prater-Sterling is your provider of Particle Management Solutions. With an extensive product line including hammermills, fine grinders, mixers, classifiers, sifters, airlocks, compactors, automation/controls and...

Urscbel Laboratories, Inc.(WEB WATCH)
December 1, 2005... www.urschel.com Visit www.urschel.com to learn about the wide variety of food cutting applications to see how Urschel machinery can assist you with your application. New online is the Potato Cutting Solutions e brochure. Urschel...

Admix Inc.(Supplier Profiles)
December 1, 2005... Admix LiquiShear[TM], a new concept for specifying, updating or replacing conventional liquid-processors was introduced at the Worldwide Food Expo, Booth #N111. The Admix LiquiShear provides the processing power of a bottom entry high-speed...

Flexicon Corporation.(Supplier Profiles)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2005... Bulk Food Handling Equipment and Systems Flexicon Corporation is a world leader in the design and manufacture of bulk food handling equipment and custom-engineered plant-wide systems that transport, discharge, fill, weigh, blend, deliver...

Waukesha Cherry-Burrell.(Supplier Profiles)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2005... For over 125 years, Waukesha Cherry-Burrell has combined an aggressive product development program with state-of-the-act manufacturing practices to offer the latest process technologies and equipment. Positive Displacement Pumps WCB's...

Zero-Loc Enterprises Ltd.(Supplier Profiles)(Company Profile)
December 1, 2005... Insulated Panel and Door Systems Incorporated in 1969, Zero-Loc has grown to become the major producer of expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulated wall and ceiling panels in North America. Through experience and innovation, Zero-Loc has...

Through a chamber, quickly: the effectiveness of high pressure in nonthermal pasteurization of food is established. Making it happen in a high-volume environment is Rick Marshall's mission.(ENGINEERING R&D)
December 1, 2005... Scientific validation of the food safety and quality benefits of high pressure processing (HPP) has accumulated over the last decade, and the technology has gained a foothold in a number of food niches, including oyster processing, juice...