Food Engineering articles from November 2003

Food Engineering archives from November 2003

Electronic food facility registration goes live.(Editor's Note)(Editorial)
November 1, 2003... THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINiStration (FDA) introduced a new electronic registration system for both foreign and domestic food facilities in mid-October. Available online at http://www.cfsan.fda. Gov/~furls/ovffreg.html, the system is designed to...

Calendar.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
November 1, 2003... NOVEMBER 2003 17-21 Maintenance Management, American Institute of Baking, Manhattan, KS; 785-537-4750 or 800-633-5137. 18-20 NFPA Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, National Food Processors Association; 202-639-5968, www.nfpa-food.org....

Hershey Foods Corp.(Plant Openings & Expansions)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Hershey Foods Corp. will build a 1.1 million-sq.-ft. distribution center in the Gateway Commerce Center, a 2,300-acre business park in Madison County, IL. Expected to be operational by March 2004, the distribution center will employ more than...

Maple Leaf Bakery.(Plant Openings & Expansions)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A producer of par-baked bread, rolls and bagels for in-store bakery and foodservice markets, Maple Leaf Bakery will expand its distribution center in Roanoke, VA. The $11 million expansion will result in a new training center and classroom as...

Cooper Farms.(Plant Openings & Expansions)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... After losing its previous cooked meat facility to tornado damage, Cooper Farms rebuilt its facility in Van Wert, OH. The new facility has stainless steel wall and ceiling panels, a clean room with separate air and drain systems, a new drain...

Inn Foods, Inc.(Plant Openings & Expansions)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Inn Foods, Inc., a re-packer of frozen foods, completed a $3.5 million expansion of its principal repacking plant in Castroville, CA. The expansion doubled production capacity and upgraded the facilities to meet USDA meat and poultry...

No satisfaction for automation users.(Manufacturing News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A recent study performed by Invensys and Fieldbus Inc. concludes that process industry automation users are frustrated with the low success levels provided by current plant production management strategies. According to those interviewed,...

E. coli testing takes positive turn.(Regulatory Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Federal food safety experts report a drop in the number of ground beef samples testing positive for E. coil O157:H7 so far this year. The Food Safety and Inspection Service, part of USDA, said the decrease is significant. The data shows .32% of...

False label warning for dairy processors.(Regulatory Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... FDA has issued warning letters to four manufacturers of dairy products, telling them their products are misbranded because the labels contain false statements of "no hormones" or "hormone free." The warning letters explain that "no...

Brach's Confections Holding, Inc.(Industry & People)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A manufacturer of cocoa and chocolate products Barry Callebaut acquired Brach's Confections Holding, Inc. Barry Callebaut intends to use Brach's established relationships with U.S. retailers to increase its North American distribution. Brach's...

Key Technology, Inc.(Industry & People)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Key Technology, Inc. named Dennis Flynn vegetable industry specialist. A 30-year veteran of the food processing equipment industry, Flynn previously worked for FMC Technologies and Hughes Company.

Created to help Kraft Foods respond to obesity and other health and wellness issues.(Industry & People)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Created to help Kraft Foods respond to obesity and other health and wellness issues, Kraft's Worldwide Health & Wellness Advisory Council named its members: David B, Allison, Ph.D., professor of biostatistics, University of Alabama at...

American Italian Pasta Company.(Industry & People)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Daniel W. Trott and Douglas W. Tapp joined American Italian Pasta Company (AIPC). Trott serves as executive vice president, sales and marketing and president of AIPC Sales Co. Tapp is vice president of human resources.

Robert Reiser & Company.(Industry & People)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Robert Reiser & Company acquired Germany-based holac Maschinenbau GmbH, a manufacturer of dice and strip cutting machines. Reiser has been distributing holac equipment in the United States since 1971.

Stellar Group.(Industry & People)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... David Slankard is the director of business development for the thermal division of The Stellar Group.

