Keeping Food Processing Safe During COVID-19

Pandemic causes food companies to cut back on product offerings to simplify supply chains and meet consumer demand. Labor crisis remains top challenge for industry, as COVID-19 accelerates challenge to make food manufacturing jobs attractive to workers.

Sep 24th, 2020

ProFood World Editor in Chief Joyce Fassl discusses the tools and best practices food and beverage processors can use to cope with the pandemic.

ProFood World Editor in Chief Joyce Fassl discusses the tools and best practices food and beverage processors can use to cope with the pandemic.

As someone who has covered the food and beverage industry for over 30 years, editor-in-chief of ProFood World magazine Joyce Fassl was our obvious first stop to help us sort through the COVID-19 clutter and news, and tell us what’s really going on with food processing during the pandemic. Are they safe? Are they all shutting down because of virus spread? What are the plants doing to keep our workers and our food supply safe?

PACK EXPO Connects Trend Chat

Serialization and the cold chain for new COVID-19 vaccines and treatments—and how food is starting to feel a lot more like pharma regarding regulatory hurdles. PACK EXPO Connects Trend Chat Wednesday, November 11 • 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM CT. More info here.

A case study in the index also reports an escalated interest in trends for health products, such as immunity-boosting foods and drinks.

COVID-19 and the Consumer Landscape

Consumer priorities switch from the environment and general health-related issues to the pandemic, economic concerns, and food safety.

COVID-19 has put new demands on sanitation procedures.

Challenges Amid a Pandemic

COVID-19 is changing the way food and beverage manufacturers manage their cleaning processes and products, accounting for social distancing and increased sanitation requirements.

CDC Gives Meat and Poultry Workers High Priority for COVID-19 Vaccination

Following letters and appeals from the Meat Institute and other food industry groups, the CDC moves food industry workers closer to the top of the list.

Ecolab is using augmented reality from Microsoft to help service its customers remotely, particularly in light of pandemic restrictions on access.

Remote Access Technologies Help Keep Food Sanitation Workers Safe

Cloud services, augmented and virtual reality, and videoconferencing applications are among the latest tools that suppliers are using to keep food and beverage workers safer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Food Plantworker Ppe

Resiliency of the Food Industry

Timelines skewed, international building plans delayed–yet as companies adapt, site search project work continues to move forward.

The recipe to reduce microbes.

The recipe to reduce microbes.

Meet the Synexis® BioDefense System, the pioneering technology that attacks viruses, bacteria, mold, odors, and insects in the air and on surfaces. Learn More.

Data reflects five key shifts in shopping behavior, buying preferences, and food attitudes after nearly a year of COVID-19 pandemic living and cultural shifts.

Keto is the Magic Word for 2021, Along With More Spice and Low-Alcohol Content Drinks

Findings reflect five key shifts in consumer shopping behavior and food attitudes for the year ahead.

Using Beumer Smart Glasses provides operators with hands-free troubleshooting, and helps to mitigate the costs of a technician traveling to the customer site.

Smart Glasses Ease Troubleshooting Communication

Beumer has added augmented reality to the tools available to its customers while servicing equipment, enabling faster, easier support. The OEM even used the smart glasses technology to commission and install new equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

North American Meat Institute Wants Vaccine High-priority Status for Workers

The institute is asking for essential meat and poultry workers to receive COVID-19 vaccinations after healthcare workers.

COVID-19 is unsurprisingly the top priority for consumers at 64%, pushing the environment to second place with 49%.

Study Reveals New Consumer Attitudes

COVID-19 takes first priority, while environment continues to be important. Food safety and food waste are growing concerns.

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CPGs Lean on OEMs During the Pandemic

From equipment startups to training to more automation, manufacturers are asking machine builders to adopt new technology and service roles in difficult times.

The recipe to reduce microbes.

The recipe to reduce microbes.

Meet the Synexis® BioDefense System, the pioneering technology that attacks viruses, bacteria, mold, odors, and insects in the air and on surfaces. Learn More.

Many processors are also offering their employees hazard pay and other benefits to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Processors Enhance Safety Protocols to Keep Workers Safe During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Temperature checking, partitions, handwashing stations, and webinars are among the measures taken to ensure safety.

