Powder & Bulk Solids provides a roundup of the biggest food and beverage industry stories that were published this January.

John S. Forrester, former Managing Editor

February 2, 2021

3 Min Read
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Representative imageImage courtesy of Pixabay

The first month of 2021 was full of exciting and tragic news in the food and beverage industry. Six were fatally injured in a nitrogen leak at a poultry plant and a potato plant was destroyed by a fire. PepsiCo and Post Holdings made big steps into the plant-based meats space last month. We also showcased some of the internet’s best videos of food factory tours. 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.

6 People Dead After Nitrogen Leak at Poultry Processing Plant
Six people have reportedly died and several others were injured in late January during a liquid nitrogen leak at the Prime Pak Foods poultry processing plant in Gainesville, GA.

7 Must-See Food Factory Tour Videos
While lockdowns and other COVID-19-related restrictions make physically visits to food processing plants difficult, Powder & Bulk Solids put together this list to allow you to virtually “tour” some of the world’s most advanced food factories.

Production Error Prompts Frito-Lay to Recall Ruffles Chips
American snack manufacturer Frito-Lay North America is recalling a small quantity of 13 ½ oz “Party Size” bags of Ruffles Original Potato Chips after a production mix-up potentially exposed consumers to undeclared milk ingredients.

Engineers Build Mini Food Factory in Shipping Container
A supply chain team led by two female engineers at Unilever have successfully designed and produced a functional mini food production line inside of a 40’ shipping container. The “nano factory” is intended to allow the company to swiftly and agilely respond to changes in the market with new production capabilities for small trial batches or seasonal variants.

Beyond Meat and PepsiCo Team Up in New Plant-Based Meat JV
American food and beverage giant PepsiCo and plant-based products maker Beyond Meat Inc. announced the formation of a new joint venture (JV), The PLANeT Partnership LLC, to develop, manufacture and sell snacks and drinks produced with plant-based protein.

Dust Explosion Eyed as Cause of Fire at Feed Mill
Officials said a grain dust explosion is being considered as the cause of a fire that broke out at the MCF Feedyards mill in Brooks, AB in late January.

Post Forms Partnership to Distribute Plant-Based Meat Products
Consumer packaged goods holding firm Post Holdings entered into a new partnership to expand distribution of Hungry Planet Inc.’s plant-based meats as demand for plant-based products continues to rise.

Potato Plant Declared a Loss After Massive Fire
The Washington Potato Company plant in Warden, WA is a total loss after a large fire broke out in a piece of equipment and flames spread throughout the facility.

Video Provides a Look at the Funyuns Production Line
National Geographic’s Ultimate Factories series recorded this footage of a Funyuns production line at a Frito-Lay plant to show some of the processes and technologies used to manufacture the product.

Conagra to Close Sandwiches Production Plant, Cut 190 Jobs
American food company Conagra Brands is preparing to permanently close the Sandwich Bros. production plant in Milwaukee, WI this April, impacting 190 workers at the site.

Chocolate Maker Issues Recall After Plastic Found in Product
Gourmet chocolate and truffles manufacturer Lake Champlain Chocolates (LCC) has issued a voluntary recall for some of its milk chocolate products because they may contain foreign objects.

For more food and beverage industry articles, click here.

About the Author(s)

John S. Forrester

former Managing Editor, Powder & Bulk Solids

John S. Forrester is the former managing editor of Powder & Bulk Solids.

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