Top Food & Bev Industry Posts You Missed in May

The COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts on the food and beverage industry continued to capture headlines in May, but there were some bright spots last month with the announcement of several new capital investment projects. Powder & Bulk Solids editors selected these posts to provide our audience with an overview of some of the most interesting food and beverage-related news that was reported in the last month.

COVID-19 Infects Some 200 US Food Safety Inspectors
About 200 inspectors from the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) have contracted COVID-19 and over 100 are self-quarantining due to possible exposure to the virus, the USDA said in a recent statement. 

Nestle Invests $103M in New Plant-Based Foods Facility
Swiss food and beverage giant Nestle is dedicating CHF 100 million (about $103.6 million) to open its first production facility for plant-based foods in Asia at an industrial park in Tianjin, China.

Haribo to Start Work on New US Plant in September
Candy maker Haribo is slated to start work on its first North American manufacturing plant in Pleasant Prairie, WI this September after the company’s plans were conditionally approved last month by community officials.

COVID-19 Claims Lives of 2 Tootsie Roll Plant Workers
Two workers from the Tootsie Roll Industries production plant in Chicago have died as a result of COVID-19 infections last month. Both men had worked at the facility for more than four decades. 

NY Firm Recalls Curry Powder for Salmonella
Maspeth, NY-based New Hoque and Sons Inc. issued a recall on May 21 for 400g plastic bottles of Radhuni brand curry powder after routine sampling by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revealed Salmonella bacteria in the finished products.

Silo Fire at Bunge Soybean Plant in Alabama
Crews responded to a Bunge North America plant in Decatur, AL in late May after a fire ignited inside of a silo at the facility.

1,000 COVID-19 Infections Found in Nebraska Food Plants
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts revealed that over 1,000 workers at food processing plants in the state have become infected with COVID-19. The figures were released a day after the official said Nebraska will no longer release the number of coronavirus cases in meatpacking facilities. 

USDA and FDA Sign MoU on Food Supply Chain Protections
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that defines the agencies roles if the Defense Production Act (DPA) is used to keep America’s food supply chain operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Fire at Nestle Chocolate Plant Interrupts Production
Workers evacuated a Nestle UK chocolate plant in Halifax, West Yorkshire in mid-May after a blaze ignited inside of the facility, according to coverage by local news organizations. The blaze reportedly started in a production area. 

Givaudan Sheds Processed and Grated Cheese Business
Swiss flavors and fragrances firm Givaudan recently signed an agreement to sell its processed and grated cheese business to St. Paul Group, a European cheese firm with operations in Belgium and the Netherlands. 

Fire Breaks Out in Silo at Michigan Sugar Plant
A fire ignited in a silo containing pulp pellets at the Michigan Sugar beet processing plant in Caro, MI in mid-May, several local news organizations reported. A company spokesperson said heat from fermenting pellets may have started the fire.

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