Washington — OSHA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration have released joint interim guidance intended to help seafood processing employers reduce COVID-19 exposure among workers, including those at onshore facilities and aboard offshore vessels.

Washington — A controversial U.S. Department of Agriculture rule that would permit line speeds at certain poultry processing plants to increase to 175 birds a minute from the current 140 is under review by the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Washington — President Joe Biden on Jan. 22 signed an Executive Order withdrawing a controversial U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed rule that would have permitted line speeds at certain poultry-processing plants to increase to 175 birds a minute from the current 140.

Washington — Legislation reintroduced March 11 by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Bennie Thompson (D-MS) would prohibit line speed increases in meat and poultry-processing plants during the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.

Minneapolis — The U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota upheld a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture on March 31, ruling that a controversial final rule that removes line speeds in pork-processing plants and transfers certain inspection responsibilities to plant workers compromises worker health and consumer welfare.

Washington — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has indicated it will accept a March ruling of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota that prohibits the removal of maximum line speeds in pork-processing plants.

Washington — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service, in collaboration with OSHA, will allow select pork-processing facilities – on a trial basis – to operate at increased line speeds for up to one year while gathering data that “measures the impact of line speed on workers.”

Washington — Seeking to “best assess” the impact of increased line speeds on worker safety in poultry-processing plants, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service plans to study the effects.

Washington — A trial that allows select pork-processing facilities to operate at increased line speeds will continue, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service says.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking to “improve the efficiency” of its chemical review process.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency has extended until Aug. 8 the comment period for a proposed rule intended to “improve the efficiency” of the agency’s chemical review process.

To address fire door deficiencies in various work settings, use this 13-point inspection and repair process to ensure compliance with NFPA 80 standards.

Washington – A coalition of advocacy groups is calling for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to restart the rulemaking process on a proposed poultry rule and address worker safety concerns.

Atlanta – As the nation prepares to cook millions of turkeys in recognition of Thanksgiving Day, a coalition of worker safety and consumer advocates once again have voiced their opposition to a proposed Department of Agriculture rule that would speed up line speeds at poultry-processing plants.

Washington — The U.S. Department of Agriculture used flawed worker injury data to advance its controversial proposal to remove maximum line speeds in pork-processing plants, according to the National Employment Law Project, an advocacy group.

Washington — The Department of Labor Office of Inspector General will conduct an audit of the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s ability to complete required safety and health inspections amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Washington — OSHA should develop guidance on the process hazard analysis element of its standard on process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals (1910.119), the Chemical Safety Board recommends in a final report on an April 2018 explosion and fire at a Wisconsin refinery.

Washington — Current NIOSH and industry regulations and professional guidelines aimed at preventing unintentional exposure to pathogens during the sterile processing of medical devices may not be sufficient to ensure provider and patient safety, results of a recent study suggest.

Cutting back on consuming ultraprocessed foods can reduce your risk of a stroke or cognitive issues later in life, according to a recent study out of Massachusetts General Hospital.

Washington — The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it’s extending a trial of faster line speeds at select pork-processing facilities so it can design a study to assess worker safety.

Washington — OSHA has updated its process safety management enforcement policy for the first time in 30 years.

Washington — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has again extended a trial of faster line speeds at select pork-processing facilities, saying it’s continuing to study the effect on worker safety.

Washington — A new hazard alert from OSHA is aimed at increasing awareness and ensuring actions are being taken to reduce the “alarming number” of serious, preventable injuries in poultry, meat and other food processing establishments.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency says a new rule “charts the path for our risk evaluations to ensure we meet the core objective to protect public health under our nation’s premier chemical safety law.”

Washington — A new Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement final rule codifies existing agency practice related to the review and approval of projects that will feature “new or unusual technology” – including equipment used in high-pressure or high-temperature environments.

The new production site further strengthens the company’s plant-based protein portfolio and enables BENEO to meet the growing demand for plant-based food and feed ingredients.

Solely says it used its signature, patented cold-pressing process to transform dried green bananas into a traditional fusilli shape and texture. The dark-colored Organic Green Banana Fusilli Pasta cooks to an al-dente texture in just four minutes and is ready to be topped with a sauce or other ingredients.

White River Soy Processing, LLC (White River), a developer and operator of oilseed processing plants in the US, announced that it purchased Benson Hill Ingredients, LLC, which operates an established food grade soybean processing facility in Creston, Iowa, from Benson Hill, Inc.

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. 

“Truffle is a beloved flavor that provides decadent luxury; combining with our rich and bold White Cheddar delivers the best of both worlds,” said Amanda Vaal, brand director at Cracker Barrel Cheese. “Dill also continues to be high in demand, delivering a sharp and savory twist to a snacking classic.”

Automation of batch processing isn’t new, but as more companies move beyond the basics of automation, they are finding that new technology brings big rewards—as well as big challenges.

Environmental demands, allergen control, acoustics, cleaning and production needs all help define what you need from floors, doors and ceilings, and shape the evaluation process for identifying and installing the right ones.

Meat processors are increasingly turning to newer, higher speed packaging solu­tions that include dedicated interleav­ers and card dispensers that maximize throughput of raw bacon.

Three companies are using interesting methods to keep refrigerated and frozen foods at just the right temperature.

Robots and cobots can help when your food or beverage has workers out sick with COVID-19 or needs to implement social distancing.

If your food or beverage operation isn’t making widespread use of sensors to monitor your process, you can’t expect to remain competitive for long.

Milchwerke Schwaben’s presence in the dairy industry starts as early as 1922, dairy farmers in Ulm, Germany joined together to form a cooperative that would make it possible to produce dairy products with greater efficiency. This merger resulted in a company whose products meet the needs of consumers throughout Germany and abroad.

Solutions for accurate control, easy maintenance and remote diagnostics.

While expanding production with a new line that sweetens and dehydrates different types of berries, Zarecki turned to Key Technology for a vibratory conveyor system with five Impulse shakers.

This month’s dry processing product focus covers bulk bag handling equipment.

Selecting the right pump to convey product in a food-safe manner during processing steps or to remove waste from processing operations to a waste facility is important for poultry processors.

When it comes to production, similarities exist among alternative and animal protein processes, but several differences occur, particularly around operational footprint, equipment, and water and energy usage.

In the past, Food Engineering’s Sustainable Plant of the Year story has focused on a single plant at one geographic location that has made significant strides in sustainability.

It only takes a few seconds after stepping into Vital Farms’ Egg Central Station (ECS) to realize that the company truly loves its egg-related puns. If there’s writing nearby, be it on a wall, memo or bulletin board, there’s a pun not far behind. They’re part of an ethos that starts from the top and flows down the company’s ranks to put a smile on someone’s face, even if just for a second. That idea of doing good extends beyond the facility walls to its other locations, the farmers who supply the eggs, the consumers who buy the product and, finally, to the planet itself. That visible commitment to the environment is why the addition at ECS was chosen as FOOD ENGINEERING’s 2023 Sustainable Plant of the Year.

Processors are turning to automation to fill jobs where people are unavailable.

FSMA’s Intentional Adulteration rule is still a work in progress for some sites, meanwhile processors and retailers are eyeing indoor grow facilities.

Choosing and installing the correct commercial floor covering can be a detailed and complicated process that necessarily looks beyond aesthetic preference and examines every aspect of the installation, beginning with the substrate and its condition and ending with the required maintenance regimen once the flooring is installed.

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. 

Jordan Talmadge, PPG’s global commercial director, silicas, recently spoke about the role silicas can play in preventing caking and optimizing the flow characteristics of food products, as well as improving product performance and manufacturing productivity.

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