NSF International.(Industry & People)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... New guidelines for heat transfer fluid or fluids used in heating and cooling systems in food processing facilities are available from NSF International, a nonprofit, non-governmental organization providing public health and safety risk...

Packaging Education Forum.(Industry & People)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Packaging Education Forum elected William E. Archibald, William R. Armstrong, Richard G. Lee and Arnie Orloski, Jr. to its 2003 Hall of Fame.

Can a top put pop in flagging sales? The gradual switch to pull-tab cans may become a stampede.(Food Packaging)
November 1, 2003... FALL SIGNALS THE START OF soup season, and fans of the condensed variety may remember fall 2003 as the season they threw away their can openers. The easy open can end has been making inroads in retort products, but a watershed is occurring...

Kid-friendly packaging for snacks.(Food Packing)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... HOW IT LOOKS ON A STORE SHELF shapes the form of most food packaging. How it plays in a school child's lunchbox may be more important in the burgeoning healthy snacks market. A false start with a pull-tab package underscored that point for...

Floor level palletizer.(Focus on Stock to Dock and Weighing System)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Columbia Machine's FL10 floor level pal letizer occupies a footprint of less than 60-sq.-ft. and offers palletizing speeds up to 10 cases per minute. The unit comes pre-programmed with common palletizing patterns to simplify operation. Its...

Can depalletizer.(Focus on Stock to Dock and Weighing System)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The low level can depalletizer from ABC Packaging Machine offers a layer stabilizing mechanism that squares both the primary and secondary layer before sweep-off; four side container control; four side tier sheet containment with friction...

Case palletizer.(Technology sourcebook: focus on stock to dock and weighing system)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Alvey Systems' 780 case palletizer uses a right-angle pattern formation, close-center rollers and a bi parting plate apron that enable it to handle a variety of case and pallet sizes, according to the company. Operating at rates up to 35 cases...

Restocking truck.(Focus on Stock to Dock and Weighing System)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Rubbermaid's StockMate restocking truck features a dent and chip-resistant plastic deck that hinges and folds, enabling a quick conversion to a smaller cart. The truck also includes an end-mounted work platform with storage compartment, an...

Bag-in-box filling machine.(Focus on Stock to Dock and Weighing System)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Van Meurs' bag-in-box filling machine is designed for both aseptic and non-aseptic filling in large production capacities. Configured with single or multiple filling heads, the unit can be used with all brands of bags and all closure types. It...

Safety enclosure.(Technology sourcebook: focus on stock to dock and weighing system)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Carbis' Multi-Modal SAF-T enclosure provides safe, easy access from one platform to a variety of vehicles including tank trucks, tank cars and hopper cars. Manufactured for any size loading area, the enclosures can be customized to meet...

Entry-level checkweigher.(Focus on Stock to Dock and Weighing System)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Loma Systems' AS1200C checkweigher offers production line speeds of up to 260 feet per minute and a target weight range from 12-1,200 grams with accuracy up to 0.5 grams. Engineered for a compact footprint, the unit's memory holds up to 100...

Hopper scale system.(Focus on Stock to Dock and Weighing System)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Gainco's indexing hopper scale system provides precision-weighing capabilities and delivers reports and management information summaries instantly. It is constructed of series 300 stainless steel and requires fewer replacement load cells and...

Automatic pallet dispenser.(Focus on Stock to Dock and Weighing System)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Able to dispense up to 15 same size pallets at speeds up to two pallets per minute, Schneider Packaging Equipment's automatic pallet dispenser accommodates either 40-in. x 48-in. or 42-in. x 48-in. pallets. It can also be customized to house...

Waterproof weighing indicator.(Focus on Stock to Dock and Weighing Systems)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The waterproof AD-4407 indicator has a rugged stainless steel housing designed to operate in harsh, wet environments. Engineered for use in any static weighing or simple batching application, the unit features a full keypad, counting mode and...

