Food Engineering articles from May 2003

Food Engineering archives from May 2003

Getting back to basics in food manufacturing. (Editor's Note).(Editorial)
May 1, 2003... EARLIER IN MY CAREER, I HAD A BOSS who used to make all the underlings write a memo detailing the significance of every trip they took outside the office. I don't know if he was trying to torture all of us cub reporters teach us to respect the...

Looking for a few brilliant minds. (75th anniversary: celebrating 75 years of publishing excellence).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... As you may have noticed on the cover of each issue this year, FE is celebrating its 75th anniversary. We will be publishing a special edition in September that includes the history of the food industry in the 20th Century as seen through Food...

Calendar.(Calendar)
May 1, 2003... MAY 2003 12-16 Electrical Troubleshooting, American Institute of Baking, Manhattan, KS, (785) 537-4750 or (800) 633-5137. 13-15 Quality System Evaluation--A Food Industry Approach, American Institute of Baking, Embassy Suites Hotel,...

Co-op Atlantic. (Plant Openings & Expansions).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Co-op Atlantic, an integrated agri-food business cooperative based in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, has formed a new company called Atlantic Tender Beef, Inc. and plans to construct a new beef processing plant in the Maritime Provinces.

MGP Ingredients, Inc. (Plant Openings & Expansions).(plans expansion project)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... MGP Ingredients, Inc. is planning a $3.8 million expansion project at its Kansas City, KS plant. Additional equipment will extend the company's line of Wheatex textured wheat proteins and other protein and starch-based ingredients.

Food Technology Service, Inc. (Plant Openings & Expansions).(announces completion of phase one of planned improvements to irradiation facility )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Food Technology Service, Inc. announced that the first of two phases of planned improvements to the company's irradiation facility in Mulberry, FL has been completed. Improvements made in the first phase include the installation of additional...

CFC Logistics. (Plant Openings & Expansions).(breaks ground for installation of new type Cobalt 60 irradiation )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... CFC Logistics, located in Quakertown, PA, broke ground for the installation of a new type of Cobalt 60 irradiation which will enable the company to meet the requirements for maintaining the cold chain of meat, poultry, fruits, vegetables and...

Urschel Laboratories, Inc. (Plant Openings & Expansions).(to add 12,500 square feet to existing facility)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Urschel Laboratories, Inc. will add 12,500 square feet to an existing facility in Valparaiso, IN. The new, partially automated stainless steel foundry, the third foundry on the site, is designed to increase productivity.

Owens-Illinois, Inc. (Plant Openings & Expansions).(to build new glass container manufacturing plant)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Owens-Illinois, Inc. will build a new glass container manufacturing plant to supply the Anheuser-Busch brewery in Fort Collins, CO. The facility will be located in Northeast Colorado or in Southeast Wyoming and will manufacture 12-ounce...

Eriez. (Plant Openings & Expansions).(to open new facility in China)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Eriez is opening a new manufacturing and sales facility in Shanghai's Pudong free trade zone in China.

AIPC feted at Food Automation Conference. (Manufacturing News).(American Italian Pasta Company)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... American Italian Pasta Company (AIPC), winner of Food Engineering's 2003 Food Plant of the Year award, was honored at a luncheon ceremony held last month in Clearwater Beach, Fla., during the Food Automation & Manufacturing Conference & Expo....

New tools may mean more rules for meat, poultry. (Regulatory Watch).
May 1, 2003... Meat and poultry processors could face more stringent enforcement action if USDA adopts new tools currently under consideration. USDA said it may require mandatory notification when a federal establishment has reason to believe that meat or...

NFPA cries foul on GOA report. (Regulatory Watch).(National Food Processors Association)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A GAO report urges FDA and USDA to seek additional mandatory food security requirements on food manufacturers, but a leading food industry group is crying foul. The National Food Processors Association (NFPA) says the industry is currently...

Dr. M. Anandha "Andy" Rao of Cornell University-Geneva, has received the IAFIS Foundation-FPEI Distinguished Food Engineer Award for 2003. (Industry & People).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Dr. M. Anandha "Andy" Rao of Cornell University-Geneva, has received the IAFIS Foundation-FPEI Distinguished Food Engineer Award for 2003. The award is given by the Foundation of the International Association of Food Industry Suppliers (IAFIS)...

The Instrument Society of America will host an OMAC Plug-and Pack Workgroup conference track at this year's ISA Process Control Conference scheduled for June 5-6 in Valley Forge, PA. (Industry & People).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Instrument Society of America will host an OMAC Plug-and Pack Workgroup conference track at this year's ISA Process Control Conference scheduled for June 5-6 in Valley Forge, PA. Conference topics will include $95,588, guidelines for...

Miller Brewing Company. (Industry & People).(named Norman Adami president)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Miller Brewing Company named Norman Adami chief executive and president of the company.

