How can facilities proactively address and mitigate common workplace hazards?

A variety of safety precautions must be considered when handling batteries and battery acid.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency is aiming to “improve safety at facilities that use and distribute hazardous chemicals,” as well as protect nearby communities, via a final rule.

Dallas — During inclement weather, facility operators are obligated to maintain safety, minimize any chemical/oil releases and discharges, and report them in a timely manner.

Washington — The Chemical Safety Board is urging chemical facilities to prepare for a season of “potentially more frequent and more powerful hurricanes and other extreme weather events.”

The first in a series of capital investment projects to support its growing acidulants business, Bartek is expanding capacity and capabilities to allow for greater flexibility and support of its food, beverage, and confectionery; animal nutrition; and industrial customers. 

This expansion closely follows the previously announced 4,000 MT malic acid expansion completed in 2019, as well as the installation of a new 22,500 MT maleic anhydride reactor, which will also be operational by Q1 2021.

Bartek Ingredients commenced construction of a state-of-the-art, vertically integrated facility that will become the world’s largest malic and food-grade fumaric acid production plant. 

Among those in attendance at the groundbreaking were Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport and Member of Provincial Parliament for Hamilton East, Victor Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and Chad Collins, Member of Federal Parliament for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek.

Having developed a proprietary method for producing low-cost tagatose from plant-based starches, Bonumose is at the forefront of using enzymatic processes to make rare sugars at scale. Starting in mid-February, ASR Group will have tagatose available for initial shipments and samples.

The new manufacturing facility will produce Asian-style foods, primarily for Schwan's #1 Korean food brand bibigo, using state-of-the-art automated production lines. 

The company will add all new processing equipment, including a cutting-edge “spiral hydro chiller” for quick-chilling soups to lock in freshness, as well as proprietary cooking kettles that are both large enough for production efficiencies yet small enough to allow soup to be made largely by hand in small batches.

Pacific Foods introduced two new Plant-Based Creamy Soup varieties, made with ingredients such as turmeric, cauliflower, sweet potatoes and North African spices.

The protein trend has promised to continue at a steady pace, with interest in, and consumption of, plant proteins increasing at record levels. This is due in large part to the rapid expansion in consumer demand for meat, dairy, and seafood analogs. But alongside the growth in protein as a whole ingredient, the various parts that make up a protein molecule are not being ignored. 

The US Food and Drug Administration announced that it intends to propose that “Acacia (Gum Arabic)” also known as gum acacia, be included as part of the FDA's definition of dietary fiber. The action is being taken in response to a citizen petition from Nexira, Alland & Robert and Importers Service Corporation.

The new plant will be located adjacent to the company's existing Atchison, Kan., plant. Once online in late 2023, the new extrusion plant is expected to produce up to 10 million pounds of ProTerra per year.

Nexira has joined the American Botanical Council (ABC) and adopted acacia through ABC’s “Adopt-an-Herb” botanical research and education program.

Jungbunzlauer announced the groundbreaking for the first stage of this multi-year project, which is supported by $4.8 million from the Invest Ontario Fund.

The first phase consisted of renovating approximately 20,000sq-ft of the plant to double its current capacity to produce Minute® ready-to-serve rice cups.

High oleic soybean oil oleic acid levels exceed 70% and can go as high as 75%, and the oil is lower in saturated fat compared to some other high-stability oils commonly used in food production.

The new 10,000-square-foot facility was constructed on ICL’s 19-acre production campus in St. Louis. At full capacity the plant is expected to produce more than 15 million pounds of product each year. 

In the Summer of 2023, the company brought its newest manufacturing capabilities online with considerably increased capacity and new technology including a heavy suspension skid, enabling market-leading loads of active ingredients within a gummy, and increased capacity for their unique honey gummies.

Silicon Valley-based cellular agriculture company Mission Barns announced a $24M Series A to scale up its cultivated fat technology and build a pilot manufacturing plant in the Bay Area.

Although there may be a pandemic-related slowdown, there’s no stopping new product development. To better help readers with corporate innovation strategy, Prepared Foods turned to leaders at the Eureka! Ranch and the Innovation Engineering Institute, Cincinnati. Founded in 1986, Eureka! Ranch has become a global think tank and innovation training company. 

