Debra writes extensively about food and beverage processing, including changing consumer trends, sustainability and the digital transformation of manufacturing. She has toured major F&B plants throughout the world to learn about the industry’s modern equipment and technology. She has also planned F&B manufacturing conferences, recruiting top industry speakers from companies like DanoneWave, Maple Leaf, Kraft-Heinz, Campbell's and Sargento Foods.
This article covers what food and beverage processors need to know about FSMA's Sanitary Transportation of Food rule, which is designed to protect food from farm to table. Included in the story is a discussion on blockchain technology and how it could be the future of food safety as well as a sidebar on how Golden State Foods has incorporated it in their operations.
Debra takes the reader through the first completed greenfield project for one of the largest food companies in the world. This is an end-to-end account of the state-of-the-art process used to produce Oscar Mayer deli meat.
Debra writes about several food and beverage companies, like Gossner Foods, Perfect Fit Meals, and Amazon, using new and different processing technology to create more natural products that are minimally processed to deliver the food and beverages consumers crave.
A seismic shift has happened in the food and beverage industry - consumers have gone from being passive to very much being in the driver's seat, calling the shots on what they want. With consumers demanding more detailed product information, new technology can help transform food and beverage processors' operations as well as their products.
Debra writes about how Ben & Jerry's lets its values take the lead in its products and operations. The story includes in-depth interviews with CEO Jostein Solheim and Jay Curley, senior global marketing manager, as well as an end-to-end tour of Ben & Jerry's St. Albans ice cream facility.
Debra takes a deep dive into what is really happening in the food and beverage processing industry. Some of the evolving trends discussed are the increases in advanced automation, rapidly changing consumer demands, and an aging workforce.
Debra takes the reader through Abbott's high-tech production of science-based nutraceuticals at its cutting-edge facility in Tipp City, Ohio.
Silent and undetectable to the naked eye, pathogens are the nemeses of processors. If a test result comes in positive, it can mean, at the very least, a bumpy road ahead for an uncertain amount of time.
The optimal flow of food and beverage goods to consumers is vital for brand protection. To ensure the efficiency and performance of food supply chains, the entire "farm to fork" process, from sourcing raw materials to processing to delivery, must be strategically planned and managed.
A key component of most food and beverage processing is water, yet it is often overlooked. Monitoring water quality is necessary to determine impurity levels that could impact the plant's end product.
As consumers become more aware of the sustainability practices of companies, food and beverage processors are making strides to improve environmentally-friendly operations in their plants.
The technology connecting people, machines, suppliers, and processors is rapidly changing the manufacturing industry. Sometimes called the "Internet of Things" or "Industry 4.0," the idea is that food and beverage processors will be able to connect everything in their operations.
The economically motivated adulteration of food is an elusive, criminal act with the potential to cause public health issues, brand damage, and monetary losses.
