Coronavirus Coverage

Cargill closes Ontario processing plant after outbreak of COVID-19 illnesses

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Company’s Guelph processing plant closes indefinitely, will first process remaining meat in plant.

The lactic acid market: what beef processors should know

eowens@birkocorp.com (Dr. Elis Owens) — Thu, 10 Dec 2020 16:30:40 -0500

Naturally occurring, relatively safe, and effective in fighting bacteria, lactic acid has a wide range of applications in a number of industries, from food to pharmaceuticals to chemical.

Meat Institute urges prioritization of meat industry workers for COVID-19 vaccination

Mon, 07 Dec 2020 00:00:00 -0500

The North American Meat Institute urged federal authorities to highly prioritize COVID-19 vaccination for industry employees, following healthcare workers and those in long term care facilities.

Harpak-ULMA supports COVID-19 manufacturing initiatives

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 11:52:00 -0500

Harpak-ULMA has announced it is working with multiple medical device manufacturers commissioned to supply high volume syringe supplies as part of BARDA’s rapidly expanding COVID-19 Medical Countermeasure Portfolio.

Tyson Foods suspends managers who allegedly placed bets on COVID-19 illnesses

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 15:00:00 -0500

Food giant promises to investigate allegations of improper behavior among management at Iowa pork plant.

Amcor adds face masks to healthcare product portfolio

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 15:12:00 -0500

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Amcor Rigid Packaging (ARP) is expanding its healthcare product portfolio to include general-purpose face masks.

Use, care and maintenance of cleaning tools during the pandemic and beyond

akheradia@remcoproducts.com (Amit Kheradia) — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 09:00:00 -0500

Advice for proper use, care and maintenance of food processing cleaning tools amid the pandemic.

Trump administration partners with chain and independent community pharmacies to increase access to future COVID-19 vaccines

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 10:58:00 -0500

To maximize access to COVID-19 vaccines for all Americans, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the U.S. government’s partnerships with large chain pharmacies and networks that represent independent pharmacies and regional chains.

Bakers, food and beverage groups, request priority access to COVID-19 vaccine

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 10:29:00 -0500

The American Bakers Association (ABA), along with several food and beverage trade groups, urged in a letter to President Donald Trump priority access to vaccines to protect workers and keep the food supply chain running.

Pandemic Pivots for Sysco and US Foods

costam@bnpmedia.com (Michael Costa) — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 00:00:00 -0500

By any measure, 2020 has been a historically difficult year for foodservice distributors. COVID-19 wiped out business for foundational customers like restaurants, hotels, caterers, stadiums, schools and other volume foodservice clients starting in March, and even today, as states attempt to re-open amid the uncertainty of where the pandemic is heading, an argument could be made that foodservice distributors have had to continuously pivot more than any other cold chain segment to stay afloat.

Exclusive interview: Q&A with US Foods, on COVID-19 changes and sanitation

parkere@bnpmedia.com (Liz Parker) — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 09:59:00 -0500

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery was recently able to talk to Stacey Kinkaid, vice president of product development and innovation, US Foods, Rosemont, IL, about the COVID-19 pandemic, new sanitation protocols, and holiday offerings.

State of the Industry in Food Safety: Facility Management & Design in the COVID-19 Era

peckenpaughd@bnpmedia.com (Douglas Peckenpaugh) — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 15:00:00 -0400

On December 31, 2019, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission, Wuhan City, China, reported several pneumonia cases with unknown causes, eventually identifying a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2.

Food Safety Summit 2020 recap: Virtual summit hosts educational offerings for all

parkere@bnpmedia.com (Liz Parker) — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 09:15:00 -0400

The first-ever Virtual Food Safety Summit occurred last week, from Monday, October 19 through Thursday, October 22.

Food Safety Summit opening session – COVID-19: The New Normal for the Food Industry

parkere@bnpmedia.com (Liz Parker) — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 15:26:00 -0400

The virtual Food Safety Summit opened on Monday, October 19, with a session entitled “COVID-19: The New Normal for the Food Industry.”

Foodservice pandemic safety: An update on an industry in flux

parkere@bnpmedia.com (Liz Parker) — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 13:19:00 -0400

As the pandemic continues, foodservice operators have had to adapt in order for their businesses to survive, and maybe even thrive.

iComplai launches digital platform for food safety risk prediction

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 11:30:00 -0400

iComplai, a Munich based start-up for product safety, launches a food safety platform for manufacturers to assess, monitor and predict the risks of their products and supply chain.

RIKEN, Suntory Liquors and Toppan Printing collaborate to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection at restaurants and bars

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 11:25:00 -0400

In hopes to prevent the further spreading of the COVID-19 pandemic, RIKEN, Suntory Liquors Ltd. and Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. have decided to combine their expertise to develop face shields designed specifically for eating and drinking, thereby creating a safer environment in restaurants and bars.

Hand sanitizer sanity: Are the products you're ordering safe?

eowens@birkocorp.com (Dr. Elis Owens) — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 14:34:26 -0400

When COVID-19 arrived in the United States, consumers panicked and bought everything from cleaning products and toilet paper to bottled water and hand sanitizer.

Foster Farms talks COVID-19 numbers

Fri, 02 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Poultry company issues statement disclosing test results of its facilities in Stanislaus and Fresno Counties.

Appealing COVID-19 fines shows how industry perceives value of employees

gazdziaks@bnpmedia.com (Sam Gazdziak) — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:00:00 -0400

You can put a value on a person’s work with a salary, but can you put a price on their life?

OSHA fines JBS $15,000 for failing to protect plant workers from COVID-19

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Reports state there have been 290 confirmed employee cases to date, 3 probable cases and the six reported deaths of plant employees.

How RFID technology can help increase confidence in food safety

AFERNANDEZ@GS1US.ORG (Angela Fernandez) — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0400

RFID tags can improve food safety through detailed tracking of cold items within the supply chain.

Foster Farms plant to temporarily close after 8 employees die from COVID-19

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Outbreak at Merced County plant has led to 392 positive test results.

Exclusive interview: Q&A with Bedford Industries, on creating PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic

Thu, 27 Aug 2020 12:02:00 -0400

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery was recently able to talk to Katie Larson, vice president of sales, Bedford Industries, on their decision to start creating PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic.

EAS Consulting Group releases white paper on food industry control and protection against COVID-19

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 09:42:00 -0400

EAS Consulting Group is pleased to announce the release of a complimentary white paper that assists the food industry with understanding where risks of COVID-19 lie and how to protect staff and production lines.

Exclusive interview: Q&A with NSF International, on food manufacturing and COVID-19 exposure

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 11:45:00 -0400

Food Safety Strategies was recently able to talk to Paul Medeiros, managing director, consulting and technical services at NSF International, Ann Arbor, MI, about COVID-19 exposure in relation to food manufacturing.

FDA and OSHA team up to publish checklist to assist food industry during COVID-19

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 13:08:01 -0400

As part of our national critical infrastructure, the food industry has had to quickly adjust to changes in how it operates to ensure supply-chain continuity during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Pandemic prompts temporary policy changes

spielmans@bnpmedia.com (Sharon Spielman) — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 19:14:00 -0400

Just as companies are adapting and settling in to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and its rules, enter the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Mactac announces interior floor graphic products for the roll label market

Mon, 17 Aug 2020 11:10:00 -0400

Mactac has announced that its interior floor graphic products are now available for the roll label market.

Steer carcasses are getting heavier: what does it mean for protein processors?

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 15:46:46 -0400

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, stories of plant closures and backups in the meat supply chain have dominated the news, making COVID-19 prevention the primary goal for meat processors.