CHICAGO – Buffets shuttered. Salad bars got covered. Deli-counter workers were reassigned jobs in the supermarket until protocol was in place to safely slice and scoop fresh foods portioned for customers’ in-person orders. These are some of the changes that occurred at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure food safety. Further, ingredient technology… read more
Jan/San & Disposables News
Ensuring Food Safety when Cleaning Conveyors
Production room sanitation is not as simple as pulling out a water hose. Food safety requires well-thought-out procedures that are understood and followed by the cleaning team. “In the food production environment, we often see dry cleaning with compressed air, sweeping up heavy debris, and then completing a full wet clean with sanitizers and rinse,”… read more
McDonald’s is Testing a New System of Reusable, Returnable Coffee Cups
If you visit a McDonald’s in the U.K. early next year, you might notice a new option if you get a hot drink like coffee or hot chocolate: Instead of a typical disposable cup, you’ll have the choice to walk away with a reusable plastic cup and lid that you can later put in a… read more
Sanitizing: Suppliers and Their Customers Adapt to the New Normal
Food production facilities are already well versed in battling food-borne pathogens and keeping the US food supply safe. But COVID-19 has led to an increased emphasis on employee health and safety that for many companies is unprecedented, said Bob Forner, marketing director of Cockeysville, Md.-based Sterilex. “We’ve seen food manufacturers implementing intensified disinfection protocols in employee common areas and workstations, as… read more
The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement
The United States, Mexico and Canada concluded negotiations for a new trade agreement to replace NAFTA in September 2018 and on Jan. 29, 2020, US President Donald Trump signed the new trade deal. Mexico passed the agreement in June 2019 and Canada approved the deal on March 13, 2020. Under the USMCA, all food and… read more
FDA Uncovers Mislabeled CBD Products
A preliminary study by the US Food and Drug Administration found many products containing cannabidiol (CBD) are mislabeled, containing either significantly more or less CBD than advertised. Nearly a quarter of food products tested by the agency did not meet their label claims, according to a report sent to the House Appropriations Committee obtained by Hemp Industry… read more
FDA Addresses Food Safety During and After Pandemic
Government and industry are working to ensure the safety of the US food supply remains strong during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic even as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been forced to curtail certain inspections and other activities for the duration, Frank Yiannas, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for food policy and response, asserted in… read more
Food Safety Audits During COVID-19
The coronavirus is fundamentally changing the way the food industry thinks about all kinds of processes and procedures — including, in many cases, food safety outbreaks. The outbreak is “uncharted territory for everyone,” said Candy Lucas, senior director of food safety, South division, for Kieler, Wis.-based PSSI. “It’s hard to say how this will impact… read more
Libbey, Glass Tableware Maker, Files for Bankruptcy
Libbey, a glass tableware maker, joined the parade of retail-related companies filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid the coronavirus pandemic. “While we entered 2020 with positive momentum from our strong finish in 2019, the dramatic and prolonged impact of Covid-19 on the demand for our products and on our business is truly unprecedented in Libbey’s… read more
What Covid-19 Social Distancing Measures Will Mean for Restaurant Dining Room Design
As restaurants tiptoe towards reopening, it’s clear that it will be a very different dining experience in the aftermath of the pandemic. The intimate, cheek-to-cheek conviviality of the 30-seat neighborhood joint, assuming that it is one of the fortunate few that reopens, may be a fond memory rather than a reality. Larger chain restaurants with… read more