Food Engineering articles from February 2003

Food Engineering archives from February 2003

Ask the expert.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Q What should I look for in a supplier of cryogenic freezing systems? A Consider three criteria: equipment, cryogen supply and services. For equipment, work with a supplier who understands and has experience with your type of process. The...

How to quell the great American appetite. (Editor's Note).
February 1, 2003... THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION recently about the obesity problem in the U.S. Today about 60 percent of Americans are considered overweight or obese. Some consumers point the finger at fast food outlets and restaurants that serve mammoth...

Calendar.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
February 1, 2003... FEBRUARY 2003 11-12 Manufacturing Strategies for the Plant Floor Forum 2003, Orlando, FL, ARC Advisory Group, (718) 471-1000, info@arc.com. 11-13 NFPA Food Claims & Litigation Conference, Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort, Phoenix, AZ,...

Rastelli's Fine Foods. (Plant Openings & Expansions).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Rastelli's Fine Foods has broken ground on a new food manufacturing facility in Logan Township, NJ. The 36,000 square-foot facility has been customized to meet or exceed USDA and HACCP regulations.

Cantisano Foods Incorporated. (Plant Openings & Expansions).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Cantisano Foods Incorporated of Fairport, NY, plans to expand its tomato sauces plant.

Sysco Corporation. (Plant Openings & Expansions).(facility acquisition )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Sysco Corporation will purchase a 46-acre site in Oxnard, CA, for a 300,000 square-foot distribution center. Construction will begin in the spring of 2003 and the facility is expected to be operational by the second quarter of 2004. It will be...

The Stellar Group has completed construction of a new 15,000 square foot renovation and expansion for Rich Products Corporation. (Plant Openings & Expansions).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Stellar Group has completed construction of a new 15,000 square foot renovation and expansion for Rich Products Corporation. The expansion includes spiral freezers and additional warehouse space for raw ingredients storage. An existing dry...

Columbia Bakeries, Inc. (Plant Openings & Expansions).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Columbia Bakeries, Inc. has started up operations at a new facility in Queens, NY. The plant is designed to bake Canadian frozen products for customers in the metro area.

Sara Lee Bakery Group. (Plant Openings & Expansions).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Sara Lee Bakery Group is building a new refrigerated distribution center in Ankeny, IA, near Des Moines.

Pepsi Bottling Group. (Plant Openings & Expansions).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Pepsi Bottling Group plans a new $65 million, 300,000-square foot bottling facility in Wythe County, southwestern Virginia.

The Stellar Group has begun construction on a new 177,000 square-foot expansion for Burris Refrigerated Logistics. (Plant Openings & Expansions).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Stellar Group has begun construction on a new 177,000 square-foot expansion for Burris Refrigerated Logistics, a controlled temperature food distribution operation serving retail, wholesale and manufacturing customers.

Aseptic acceptance for Dean drinks. (Manufacturing News).(Morningstar Foods beverage approval )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Dean Foods' Morningstar Foods division received aseptic approval from the FDA for beverages produced on the company's Stork filler line in Mt. Crawford, Va. The Stork bottle filling technology extends the shelf life of dairy-based beverages...

FDA still exploring acrylamide. (Regulatory Watch).(Food industry investigation )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... FDA has released exploratory data on acrylamide levels found in various foods which indicates a wide variety of acrylamide levels in the foods tested. Acrylamide is a known animal carcinogen at high dose levels, but it's not known whether...

Draft directive on RTE meat and poultry. (Regulatory Watch).(Ready to eat meals )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a draft directive on microbial sampling, clarifying existing inspection procedures in facilities producing ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products. The procedures include instructions for...

Pack Expo International spurred growth in quotation activity, according to the Business Conditions Index (BCI), a monthly report published by Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI). (Industry & People).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Pack Expo International spurred growth in quotation activity, according to the Business Conditions Index (BCI), a monthly report published by Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI). Sales leads, says BCI's measurement index for the...

Parker Fluid Control Division. (Industry & People).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Parker Hannifin Corporation's Skinner Valve Division changed its name to Parker Fluid Control Division.

USA Sunrise Beverages, Inc., based in South Dakota, acquired Avid Canada, Inc. (Industry & People).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... USA Sunrise Beverages, Inc., based in South Dakota, acquired Avid Canada, Inc. Located in Alberta, Avid Canada, Inc. is involved in new technologies for microchip identification of animals and property.

