Food Online From The Editor

1. Make The Most Of Food And Beverage Effluent 3/30/2017

   As focus on resource recovery intensifies, food and beverage operations are under a particularly large microscope. An anaerobic digester designed for the food and beverage industry can create value out of the space’s unique wastewater.

2. What Does “Food Safety” Mean In The Eyes Of The Consumer? 3/15/2016

   As consumers become increasingly attentive and evermore informed regarding what they eat, so do their ideas of what food safety should mean for food manufacturers. Here, William Thomas, CEO of Thomas Utopia Brand, answers my questions concerning what food safety means for food manufacturers in the age of the ultra-informed consumer.

3. Overcoming The Obstacles Of Building A FSMA-Ready Supply Chain Program 1/11/2016

   The FDA’s final rules for Preventive Controls and Foreign Supplier Verification Program, which were released on September 17 and November 27, 2015, respectively, create new requirements aimed at ensuring the safety of foods, including ingredients and raw materials, through the supply chain. Whether a company is an importer or a manufacturer, if it relies on a supplier to control hazards, it likely will need to develop a supply chain program that includes a process to approve suppliers and to identify verification activities of those suppliers based on risk. Here, Jennifer McEntire, Vice President of Science Operations at the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), answers my questions about creating supply chain control programs.

4. Don't Be The Weakest Link: Improving The Food Industry's Supply Chain 1/4/2016

   The food industry’s supply chain is a difficult landscape to traverse. New technologies seem to arrive on a monthly basis, logistics always presents its own unique challenges, consumers are becoming increasingly demanding, and food safety legislation is constantly evolving — it’s a lot for food manufacturers to stay on top of. Here, Daniel Triot, Senior Director of the Trading Partner Alliance of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), answers my questions about supply chain obstacles food manufacturers and retailers are facing and offers guidance on how to overcome them.

5. U.S. Sales Of Packaging Equipment Slowing In Mature Market, Study Says 10/14/2015

   The  U.S. market for packaging equipment is expected to remain flat, or show a slight growth of about 1.6 percent for the  remainder of 2015 and upcoming 2016, according to the State of the Industry U.S. Packaging Machinery Report from PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies.

6. Food Online's Top 10 Of July 8/4/2015

   What was most important to our readers in July? Take a look back at last month by reviewing the 10 most-popular articles that appeared on Food Online.

7. Lawsuits Argue Fine Points Of Packaging Patents And Trademarks 8/3/2015

   Packaging is a manufacturing segment that relies heavily on innovation for its growth. Designers are constantly testing new materials and developing new structures, adding graphics and convenience features to capture the fancy of impulsive consumers strolling down retail aisles. But, what happens when those packaging ideas overlap between competitors? Then, the matter may end up in the courts.

8. Serialization: One Of The Best Ways To Protect Your Supply Chain, Brand, And Customers 7/6/2015

   For food manufacturers and processors, product recalls, problems with inventory, and other supply chain mishaps are an absolute nightmare. These misfortunes lead to lost revenue, present a threat to a company’s financial value, endanger consumers, and negatively impact your customers’ loyalty to your brand. Fortunately, by implementing serialization solutions, food companies can quickly and intelligently respond to these adversities.

9. 7 Ways Supply Chain Traceability Solutions Benefit Food Makers 6/22/2015

   When the phrase “electronic traceability solution” is spoken in the food industry, some other phrases might instantly come to mind: “From farm/factory to fork,” “from harvest to table,” or “from plant to plate.” These phrases offer comfort that every food product that is tracked and traced is safe, and if a contamination event were to happen, the food would never reach the consumer. However, as we all know, even with the best prevention methods and traceability solutions in place, contaminations still occur.

10. Healthy Benefits Help High-Pressure
    Food Processing Gain Ground 6/11/2015

    Recently, Hormel Foods launched a marketing campaign to promote the healthy benefits of its Natural Choice lunchmeats. The Hormel packaging highlights that the meats contain no preservatives, no added nitrates or nitrites and no artificial colors or flavors. But the real secret here is high-pressure processing (HPP).