New World Pasta Company. (Industry & People).(names Peter E. Cotter interim president)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... New World Pasta Company appointed Peter E. Cotter as interim president and chief operating officer of the company. In addition, Horst O. Sieben has been appointed interim vice president and chief financial officer and Angelo Fraggos has been...

National Starch. (Industry & People).(promotes John McAndrews)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... National Starch promoted John McAndrews to the recently created position of director for global accounts.

Atlantic Premium Brands, Ltd. (Industry & People).(names Thomas M. Dalton president)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Atlantic Premium Brands, Ltd., appointed Thomas M. Dalton, the company's former chief financial officer and chief operating officer, to the position of president.

Sara Lee Corporation. (Industry & People).(names Robert S. Kopriva president Sara Lee Foods)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Sara Lee Corporation has named Robert S. Kopriva president and chief executive officer of Cincinnati-based Sara Lee Foods. Kopriva will oversee the global operations of Sara Lee's meats business which includes U.S. brands such as Ball Park,...

Bold flavors and containers at checkout: innovative packages are breathing new life into breath-mint sales. (Food Packaging).
May 1, 2003... SOME OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE FOOD PACKAGING is found in retailers most valuable real estate: the checkout lane. Getting on and remaining in those coveted slots requires products with impulse-sale appeal, and breakthrough packaging plays a major...

Two technologies deliver one tasty package. (Food Packaging).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Houma, La.-based Motivatit Seafoods Inc. has made a name for itself with Gold Band raw oysters, one of the first commercially available products to be processed with high pressure (Food Engineering, September 1999). Now the company is going...

Ball bearings. (Focus on Motors, Drives and Bearings).
May 1, 2003... MRC Bearing Services has a line of bah bearings designed for food and beverage applications. Products include: Marathon corrosion-resistant mounted bearing units featuring a dual system to promote service life and inhibit contamination in harsh...

Adapter ball bearing. (Focus on Motors, Drives and Bearings).
May 1, 2003... Rockwell Automation has added a new adapter bearing, the Dodge Grip Tight, to its ball bearing product line. With its concentric 360-degree inner ring, pull/push adapter system and completely interchangeable housing design, the Dodge Grip Tight...

Washdown rollerdrive. (Focus on Motors, Drives and Bearings).
May 1, 2003... Designed to serve the food processing industry, Interroll has introduced the Washdown RollerDrive. The DC drive elements of the Washdown RollerDrive are sealed and rated to IP67 standards for protection from water spray and other corrosive...

Encoders. (Focus on Motors, Drives and Bearings).
May 1, 2003... Danaher Controls introduced a series of Flex-Mount commutating motor feedback encoders that use the same physical mounting as resolvers but provide better accuracy of up to 2048 pulses per revolution and real-time feedback for faster servo...

Gearmotors and reducers. (Focus on Motors, Drives and Bearings).
May 1, 2003... Bonfiglioli USA unveiled the C Series line of helical speed reducers and gearmotors. Key features of the C Series include a 66 percent improvement in torque; compact design for easy installation in tight places; energy savings through greater...

Compact drive. (Focus on Motors, Drives and Bearings).
May 1, 2003... Rockwell Automation introduced the new Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 40 AC drive designed to provide low-speed torque control for applications up to 10 horsepower. Available in 115,230 and 460 volts, the PowerFlex is easy to use and features...

Washguard motors. (Focus on Motors, Drives and Bearings).
May 1, 2003... Leeson Electric has three lines of motors. The White Duck Washguard features food grade Rust-oleum white epoxy coating, 300 series stainless steel shaft, conduit box cover, nameplate, hardware and fanguard. The Super Duck Washguard II is a...

Ask the expert.
May 1, 2003... Q How can I minimize costly, unscheduled equipment downtime? A Preventive maintenance programs can reduce the likelihood of downtime and enable you to respond more quickly to problems. Consider these simple steps when establishing and...

Drum motor drives. (Focus on Motors, Drives and Bearings).
May 1, 2003... Van der Graaf Inc. has a complete line of drum motor drives with internal braking designed to provide maintenance-free operation in high indexing conveyor applications. The line includes the RTM broke for up to 25 starts and stops per minute...

DC drives. (Focus on Motors, Drives and Bearings).
May 1, 2003... Micropump offers its MS, EG, HG and 380 brushless DC drives in multiple standard designs or custom configurations. These compact units feature built-in speed control and tachometer output that allow for easy integration into PLC- or PC...

DC motor transaxle drive. (Focus on Motors, Drives and Bearings).
May 1, 2003... Imperial Electric introduced the high performance Model T523 DC Motor Transaxle series. These new units feature wound field motors and larger brakes for operating reliability. According to the manufacturer, the units are suitable for use in...

Drive system. (Focus on Motors, Drives and Bearings).
May 1, 2003... Sew Eurodrive offers a drive system with specialized components designed to meet harsh environments in the food industry. This Food Industry Option Package features the TorqLOC, a patented keyless hollow shaft mounting system that eliminates...