Aurora Foods Inc. (Industry & People).(company personnel changes )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Aurora Foods Inc. named Mark J. Knotts to the newly created position of vice president, logistics. He will report to Eric Brenk, senior vice president, operations, and will oversee logistics and the customer service group for all of the...

Campbell Soup Company. (Industry & People).(company personnel changes )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Campbell Soup Company hired Jay Gould as chief marketing officer for Pepperidge Farm, Incorporated based in Norwalk, CT. Previously Gould served as vice president, portfolio development and innovation for the global marketing division of the...

Coca-Cola Company. (Industry & People).(company personnel changes )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Steven J. Heyer has been named president and chief operating officer of The Coca-Cola Company. Previously Heyer led Coke operations in Latin America.

Sara Lee Corporation. (Industry & People).(company personnel changes )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Richard A. Noll has been elected senior vice president of Sara Lee Corporation by the company's board of directors. Noll was appointed chief executive officer of the St. Louis-based Sara Lee Bakery Group in July 2002.

Unilever Bestfoods North America. (Industry & People).(company personnel changes )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... John W. Rice has been appointed business group vice president and chief executive officer of Unilever Bestfoods North America. In addition, he will continue as CEO of SlimFast Worldwide.

Standardization effort for packaging machinery begins to pay off. (Food Packaging).
February 1, 2003... THE TOWER OF BABEL THAT CHARACTERIZES intercommunications between food and beverage packaging machines is beginning to crumble. Several machines that comply to the state model devised by the OMAC Packaging Workgroup were on display at the...

Propel claims dominance in enhanced water category. (Food Packaging).
February 1, 2003... PROPEL FITNESS WATER IS THE FIRST "enhanced water" product to break the $100 million sales barrier, and more are likely to follow. Propel, produced by PepsiCo's Gatorade division, was joined on retail shelves in June by Aquafina Essentials,...

Casing helps kill Listeria in ready-to-eat meats. (Food Packaging).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... It took six to gain regulatory approval, but Viskase Corp's timing for the commercial rollout of Nojax cellulose casing proved to be impeccable. As USDA was issuing a final directive for Listeria testing for ready-to-eat meats and poultry,...

Staying ahead of the game: don't wait until the end of the day to start clean up. It should be a continuous process using your entire workforce. (Food Safety).
February 1, 2003... KEEPING YOUR PLANT AND equipment clean is an essential part of any food processor's sanitary operations, especially when you are making products such as meat and poultry that are known to harbor pathogenic bacteria. In fact, detailed procedures...

Drying, roasting and more. (Focus on Drying).(Torbed Services' TORBED food processor )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Torbed Services introduced the TORBED processor for drying, roasting, toasting, puffing and heating food. The unit uses high velocity hot air to cook food products instead of the traditional deep fat frying method. Suitable for manufacturers of...

Sanitary dryer. (Focus on Drying).(Aeroglide Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Aeroglide Corporation's dryers eliminate collection and optimize airflow performance. According to Aeroglide, airflow is the most critical element in uniform drying of food, enhancing control of the air distribution benefits in day-to-day...

Rotary tray dryer. (Focus on Drying).(Wyssmont Company Inc.'s TURBO-Dryer)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The TURBO-Dryer from Wyssmont Company, Inc. is a continuous rotary tray dryer. The unit's temperature control, gentle material transfers and precise retention time combine to yield product uniformity. The vertical nature of the TURBO-Dryer...

Grated cheese dryer. (Focus on Drying).(Ventilex USA Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Ventilex USA, Inc. introduced a grated cheese dryer that can process cheese at a rate of 4,500 pounds per hour, According to the manufacturer, the system can dry in one hour what a standard tray dehydraytor takes one week to dry. A computerized...

Dryer shaft seals. (Focus on Drying).(Woodex Bearing Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Woodex Bearing Company, Inc. introduced fully-split dryer shaft seals that offer complete containment of dry powders and bulk solids on dryers and other rotating equipment where traditional packings cannot seal. Fully split seals simplify and...

Product transfer system. (Focus on Drying).(AMBEC Inc.'s Cobra Laning System )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The new Cobra Laning System from AMBEC provides a smooth transfer of products from single file to multiple lanes consistently and accurately. The system's snake-like guide rail remains docile while delivering containers to a selected lane, but...

Custom drying service. (Focus on Drying).(Pulse Combination Systems)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Pulse Combination Systems offers custom drying at its Payson, AZ facility. This toll drying service is suitable for testing new products or evaluating new markets prior to purchasing new drying equipment. PCS has two pulse combustion spray...

