There’s a prevalent double standard when it comes to food facility safety management. Think about the measures taken when a visitor enters a food plant production area: You have to dress out, walk through a foot bath, take off jewelry and wear a smock. All of these precautions are designed to keep your product safe — but what about your maintenance crew?

Just like an older home, an aging food plant can have its share of problems. If your roof leaks, or there’s a hole in the wall in which cold air and critters could come through—or your front door loses all its weather stripping—you’d be on it in no time. These situations are even more problematic for an older food and beverage facility, especially where food safety is concerned.

Stellar, a designer, manufacturer and installer of industrial refrigeration systems, has entered the low-charge ammonia arena with its NH360 packaged refrigeration systems that offer less than 1 lb/TR (typically 0.90 to 0.98) ammonia charge.

Mergers and acquisitions are a driving force in the food industry today. Plus, a growing middle class and the millennial population are less brand loyal than previous generations, leading to a surge in store brands. What does this mean for food manufacturers? How should they respond?

Major food recalls are a reminder of how critical detection technology is for a food facility — and lately, it seems we’re being reminded far too often. There are a lot of variables when it comes to X-ray and metal detection systems: What should you buy? How much protection is enough? How do you maximize performance? Let’s start by understanding the difference between X-ray and metal detection technology.

A new year means a new start for some food and beverage companies: Some will be building new plants, others will be renovating existing ones. But no one wants to kick off the new year with a bloated budget. An integrated approach to designing and constructing your next big project can help your bottom line in 2018. Let’s look at how.

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) refers to connected devices and technologies that can collect, monitor, analyze and exchange large amounts of data and provide valuable business information to improve processes, quality or maintenance activities within a plant.

The design-build contract for the project was awarded to Stellar, a global design, engineering and construction company. As part of the contract, Stellar provided architecture, engineering and construction services for the project. It also designed and constructed a new energy plant for the R&D centre.

The lack of a specific program means processors have to carefully determine which LEED certification is right for them. There’s a LEED for Schools. LEED for Hospitality. Retail. Data Centers. Warehouses & Distribution Centers. Healthcare. What there is not—at least not yet—is a LEED for Food Manufacturing.

China’s economy has been on a rapid upward trend for the last 20-plus years. It has become the second-largest economy in the world and is flirting with taking the first-place spot. If your company is in any way, shape or form connected to the global economy, chances are you have some connection to China.

A good way to think of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is as an ever-expanding toolset to improve your operations. IIOT devices, such as industrial sensors, actuators, motors and controllers, are able to pass along safely and securely vital information that can help your plant run more efficiently and cost effectively.

Columbus Foods opened a new food slicing and packaging facility in Hayward, California, US, in July 2011. Located in the Hayward industrial park, the plant was established to replace production from Columbus Foods’ processing plant in South San Francisco.

Construction of the new state-of-the-art plant involved evaluating all aspects of materials to deliver a facility that would operate at optimum efficiency—something demanded in the increasingly competitive food industry. Insulation is critically important to these types of facilities. Improper insulation choice can lead to system inefficiencies, energy waste, or even put the system at risk for damage. These systems must undergo frequent wash downs, making it important to choose an insulation that is resistant to moisture, and a jacket that allows for multiple-times-per-day cleanings.