Food Manufacturing Guest Contributors

1. How To Improve Water Conservation In Food And Beverage Processing 12/2/2021

   The production of food and beverage products in the U.S. accounts for around one-third of the total freshwater use of the country. While it is unimaginable to consume so much water just for yourself, industrial and agricultural applications are on a scale of their own. At the rate we are going, water demand is not going to slow down anytime soon. Water supply, on the other hand, is going in the other direction. 

2. How Can The Food And Beverage Industry Reduce Its Water Usage? 10/29/2021

   Food and beverage production and processing consume massive amounts of water — both in products and as an essential material for various cleaning, cooling, and utility purposes. As climate change and drought threaten existing water sources, businesses and consumers are paying more attention to how industry at large uses it.

3. Energy Use In Agriculture 10/26/2021

   Farmers are looking for new sources of energy as volatile electricity prices create various economic problems in agriculture. Agricultural cooperatives, which you can read about here, and individual farmers are turning to renewable energy as innovative technologies develop as they offer many opportunities, including reducing energy consumption and increasing efficiency. This article will learn what alternative energy sources are provided today and what benefits they provide.   

4. The Complicated Truth About Organic Food 10/25/2021

   Organic food is a popular trend among health food advocates. These are products grown without the use of fertilizers, including chemicals. At first glance, it seems like the perfect way to get healthy food, but it's not that simple. Research shows that organic foods are more harmful to the environment than conventionally grown foods. There are increasing reports that they are as damaging to the climate as biofuels or ethanol from corn, sugarcane, and wheat. In this regard, scientists call farm coops for a compromise between healthy eating and environmental protection. Let's try to understand what precisely organic foods are and why they are not as safe as they seem at first.

5. Math Solutions Explained: Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) mg/L 8/23/2021

   Water Online’s “Math Solutions Explained” series, presented by wastewater consultant and trainer Dan Theobald (“Wastewater Dan”), educates operators by explaining BOD mg/L calculations.

6. The Multiple Uses For Heat Exchangers In Brewing 5/20/2021

   There are numerous uses for heat exchangers in breweries — from cooling, pasteurizing, and fermenting products to efficiently dealing with waste streams such as yeast slurry. Compared to other methods of heating, heat exchangers can be much more energy-efficient, providing both environmental and economic benefits.

7. Design Considerations For Low-Pressure Air Blowers In Wastewater Treatment 5/19/2021

   The basic function of a wastewater treatment (WWT) system is to accelerate the natural process that purifies water. And low-pressure air blowers are used in WWT for two key purposes that help accomplish this goal: aeration and agitation.

8. Co-Digesting Food Waste With Wastewater Solids To Produce Energy 1/13/2021

   Inspired in part by California’s Senate Bill 1383, which was enacted to reduce organic waste and methane emissions, co-digestion is fulfilling those goals while converting wastewater treatment plants into water resource recovery facilities.

9. Microbiologist Develops Improved Technology For Poultry Food Safety 11/20/2020

   One Friday evening in the spring of 2019, Abhi Upadhyay, assistant professor of food microbiology and safety in the Department of Animal Science, found himself watching a video showing microbubbles for pet care and grooming. He started thinking about using this technology for food safety and spent the weekend researching its potential, current state of the field and appropriate grant opportunities.

10. We Brewed Beer From Recycled Wastewater — And It Tasted Great 11/19/2020

    On Earth Overshoot Day (August 22 this year), Village Brewery, a Calgary craft beer-maker, joined University of Calgary researchers and Xylem Technologies, a U.S.-based water technology company, to brew a crisp blond ale from reused wastewater — the first case of direct potable reuse in Alberta and possibly Canada.