Sealing profiler.(Focus on Stock to Dock and Weighing Systems)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Engineered to measure and quantify the performance of the induction field produced by a cap sealer, the Enercon Sealing Profiler (ESP) can be used with new or previously installed equipment It measures conveyor speed, air gap and the power...

Carton combining system.(Focus on Stock to Dock and Weighing Systems)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Designed to simplify conveying and palletizing, the Pearson carton combining system includes the N2250T module, the CT90 module and the LRC5 module. The N2250T pairs the cartons together, the CT90 turns the pairs 90 degrees and feeds them to...

Moisture control system.(Focus on Stock to Dock and Weighing Systems)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Sud-Chemie's Container Dri II prevents condensation in shipping containers by absorbing water vapor for up to 90 days through a micro-porous packaging film. Water is captured and the film concentrates it into a thick gel, preventing it from...

Side entry mixer.(Focus on Stock to Dock and Weighing Systems)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Jongia's mixers are engineered to aerate, dissolve, stir, mix and blend, depending on the type of mixer and application. In addition to its top, bottom and side entry mixers, the company offers specialized side entry mixers with seals that can...

Plastic pallets.(Focus on Stock to Dock and Weighing Systems)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... By using plastic lumber, Plastic Pallet & Container offers plastic pallets in any size or configuration. Although the pallets resemble wood, their plastic construction means they are free of sawdust and insects, will not splinter or crack under...

Biodegradable stretch wrap.(Focus on Stock to Dock and Weighing Systems)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Cortec's Eco Wrap is a combination of compostable polyester film and a biodegradable cling coating that can be used with conventional stretch film equipment. The film's strength reduces the wraps needed for an application. According to Cortec,...

The world's Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies: cooperation is becoming as common a competition among the industry's leading corporations.
November 1, 2003... The cross-ownerships and interdependencies of the leading food companies illustrate the real meaning of the global economy. Not too many years ago, firms competed on the international stage simply by establishing a sales office or setting up a...

Refrigeration, naturally: progress in freezing and cooling in the 20th century often was measured by new, man-made refrigerants. Now industry is rediscovering natural solutions.
November 1, 2003... When it comes to new refrigeration systems for the food industry, engineering innovation sometimes gets the cold shoulder. Consider closed cycle air refrigeration (CCAR). A few years ago, CCAR was viewed as sufficiently promising for flash...

Supply chain tools pay off: the proof is in the percentages. Food companies using supply chain software can better predict demand and reduce inventories.(Tech Update)
November 1, 2003... AS SUPPLY CHAIN INITIATIVES IN FOOD COMPANIES MATURE, hard numbers prove that supply chain software can improve food business. In a few weeks, the FDA will begin to enforce Title III of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism...

Mobile data loggers unlock mysteries of aging: atmosphere control in a 5 million cubic foot warehouse is a challenge.(Field Reports)
November 1, 2003... IF NATURAL AGING IS TO OCCUR PROPERLY, THE CHEDDARS from Tillamook County Creamery in Tillamook, OR, require consistent temperatures slightly higher than a refrigerator for up to 18 months. The dairy cooperative built an AS/RS facility that...

Using plant floor systems to improve business control: plant floor systems feed accurate, real-time information into plant and enterprise level ERP systems.(Managing Software)
November 1, 2003... FOOD PROCESSORS USE ERP SYSTEMS TO PROVIDE A COMPLETE business picture by integrating ordering information with production, shipping and accounting. This is a necessary step in controlling business operations. While ERP is a success in...

Microwave muscles into processing mainstream: a New Jersey firm is challenging American assumptions about the limitations of microwave Pasteurization and sterilization.(Engineering R&D)
November 1, 2003... INDUSTRIAL-SCALE PASTEURIZATION AND STERILIZATION with microwave heat is unheard of in the United States, primarily because no one has validated the kill step to the satisfaction of federal regulators. Microwave processing for fresh filled...