Food Supply Industry Seeking Priority in COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

Trade groups ban together in an effort to protect U.S. food workers.

Marina Mayer, Editor in Chief at both Food Logistics and Supply and Demand Chain Executive.

COVID-19’s Trace on Food and Pharma Logistics

Consumer demands for transparency increase and editors talk recent trends in track and trace and e-commerce.

Canned foods and beverages, along with plastic-packed sanitation products were strongly impacted, resulting in shortages. purchased online.

Effects of COVID-19 on Packaging Discussed at PACK EXPO Connects

Beverly Rider, SVP & CCO at Hitachi Global Digital Holdings

Manufacturing Pivots in a Post COVID World

The PACK EXPO Connects Innovation Stage hosted a lively conversation today with five C-level executives from various areas of manufacturing, to discuss business under the new normal.

Pec2020 Big Ass Fans

Fighting COVID-19 with Big Ass Fans

The new Clean Air System uses ion and ultraviolet technology to eliminate airborne pathogens.

The Great Global Reset

As consumers shift consumption habits amidst the pandemic, many manufacturers in ProFood World’s Global 250 Food and Beverage Manufacturers list take this moment as a window of opportunity to boost growth of their iconic legacy brands and retail channel.

The YIELDAS Front Half Deboning System features unique vision technology that delivers high-yield performance. Photo courtesy of Cantrell Gainco.

Meatpackers Accelerate Automation after Virus, but Lag Behind Overseas Counterparts

Automation would increase food security and improve plant safety, but is the technology affordable during this turbulent economic era?

More in COVID-19

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Artificial Intelligence Advances Food Safety

Landing AI is helping food producers overcome not only the limitations of their human workforce but of traditional machine vision as well, using machine learning to better evaluate issues around food safety.

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Workers Wanted? Contact the Robot Employment Agency

Start-up MusashiAI introduces intelligent autonomous robots for quality inspection and forklift driving—allowing the redistribution of human labor to more value-added jobs.

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Stumped about Sustainability during COVID-19?

This two-part series of UnPACKed with PMMI podcasts provides a look at the overarching effect of a global pandemic on packaging sustainability.

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The Pandemic is Shaping the Future Supply Chain

Some of the greatest innovations happen during times of disruption.

Worker wearing the Realwear HMT-1 with augmented reality glasses. Source: Cisco.

Cisco Aids Dairy Farmers of America’s Digital Transformation

To optimize operations and workforce continuity in support of the nation's food supply during the pandemic and beyond, Cisco and system integration firms are installing communication technologies to accelerate the advance of milk product production.

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FDA and OSHA Publish Checklist to Assist Food Industry During COVID-19

Human and animal food operations should use the checklist when assessing operations when re-starting operations after a shut down or when reassessing operations because of changes due to COVID-19.

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OSHA, North American Meat Institute Form Alliance to Keep Workers Safe

During the two-year alliance, participants will develop information on recognizing coronavirus transmission risks and the best practices for preventing its transmission.

Joyce Fassl Photo For Web

Recalculating for a Better New Normal by Year End

While PPE supplies seem to be under control, current pandemic-related challenges include the ongoing labor crunch, greater demand to produce goods for grocery stores, difficulty in forecasting future production needs—and, now, a can shortage.

Rendering of the Korozon System prototype for HVAC Systems

Industrial Air Purification System for Pathogen Disinfection

Ship & Shore Environmental's Korozon System is innovated to bring peace of mind back to the public amidst the rise of COVID-19 cases.

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Pandemic Causes Shift to New Plant Tools

From pandemic preparedness certification to augmented reality tools, food and beverage manufacturers are embracing new tools. Plus see how Nestlé uses smart glasses to work on complex projects at its facilities during the coronavirus crisis.

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Can Shortages Hit Food and Beverage Industries

Supply chain issues with aluminum, steel, and tin cans are ramping up as COVID-19 changes buying patterns, resulting in a trickle-down effect on product offerings and time-to-market.

COVID-19 Response Boosts Employee Engagement

Bill Schreiber, CEO of Batavia, NY-based O-AT-KA Milk Products Cooperative, Inc., talks about how his firm’s response to COVID-19 has led to greater employee engagement.