After the mad dash to end one year, January seems like a chance to get your feet back under you as you start the next.

In last year’s February issue, I wrote about how I was trying to overcome the depressing sight of snow and ice on the ground by thinking ahead to April and our annual Food Automation & Manufacturing Conference in Miami. The more things change …

We all have those days when a bunch of little stuff is getting under our skin. But then we have those other days, where we don't joke or complain about having "one of those days" because something has gone seriously wrong.

The coronavirus pandemic we’re dealing with has created a situation that is beyond anyone’s control. That means we adapt, adjust and make the best of it.

Day-to-day operations are still the highest priority, even as food and beverage processors work to protect employees and contractors from coronavirus.

Beginning with our July issue, Food Engineering will be a 100% digital publication.

When I was an electrical engineer building emergency wireless communications networks, I learned about the importance of having backups—sometimes the hard way, with a 3 a.m. phone call reporting a system is down and the backup system didn’t kick in.

Having honest and direct communication about what is and isn’t working is the difference between success and failure.

We've all had our lives turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic, and that's going to continue for at least a little while longer.

One of the most common causes of allergen recalls is the use of the wrong package or wrong label on a container. It is imperative that food processors make sure that the correct label is placed on each and every product, especially for foods with allergens.

The COVID-19 pandemic has kicked food and beverage production into overdrive. A lot of us are feeling more worn out than ever.

Food and beverage industry leaders join the Food Engineering Editorial Advisory Board to provide insights that inform coverage decisions.

Food and beverage manufacturers must keep looking for new ways to improve sustainability with water, energy and waste.

It was a challenging year for all of us, but there are still things to be proud of as 2020 comes to an end.

Food Engineering has revamped its schedule of most prominent annual features. Casey Laughman shares some of those changes as we kick off 2021.

There are many different foreign materials that could and actually have ended up in foods. The most insidious of these and the one most feared is glass.

Any fundamental shift in how you produce your product is a scary thing, and it requires buy-in and cooperation across multiple departments to ensure it’s done properly.

Recent events show just how important it is to be truly prepared.

Aquacycl used bacteria to clean up a wastewater stream and generate enough electricity to run the system and produce clean water.

It is imperative that food processors understand that innovation is an imperative, and a failure to innovate can mean that they will begin to fall behind their competitors.

Food and beverage processors look for new ways to improve operations while facing the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There’s a helicopter on Mars.

It’s still pretty amazing to be able to type those words. 

We had a minor snag with one of the feature stories for this issue.

What Keurig Dr Pepper and Cuisine Solutions—and the other submissions we received for this year's Engineering Plant of the Year and Sustainable Plant of the Year award—do have in common is the level of innovation and creative solutions present throughout the plants.

Editor-in-chief Casey Laughman says goodbye to the food and beverage industry.

Hello! I’m Michael Costa, the new editor-in-chief at FOOD ENGINEERING.

The cultivated meat industry is still in its infancy, and like many other burgeoning technologies—food or otherwise—the actual agreed-upon name for what the finished product will be called is being debated by those who make it.

A long list of concerns continues to keep businesses in the food processing industry on their toes. Inflation. Supply chain issues. Hiring challenges. The pandemic. However, a connective thread runs through these four: automation.

This mix blends the richness of V8 tomato juice, natural cucumber flavor and a medley of spices with the tang of Grillo's signature brine.

Food and beverage processors have a significant responsibility to lead the way in water stewardship as challenges caused by water scarcity grow.

The threats facing food processing facilities are already here, and there is no longer any time to delay implementing minimum protections for these sites.

Treatment systems must demonstrate robust performance while handling both varying volumes and changing wastewater compositions.

Beyond its refreshed corporate logo, Bolthouse Fresh Foods is revealing its new consumer brand, Bolthouse Fresh, and packaging for its consumer-facing portfolio of fresh carrots and on-the-go snacking solutions.

Already utilized by major retailers across the U.S., the active packaging solution has now been adopted for direct-to-consumer shipping of various seafood items.

Carving a niche for its distinct flavor combinations, the new packaging – which is fully recyclable – positions the brand's pairings as "Fusion Hummus" and features the brand's vibrant colors.

The PowerPak 1000 has been specially developed as an entry-level machine for the thermoforming segment and offers advanced functions previously reserved for machines in the higher performance range.

Vidre+ makes fresh produce packaging and label functional and adaptable into a smart version with adjustable protection against the negative effects of ethylene.

In the updated guideline, FSIS strongly encourages the use of third-party certification to substantiate animal-raising or environment-related claims.

Developed by PurPod, the pods have replaced all of New England Coffee’s former single-serve plastic pods to deliver a richer aroma and fresher coffee flavor with materials that are friendlier to the environment, reducing plastic waste. 

The ingredients most likely to influence purchasing decisions were probiotics, vitamins and minerals and fiber.

SÜDPACK and industrial printing specialist LEIBINGER have joined forces test the suitability of continuous inkjet (CIJ) inks for printing on recyclable films for packaging food that is sterilized following the packaging process.

The different types of flexible packaging paper cover a range of requirements — from good knurling and heat‐sealing properties with or without a barrier function, to teabag wrapping and flow packs.

In a Multipeel pack, sliced cheese loses less moisture and weight after being opened for the first time, compared to a packaging concept without a reclose system.

The 5.0% ABV lager comes in a 16-oz. glow-in-the-dark can designed to add a bit of fun for those using a festive hiking trail this fall and winter.

Mad Tea pods are fully compatible with Nespresso machines, allowing consumers to brew teas in under 30 seconds.

The company employs more than 100 full-time people and relies on several co-packers throughout the U.S. to service its national retail partners and consumer base.

While the vocabulary doesn’t have to be large, each machine should know about stops and starts upstream and downstream.

Well-designed packaging can provide shelf impact to attract attention and set the product apart from its competition, enhance usability, prevent damage, maximize shelf life and offer sustainable attributes.

Delve into the origins of checkweighing systems, how the technology evolved and why these machines continue to remain integral.

UPM Specialty Papers has used coatings from Michelman to develop recyclable paper packaging designed for food applications.