Thermal drying. (Focus on Drying).(National Drying Machinery Co.'s Ultra-Sanitary Seal-Welded Dryer)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... National Drying has redesigned its thermal processing equipment. The company's Ultra-Sanitary Seal-Welded Dryer features internal ledges that are sloped, rounded corners, seal-welded seams and improved access. National Drying Machinery...

Integrated filter dryer. (Focus on Drying).(Niro Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Niro Inc. introduced the Integrated Filter Dryer with air filters inside the drying chamber. This lecture reduces plant size requirements and noise level, and says Niro, improves powder quality and overall profitability because operators can...

Continuous dispersion system. (Focus on Drying).(Quadro Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Quadro, Inc.'s new CDS Continuous Dispersion System automatically controls continuous powder incorporation and dispersion into a liquid stream. The system utilizes Ytron ZC in-line dispersing technology and Quadro Q Ware process control...

Conveyor belt. (Focus on Drying).(Van der Graff Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Van der Graaf Inc.'s new clutch brake (CBTM) drum motor is equipped with an internal brake designed for high indexing conveyor applications. The CBTM clutch brake can achieve up to 80 starts and stops-per-minute, says the company. The design...

Three-dimensional packaging. (Focus on Drying).(DreamPak L.L.C.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... DreamPak LLC offers co-packing services for three-dimensional packages, which range in size from 1g to 100g and come in many shapes and sizes, are appropriate for liquid and semi-liquid products such as process cheese, cream cheese spreads and...

Blade-sharpener. (Focus on Drying).(Bettcher Industries Inc.'s AutoEdge Automatic Blade Sharpener)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Bettcher Industries, Inc. offers the new AutoEdge Automatic Blade Sharpener for accurate and cost effective sharpening of circular blades. The AutoEdge Automatic Blade Sharpener incorporates microprocessor-controlled technology that allows...

Coriolis mass flowmeter. (Focus on Drying).(Endress+Hauser's PROline Promass 80E product)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Endress+Hauser introduced the PROline Promass 80E flowmeter. A multi-variable meter that measures mass, volume, density and temperature in a wide range of fluids, the 80E has an accuracy of +/-0.35 percent in liquids and +/- 0.75 percent in gas...

Vibratory sieves. (Focus on Drying).(Centura Foods)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Centura Foods offers vibratory sieves that can remove oversized particles, lumps or impurities such as scraps of the paper bags in which ingredients are stored. Two sieves are used in tandem on each manufacturing line. Each sieve handles 50...

Powder blender. (Focus on Drying).(Bolz-Summix's Cycone product)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Bolz-Summix launched the Cycone powder blender--a vertical conical screw blender that can handle all types of food powders. A spray nozzle that rotates with the mixing screw allows the user to inject liquid ingredients into the batch. The...

Worm speed reducers. (Focus on Drying).(Rockwell Automation's DODGE TIGEAR-2 product)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Rockwell Automation launched the DODGE TIGEAR-2 family of single-reduction, right-angle worm-speed reducers. A totally-enclosed, ventless sealing system contains a factory-filled synthetic lubricant that accommodates a wide range of operating...

Switches. (Focus on Drying).(Bindicator's Pro-Guard circuit design used on RF Series capacitance switches)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Bindicator's Pro-Guard probe and circuit design can be used on RF Series capacitance type level switches. Pro-Guard cancels out the effects of material coating on the probe caused by sticky, dusty or clinging materials that can lead to false...

Case conveyor. (Focus on Drying).(Automated Production Systems Corp.'s APS Easy-Glide product)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Automated Production Systems Corporation's APS Easy-Glide case conveyor provides quiet, smooth accumulation with very low maintenance. Since the product is fully supported by the chain, there can be no damage by rollers. Accumulation lift bars...

Metal detector. (Focus on Drying).(Eriez Magnetics' E-Z Tec DSP product)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Eriez Magnetics' E-Z Tec DSP metal detector with advanced digital signal processing provides detailed analysis and reporting for processing applications including food and packaging. It helps in detecting metallic contaminants particularly in...

Power lift stacker. (Focus on Drying).(Multiton MIC Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Multiton MIC Corporation offers a remodeled power lift stacker SM15/20 for light-duty material handling applications that require power lift but not power drive. Suitable for plant warehouses, processing facilities and assembly lines, the...