Inverter-duty motor. (Focus on Motors, Drives and Bearings).
May 1, 2003... Rockwell Automation added a new motor to its RPM AC line. The Reliance washdown inverter-duty motor is designed for harsh environments commonly found in food processing and packaging applications. The washdown IP-55 inverter duty motor features...

Dough mixing & handling. (Focus on Motors, Drives and Bearings).
May 1, 2003... Conventional mixers and manual dough handling can be replaced with a single high speed ABM 1000 Mixer, according to Advanced Food Systems. Mixing bowls and troughs are replaced with a simple/safe dough conveyor. One mixer can feed multiple...

Box unloaders. (Focus on Motors, Drives and Bearings).
May 1, 2003... Meyer Machine's line of bulk box unloaders are designed to provide efficient material transfer with minimum product damage. These unloaders feature an extra wide carriage assembly allowing their use with a wide range of box sizes. Sealed...

Software platform. (Focus on Motors, Drives and Bearings).
May 1, 2003... Cernotec software turns raw data from the factory floor into real time information that can be used throughout the entire enterprise. Within three to six weeks, the company says, it can set up an off-the shelf, web-deployed soft ware platform...

Jet mixer. (Focus on Motors, Drives and Bearings).
May 1, 2003... The Jongia powder dissolving high shear jet mixer features no moving parts and double venturi design to homogeneously mix liquids and powders. The product is suitable for applications in the food/dairy and beverage industries. The supply of...

High pressure processing. (Focus on Motors, Drives and Bearings).
May 1, 2003... Engineered Pressure Systems, Inc. offers custom designed Isotatic High Pressure food presses to deactivate microorganisms and enzymes, as well as denaturate proteins and polysaccharides. Presses apply uniform and omnidirectional pressure to...

Pest management. (Focus on Pest Control).
May 1, 2003... Terminix Commercial offers the expertise of AIB-certified professionals who understand the unique needs of the food processing industry. Terminix Commercial offers the FastTrack(SM) 2-Hour Solution that promises a solution to a pest problem...

Noninvasive pest solutions. (Focus on Pest Control).
May 1, 2003... Orkin Commercial Services launched its Gold Medal Protection Program, a guaranteed, seven-step pest management system that is custom-designed for food processing and manufacturing facilities. The program is delivered by pest management...

Virucidal disinfectant. (Focus on Pest Control).
May 1, 2003... Bird-X, Inc.'s Virkon is a USDA-tested disinfectant that kills bacteria, fungi & viruses from bird droppings and more, without harmful residues like other disinfectants. If a facility has bird droppings, the first step is to clean and degrease,...

Pest management videos. (Focus on Pest Control).
May 1, 2003... Copesan provides pest management services to the food industry through its Signature Care[TM] Food Processing Pest Management Program. Using physical controls such as heat, cold, humidity, sound, lighting, air movement and inert gases, pest...

Portable vibration data analyzer. (Focus on Pest Control).
May 1, 2003... Emerson Process Management's CSI Model 2130 vibration analyzer can reduce data collection time, helping alleviate personnel constraints. The new Model 2130 RBMconsultant[R] PRO data collector/analyzer features the functionality of a large color...

Consolidation's fallout: in today's environment, food processing often resembles a game of addition by subtraction.
May 1, 2003... THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANUFACTURING game is often one of mathematics. Take J.M. Smucker Co., for example. The Orrville, Ohio-based maker of fruit spreads, toppings and beverages recently announced it would shutter three plants in the coming...

5th Annual Essential Guide to Manufacturing Software: the growing power of mass merchandisers is shifting the requirements of software solutions for food manufacturing.
May 1, 2003... If you have noticed a subtle shift in the focus of software in the food segment over the past year, you may be on to something. Aside from the trend toward consolidation of software suppliers and the emergence of PC standards on the plant...

The kinetics of mixing & blending: design engineers are applying high-tech tools to improve the performance of industrial mixers and blenders. (Tech Update).
May 1, 2003... RICHARD V. CALABRESE REMEMBERS A VISIT TO A BIOENGINEERING facility where cultivation of a promising new organism, was proceeding under less than optimal conditions. "There was a football-field sized area of half-liter shakers to emulate...

Marketing & production get in-sync with the demand-driven supply chain: a single, consistent, demand-based plan can react effectively to consumer demand and optimize marketing, production, inventory and replenishment decisions. (Managing Software).
May 1, 2003... A BIG CUSTOMER SURPRISES THE PLANT WITH A promotion: the schedule goes to pieces, shipments suffer, costs go through the roof. The promotion produces lots of demand, but the product is not on the shelf--lost sales, unhappy retailers, unhappy...

Temperature readings by remote control: miniaturization paves the way to improved health care for livestock. (Engineering R&D).(Randolph K. Geisler, Digital Angel Corp.)(Interview)
May 1, 2003... SUPPLY CHAIN INTEGRATION USUALLY is associated with activities downstream of food production, but it also involves raw materials coming into the plant. Raw material variability poses the greatest challenge in producing finished goods of...