We recently sat down with Liran Akavia, Vice President of Sales for Process Health at Augury, to talk about the complex challenges manufacturers are up against and how they can use an AI-driven approach to optimize production health.  During our conversation, we talked about how food manufacturers can identify the right AI technology as well as what the most common challenges food manufacturers face when adopting AI.  We also discussed how process health can help food manufacturers overcome challenges with global instability and uncertainty as well as issues such as the workforce shortage. 

We end the episode talking about Augury’s recent acquisition of Seebo, and how that merger has made for an extremely powerful combined solution and one-stop shop for process health and machine health. 

Learn more about Augury

Enjoy the episode. Read the transcript on the Food Processing website

This episode was sponsored by Augury

Do you know what a SOYLEIC® soybean is? Here to explain what SOYLEIC® soybeans are and how they’re being used to create a healthier food system Bryan Stobaugh, Director Of Licensing And Commercialization at Missouri Soybeans.

During this episode, we talk about how SOYLEIC® soybeans were discovered and what makes them non-GMO. We talk about the process of commercialization for Soyleic soybeans as well as where they can be planted. 

Learn more about SOYLEIC®

This episode was sponsored by Soyleic

With us today is Cloeann Durham. Cloeann is the Vice President of Quality, Safety and Environmental Sustainability for Coca-Cola.

A self-branded ‘science nerd,’ Cloeann’s college experience did not include visions of a future in the food and beverage industry. As her post-college experience evolved, so too did her options and she worked at several beverage companies before coming to Coca-Cola more than 20 years ago. We talk about Cloeann’s career evolution and how it helped create a foundation for the lesson’s she’s learned throughout her career. We talk about those lessons throughout this episode. 

From the importance of collaboration, communication and transparency to finding your leadership style, we talk about all of the ways Cloeann has helped pave the way for other women in the food and beverage industry. And we conclude the episode talking about the best advice Cloeann has received – and would give – about a career in the food and beverage industry. 

Learn more about Influential Women in Food 

With us on the podcast today are Brian Barr and John Archer, both of ABB. In this episode, we’re talking about the options food and beverage processors have when it comes antimicrobial cable ties. ABB recently expanded its line of Ty-Rap® cable ties with Ty-Rap® TyGenic™ cable ties, the industry’s first two-piece antimicrobial* and detectable cable tie.

We talk about those ties on the episode, along with what products ABB is bringing to the table to help food and beverage processors. 

Read the transcript of this episode on the Food Processing website

This episode was sponsored by ABB

Ask anyone that’s been through a merger or acquisition, and they’ll tell you there are many more moving parts on the inside than what you see from the outside. The companies that are successful with M&A make the execution appear flawless. Such is the case with Motion’s recent Kaman Distribution Group (KDG) acquisition. 

In this episode of the podcast, we talked with Randy Breaux, President of Motion, to talk about the acquisition—particularly, the reasons behind acquiring their number two competitor. We also discussed the benefits of merging the automation, fluid power and hydraulics, and repair services businesses. The following is our conversation.

Read the transcript of this episode on the Food For Thought Podcast

This episode was sponsored by Motion

Joining us on today’s episode is Maggie Slowik, Global Industry Director for Manufacturing at IFS. And we’re talking all about the power of data.   

In today’s manufacturing world, there are as many uses of data as there are products. So how do companies determine what to focus on to build out their strategy? That’s what we’re talking about and more in this special bonus episode. 

According to Maggie, data is the new currency. We dive into what that means and how, as an organization, the ownership of data can give you more power than you ever imagined. 

We also address concerns that some in food and beverage have about data, including how exactly they’re going to embark on their digital transformation as well as how they’re going to find – and fill – the talent pipeline when it comes to data analysis. 

And we cap things off talking about the Metaverse and its possible implications on the food and beverage industry as a whole. 

Read the transcript on the Food Processing website.

This episode was sponsored by IFS

Welcome to our midweek bonus episode of the Food For Thought Podcast. 

Like your cellphone, your personal computer and your television, technology marches on and the latest editions really do have more functionality than the previous versions. That's also true for your ERP system. Advanced Requirements Planning not only accounts for expiring lots, but also helps to plan for yield losses as well as overlapping operations. 

During a recent webinar, Food Processing Editor in Chief Dave Fusaro sat down with Kate Warner, Senior Solution Engineer for Plex Systems, to discusses why food & beverage manufactures need more from their Material Requirements Planning. 

In this episode of the podcast, you can listen to that conversation.  

If you’d like to learn more about Advance Requirements Planning or if you’d like to access white papers on Supply Chain Planning, the State of Smart Manufacturing, and how to stay agile during demand planning, you can do so here.

This webinar episode was sponsored by Plex

Today’s episode is a continuation of our Women in the Workplace series. Earlier this year we talked with women from GODIVA, Hot Bread Kitchen, and the Females in Food program about how each company is helping to empower women throughout the food and beverage industry. 

Today we turn our attention to Jenn Palmer, CEO of eCapital ABL. At eCapital, Jenn leads an organization that specializes in financing food and beverage companies. At the helm since January of 2020, we talk about how Jenn’s career path helped her see the value of diversity – both among eCapital’s portfolio and within her teams. And speaking of portfolios, Jenn explains how her team helped grow eCapital’s portfolio 70%...during a pandemic.  

In this episode, we talk about the hurdles women experience when trying to launch or grow a food business, with special attention paid to women’s access – or lack thereof – to capital. We also address how to make financing more equitable as well as HOW – and WHY – both men and women can better support women-owned business. 

Read the transcript of the episode on the Food Processing website

With us on the podcast is Dr. Susan Blount, Vice President of Scientific & Regulatory Affairs for Mars Incorporated. Today we’re talking about food integrity, food fraud and adulteration and what Dr. Blount and her team are doing to ensure consumers throughout the world have safer foods. 

We kick things off talking about what food integrity is – and isn’t and what companies like Mars are doing to ensure a safe food system. We take a deeper dive into regulations across the world when it comes to the misrepresentation of food and how that plays into the global supply chain. We also address issues pertaining to consumer trust and how Mars is working with its partners for more consistent harmonization as well as the technologies that are available to detect fraudulent foods. We cap things off talking about the Mars Global Food Safety Center and as well as whether better detection methods or more regulations are more important when it comes to food fraud. 

Enjoy the episode. 

Read the transcript of this episode on the Food Processing website

A review of thousands of compressed air systems has reveal that, on average, users operate below 50% of system capacity. And, in fact, oversized compressors are among the most common problems in air systems.

Here to talk amore about that on the podcast today are Kaeser Compressors’ Wayne Perry and Neil Mehltretter. They’ll address why oversizing occurs and how an oversized system reduces reliability and increases maintenance and lifecycle costs.

Read the transcript on the Food Processing website.

This episode is sponsored by Kaeser Compressors