Top Food & Bev Industry Posts You Missed in November 23772Top Food & Bev Industry Posts You Missed in November 23772

December 5, 2019

6 Min Read
Top Food & Bev Industry Posts You Missed in November
Here are the most important food and beverage industry posts on PowderBulkSolids.com you missed last month. Image courtesy of Pixabay

From America’s largest dairy company filing for bankruptcy to the opening of a new advanced $320 million pet food plant, November was a month full of highs and lows for the food and beverage industry. 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.

Flour Recalls for E. coli Increased in 2019
2019 saw a flurry of flour recalls in the US. Of the 14 flour recall notices published by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2019, 12 stemmed from possible E. coli contamination. Only one flour recall was issued for E. coli the previous year. Powder & Bulk Solids asked several experts why E. coli outbreaks occur in flour and how industry works to prevent the pathogen from reaching the public. 

Dean Foods Files for Bankruptcy, Considers Sale to DFA
Dairy products manufacturer Dean Foods announced last month that it is considering a sale of nearly all of its assets to Dairy Farmers of America Inc. (DFA) as it enters into Chapter 11 reorganization proceedings. Company officials said the downturn in its business was caused by lower demand for milk. Dean Foods’ bankruptcy process, taking place in the Southern District of Texas, aims to keep the business operational while tackling the company’s debt and unfunded pension obligations. 

Silo Fire at Tyson Foods Plant in Indiana
A fire ignited at the Tyson Foods-Mexican Original plant in Portland, IN in early November forcing workers to evacuate the facility. Flames and damage were isolated to a silo at the site. The plant produces tortilla chips and shells. 

Ferrero Cuts Ribbon on New US Distribution Center
Confectionery manufacturer Ferrero opened its new 750,000-sq-ft distribution facility in Jonestown, PA last month to support the rollout of new products and brands in North America. Managed by DHL Supply Chain, the site will initially distribute Baby Ruth, Butterfinger, and Crunch products and eventually expand its activities to other Ferrero brands. The logistics firm will provide shipping consolidation, packaging, distribution, and inventory management services at the Jonestown facility.

Flour Recalled in US for Possible E. coli Contamination
Illinois-based flour and milled grain products producer Hodgson Mill issued a voluntary recall for two lots of Unbleached All-Purpose White Wheat Flour in 5 lb bags just before Thanksgiving after several samples of raw uncooked flour tested positive for the pathogen E. coli. The flour was milled at an ADM Milling facility in St. Louis, MO and repacked by Hodgson Mill at its facility in Effingham, IL.

Equipment Fire at Bimbo Bakeries Plant
A large fire broke out in a piece of equipment at the Bimbo Bakeries plant in Fergus Falls, MN. A local newspaper was told by fire official that the blaze likely started because friction in a chain drive burned insulation inside an oven.

Nestle Purina Cuts Ribbon on New $320M Pet Food Plant
Pet food and pet products manufacturer Nestle Purina PetCare Company opened its first new plant built in the US by Purina in about two decades in Hartwell, GA last month.  The Swiss-owned company invested $320 million in the project to increase production of wet cat food, including the Fancy Feast brand. Nestle Purina renovated a former textile factory in Hartwell to house the new production assets and installed new equipment and technology in the site.  

Olam Sheds Real Estate at US Garlic Processing Site
Food company and agribusiness Olam International entered into an agreement late in the month with investment management firm Mesirow Financial to sell the real estate assets of its onion and garlic processing facility in Gilroy, CA. In addition to the $10.3 million sale of the land, Olam will also share part of its annual revenue from the California facility with Mesirow under a 25-year tiered revenue sharing agreement.

Kellogg Co. Dedicates $121M to Expand Pringles Plant
American food firm The Kellogg Company is committing €110 million, or about $121.8 million, to expand production at its Pringles chip manufacturing plant in the Lodz Special Economic Zone in Poland in response to rising demand for the brand in Europe.

For more news headlines, articles, and equipment reviews, visit our Equipment Zones

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