1/21/2021 By Jeannie SwedbergLooking ahead is a sign of hope. So, it’s no surprise trend forecasts started turning up in my inbox earlier than usual this past year – some as early as September. But really, who could blame anyone for wanting to put 2020 in the rearview mirror? It was definitely a year that left us wanting.
As a whole, Americans are generally optimistic and look forward to taking on a new year. The annual tradition of making New Year resolutions – throwing out our old habits and ushering in new ones – is usually approached with gusto. Yet, in IFIC’s 2020 Year-End Survey, only 15% of Americans said they planned to make food or beverage resolutions in 2021. This is a substantial drop...READ MORE
1/20/2021 By Kristine McDonaldIn my previous Food Quality Food and Safety Insights Blog post, I discussed the importance that risk assessment plays in manufacturing safe and high-quality food products. By employing the Risk Assessment techniques, the manufacturing processes are continually improved. When a process fails or does not work in the intended way, a Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) program is utilized to find a root cause, develop a corrective action to get the process moving again safely, as well as developing preventive actions that permanently correct the issue so that this and other related processes do not fail in the future. READ MORE...
1/11/2021 By Jeannie SwedbergAs promised in the previous Market Insights blog, this is the second part of my coverage of the webinar, “Fruit in Pet Food Formulations: Nutritional Benefits & Trends”. It will dive into the nutritional portion of the webinar presented by Matt Panasevich, Ph.D., Senior Nutrition Scientist, Blue Buffalo Co., who discussed the use of fruit and fruit fiber in pet food applications. As a bit of background, much of Dr. Panasevich’s career has been spent in nutrition research and the qualification of novel ingredients for use in pet food processing. Currently, in his role at Blue Buffalo, he investigates the application of novel nutritional technologies and their potential impacts on companion animal health.
12/21/2020 By Kristine McDonaldIn any food manufacturing process there are inherent risks that need to be assessed and mitigated. There are obvious risks, such as microbial, or foreign matter contamination, but also risks that are not as easily assessed, such as human errors. Process mapping is an effective tool to determine the risks throughout the manufacturing operation. An effective risk assessment begins with identifying possible hazards prior to harm being inflicted due to the hazard. Identification allows for preemptive controls to be put in place to mitigate the hazard. Food manufacturing facilities must be ever vigilant to evaluate and mitigate risks to the processes and products in the operation. READ MORE
12/7/2020 By Jeannie SwedbergBefore discussing this recent research study – which is further evidence of the nutritional benefits of eating fruit – wanted to mention this: Only one in 10 American adults eats the daily recommendation of fruit, according to the CDC. Yep, just 10%. In case you are wondering, vegetable consumption isn’t any better. Bottom line – as a population, we have lots of room to improve here…and that’s why the aforementioned research is interesting. It suggests possibilities.