Food For Thought

Today's episode is sponsored by Motion.

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has taken hold of much of the manufacturing world, and food and beverage processors who haven’t yet implemented the technology will soon fall behind.

In this episode, we spoke with James Howe, executive vice president - chief commercial officer/chief technology officer for Motion, to learn where the food and beverage industry stands on IIoT implementation, what processors can do now to begin their journey down the path to IIoT success, and how to overcome the hesitance that might hinder more traditional operations.

Learn more about Motion

Read the transcript of this episode on the Food Processing website

Sandra Eskin, deputy under secretary for Food Safety with USDA-FSIS, joins us to discuss a variety of topics, from worker and food safety impacts of increased poultry and pork line speeds to the data revolution and how it could affect the agency's efforts, as well as FSIS' proposal to declare Salmonella an adulterant in breaded, stuffed, raw chicken products. Read more about other challenges and issues in food safety at Food Processing's Web site.

Erin Hallstrom officially hands over the microphone for the Food For Thought Podcast to Food Processing senior editor Andy Hanacek, as Hallstrom moves to a greater role within FP's parent company.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Silky Smooth MicroCreamery, the creators of SilkySweet

Necessity is the mother of invention; or at least that’s how the saying goes. For Chuck Nix, the need to create the perfect sweetener for ice cream led him to create SilkySweet, a flavor-enhancing, all-natural, sugar-free and ketogenic certified sweetener blend for a multitude of products.

Nix, who founded Silky Smooth MicroCreamery, transformed his life his few years ago by adopting the ketogenic lifestyle (aka, the Keto Diet).

After losing 100 pounds “and saving my life,” he says, he recognized the need for a sweetener that was not only healthy, but also enhanced the flavor of the products it was used with. 

Nix sat down with Food Processing recently to talk about the SilkySweet product, how it got its start and how it can used in formulations to both enhance taste and enable category leadership. 

Learn more about Silky Sweet and order your samples today 

Read the transcript of this episode on the Food Processing website

This episode is sponsored by EnSight Solutions. 

How well do you know high shear mixing? Here to talk more about it is Don Wolfe, Product Line Manager for EnSight Solutions.

We talk why and how high shear mixing is used as well as how to get the most out of your mixer. We cap the episode off talking about what it means to be a trusted partner with EnSight Solutions. 

Learn more about EnSight Solutions

In this episode, sponsored by EnSight Solutions, we’re talking with Heath Clifton, Director of Automation and Controls about food-safe robotics.

We talk about what food-safe robotics are as well as the difference between hygienic and sanitary robotics before turning our attention toward the key features processors should they look for when evaluating robotics. 

Read the full transcript on the Food Processing website

We’re capping off our conversation about food and beverage workforce issues with return guest Jennifer D’Angelo. 

Jennifer, who is a vice president at Catena Solutions, was on back in March talking about the correlation between the supply chain and workforce issues in the food and beverage industry. On today’s episode, we dig a little bit deeper about those issues and about the future of work for food manufacturers. 

From interpreting job-fulfillment data to rethinking and retooling job descriptions, onboarding, and mentorship, you won’t want to miss this tip-filled episode. 

Visit our website for the timestamps of this week's episode

Many in the production industry don’t realize the importance of high-quality doors to a facility’s success. In fact, high-performance doors can help your company save money and manpower — and increase productivity. This is especially true for those in the cold storage and food industries.

To explore the ins and outs of the high-performance door market and what doors might be best for your company, Food Processing sat down with Whitney Hopper, Director of Sales Cold Storage North America at Hörmann, to discuss.

Today's Episode is Sponsored by Hörmann

Learn more about Hörmann High-Performance Doors on their website

Read the transcript of this episode on the Food Processing website

On today's episode, we’re talking with Miller Resource Group recruiter Denise Chludzinski about specific tasks and ideas companies can undertake to ensure they find and keep the best employees. 

We kick off the episode talking about the perception problem food and beverage companies have among consumers and why that may be preventing future generations from considering careers in the ever-growing industry.  We talk about the importance of connecting with consumers, especially when it comes to your reputation and how your company may be seen from the perspective of those job-searching younger generations. 

We then pivot to talking about the jobs and roles that Denise is constantly hiring for as well as the skills most employers are looking for in their candidates.  We also talk a lot about why companies are losing some of their most talented players and what they can do to fix that problem. We end the episode talking about what strategies and tactics manufacturers can employ to recruit and retain the best and the brightest in the industry. 

Learn more about Denise and Miller Resource Group

Get the timestamps for this episode on the Food Processing website

Today on the podcast, we’re talking with Jeff Broussard, president of EnSight Solutions. Jeff joins us to talk about further processing, a topic EnSight has a lot of knowledge on. 

In the episode, Jeff talks us through what further processing is and what trends he’s seeing in the processing market. He walks us through developments in further processing equipment design before offering insights on what it means to be a trusted partner for food processors. 

Today’s episode is sponsored by EnSight Solutions.

Learn more about EnSight Solutions on their website

Read the transcript of this episode on the Food Processing website