Hormel's Deli Solutions Group has rolled out its line of Perfect Plate products, making it easier for retailers to deliver what consumers are looking for in a touch-free and convenient meal while easing the back-of-house labor challenges that may come with prepared meal products in a store's deli section.

Dole Foods has opened a new state-of-the-art frozen fruit facility in McDonough, Georgia, Dole's third frozen fruit facility in the United States, complimenting the existing operations in Atwater, California, and Decatur, Michigan. The new facility is approximately 60,000 square feet, fully automated and will have four manufacturing lines which when at capacity can produce 60 million pounds of frozen fruit annually. The operations will package frozen fruit for Dole's retail, food service and private label customers on the east coast.

The term First Time Fix Rate (FTFR) indicates the percentage of the time that a system manufacturer is able to correct a customer’s equipment issue on the first visit, without the need for a return visit after obtaining additional expertise, information, or parts. For a company with a downed printer that is holding up production, the ability of a supplier to solve the problem quickly is a primary driver of customer satisfaction. As a result, FTFR is an important measurement of the quality of an equipment manufacturer’s service capability, which can in turn be a strong selling point for the company’s systems.

Recent developments from energy providers and equipment suppliers are providing new ways to reduce energy usage and costs. We look at developments on the AI (artificial intelligence) front from Constellation (an Exelon company) and integrating process with heating/cooling systems from GEA, supplier of manufacturing equipment to the food and beverage industry.

SGK Anthem, Vrijdag Premium Printing, Generous Minds, Neurensics, Kurz and Merck have teamed up as Packadore Collective to design and implement desirable and sustainable packaging solutions.