Picking system. (Focus on Distribution).(SK Daifuku Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... SK Daifuku Corporation introduced a new case and piece-picking system. The unit is designed to meet the needs for those who ship a few or a lot of items to customers. Included in the system is the MSS III (modular storage system),a high speed...

Automated buffers. (Focus on Distribution).(ESKAY Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... ESKAY Corporation's automated buffer storage systems can be used as buffers between processes. Buffers allow decoupling when needed and can expedite faster picking and shipping by organizing loads into a desired order for delivery. If...

Reusable plastic pallets. (Focus on Distribution).(LINPAC Materials Handling's ROPAK product)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... LINPAC Materials Handling launched ROPAK reusable plastic pallets. Available in three flat surfaced sizes--32 x 30-inch, 40 x 48-inch and 45 x 48-inch--and in two sizes with one-inch lip--40 x 48 and 45 x 48-inch, these plastic pallets come...

Cross belt sorter. (Focus on Distribution).(FKI Logistex Crisplant)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... FKI Logistex Crisplant introduced a cross-belt sorter designed for high volume distribution centers and warehouses. The cross belt sorter can sort at speeds up to 413 feet per minute for items that are fragile, high-friction or require...

Bridging the IT/Engineering gap: when engineering, operations and IT work collaboratively on information systems, organizational harmony can happen.
February 1, 2003... Sometimes the relationship between information technology and engineering is like oil and water. Each side might bring its own agenda to a project, oblivious to the needs and concerns of the other. Automation projects, which should make life...

Pouches challenge manufacturers to think outside the box: as pouch volumes increase, food and beverage makers are seeing a drop in production costs in both materials and equipment.
February 1, 2003... THE APPLICATION OF STAND-UP, LAY flat, block-bottom, and other styles of flexible pouches continues to grow at impressive rates in North America. A popular package in Europe for many years, the stand-up pouch has now found popularity in the...

Stick packs wiggle their way into diverse applications.
February 1, 2003... A variation on the stand-up pouch is the flexible stick pack pouchm, which got its boost into mainstream markets with General Mill's widely successful Go-Gurt yogurt snacks. Now, one look in the yogurt section and you'll find a plethora of...

Maintenance feels the vibe: for processors with the ability to exploit it, condition-based monitoring technology is delivering affordable tools that are easier to use. (Tech Update).(food industry maintanence strategies and products )
February 1, 2003... POWER PLANTS AND PETROCHEMICAL PROCESSORS ARE THE ACKNOWLEDGED leaders in industrial maintenance. The sheer size and importance of those plants' equipment make leading edge maintenance a mission-critical function. Food and beverage...

Superior lubricants as a maintenance tactic. (Tech Update).
February 1, 2003... As many as 10,000 lubrication formulations exist to satisfy all but the most specialized industrial applications. That's an argument for sticking with the tried and true, rather than sort through the overwhelming options. But food and beverage...

Peeler improves chip quality: reduced peel loss results in a better profit picture for Utz. (Field Reports).(Heat and Control, Inc's product performance )
February 1, 2003... WHEN YOU'RE PROCESSING over 180 million pounds of potatoes annually, some new technologies are more appealing than others. For Utz Quality Foods, one of the nation's largest privately owned regional potato chip makers, peeler efficiency is a...

No need to roll the dice when inspecting spice: a small footprint coupled with side-view inspection provides an economical solution. (Field Reports).(McCormick and Co. Inc's equipment )
February 1, 2003... WITH OVER 100 LINES RANGING from dense salts and ground seeds to light, dry leaves like parsley in its portfolio, McCormick & Co. Inc. can't afford to gamble with quality. As part of its risk management strategy, the spice maker recently...

Are your systems contaminated? When reality and the data in your system do not agree, you have contaminated data. (Managing Software).
February 1, 2003... CONTAMINATION--WHAT A TERRIBLE WORD. Contamination means dumping product, extra clean up, and maybe even worse. But what about your computer systems? They can get contaminated as well. When reality and the data in your system do not agree,...

Simplified food-oil refining: filtration technology and a benign chemical could give processors of specialty oils a competitive edge. (Engineering R&D).(process patent )
February 1, 2003... AS ANY VISITOR TO DECATUR, ILL., and other centers of vegetable-oil refining can attest, creating edible oils is a capital-intensive process requiring massive centrifuges to remove fatty acids and other impurities. The separation process also...