The new facility is located adjacent to The Mart Group’s headquarters, bringing the company’s total employment in Rupert to more than 230 people. The new Mart Frozen Foods facility will directly create 80 full-time jobs, and have an estimated annual economic impact of $11.15 million.  

The blending and finishing facility is strategically positioned with nearby access to railroads and interstates for efficient truck and rail delivery across the United States. Construction is set to begin immediately.

The 169,000sq-ft facility is an expansion of Ferrero's existing manufacturing campus in Bloomington. CRUNCH, 100 Grand, Raisinets, and other chocolate products are made at the campus, and it is also now home to the company's first-ever chocolate factory outside of Europe. 

The Verona facility has the capacity to produce more than 100,000 pounds of product a day using high-pressure processing, a cold pasteurization technology that retains the flavor and nutritional benefits of CAVA’s fresh ingredients, with no preservatives.

Shaw Industries has completed the installation of a half-acre solar array at its carpet tile manufacturing and recycling facility in Adairsville, Georgia.

When the static electricity in a medical office, examination room or lab is under control, it helps reduce the risks of shocks to personnel, disruption of data, malfunction of sensitive equipment, igniting flammables, and reducing contamination due to electrostatic attraction.

The $100 million facility will be largely dedicated to Goldfish and Pepperidge Farm production.

Waterproof engineered stone flooring competes against ceramic tile.

Sherwin-Williams High Performance Flooring seamless flooring systems offers up durable, chemical resistant systems that cover a range of commercial applications, ranging from moderate to heavy use. The Resuflor systems integrate industrial-grade epoxy with flake or aggregate to create a decorative floor. 

The U.S. FDA announced that sufficient laboratory capacity has been reached for certain import-related food testing, specifically for mycotoxins, under the Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods  program.

The new ovens at the Sunland Park location are state-of-the-art six-truck, dual-purpose ovens, meaning that they have the capability of both smoking and sous vide cooking.

Global food manufacturer Kerry is the winner of our 2022 Sustainable Plant of the Year award for its $125 million breadcrumbs and coatings plant expansion in Rome, Georgia. 

A collaboration among several dairy families and nutritionists in California's Central Valley led to the construction of a milk processing facility that exceeds expectations.

While we've looked at the key issues - including COVID-19 - facing food processors and A&E/Cs this year in FE's 2020 Annual Plant Construction Survey, there's a lot more to discuss.

Wheat processor Crespel & Deiters commissioned the construction of a €18.5 million ($20.7 million) silo building at its main site in Ibbenbüren, Germany at the beginning of the year – the largest single investment in infrastructure in the company’s history. 

The FDA will consider the registration of a food facility to be expired if a facility’s registration is not renewed by December 31, 2024.

Ohly has been delivering yeast extracts and yeast-based specialties from its base in Hamburg, Germany since 1836.

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

Within its walls is one of the most technically advanced food processing plants in the country—a greenfield project built from the ground up with automation, labor savings, sustainability and smart design throughout.

For our coverage of Fabulous Food Plants this year, we decided to do something a little bit different in honor of “plants,” aka flora. When we think of food plants, we almost immediately think of processing facilities, but there’s so much more to food production than the processing plant. So, seeing how plant-based foods are altering the ways consumers think about protein, we decided to alter the way we think about food plants.

The Bowling Green, Kentucky facility was built to handle an expansion of the company’s bacon production capabilities.

These extra-large, high-capacity conveyors can be engineered for grading, aligning, distributing and other specialized food handling functions.

Oatly Group AB announced that for 2021 its two North American production facilities, located in Millville, N.J., and Ogden, Utah, sourced 100% renewable electricity for the first time.

Stratas Foods says the addition of AAK Foodservice Hillside aligns with its long-term growth objectives, particularly within the value-added oils, dressings, sauces and mayonnaise categories.

The Slot Dog, Slot Hog, Cleaning Brushes, and the Tamper-Proof Magnetic Strainer—each purpose-built to enhance food safety through effective drainage and sanitation systems

How to decide where you need to start is key to unlocking success.