Powder & Bulk Solids provides a roundup of the biggest food and beverage industry stories that were published in March 2021.

John S. Forrester, former Managing Editor

April 2, 2021

4 Min Read
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Representative imageImage courtesy of Pixabay

Several major fires and fines captured food industry headlines in March, while several companies announced plan for new capital projects and expansions. A new podcast series debuted on PowderBulkSolids.com with an episode that delved into the origins of dehydrated cheese powder. We looked how several prominent food and beverage industry firms are stepping into the cannabis 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.

6 Major Food & Bev Players Enter Cannabis Market

In recent years, a number of major food and beverage companies – including Unilever’s Ben & Jerry’s, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Hershey Co., and General Mills – have expressed interest in working with CBD, but still have not yet stepped into the fold. However, some major food and beverage players are starting to get into the cannabis market in some shape or form. Here is a look at what six of these prominent firms are doing in the space right now:

Seed Firm Fined $225K After Worker Loses Leg to Auger

Red River Commodities Inc. signed a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) after an investigation into the circumstances of how an employee suffered multiple lacerations and the partial amputation of his leg when caught in an operating grain bin auger on Aug. 20, 2020.

Powder & Bulk Solids Debuts New Podcast Series

Powder & Bulk Solids introduced a new podcast series this month, Particulate Matters, for professionals working in the dry particulate and bulk solids processing and handling industry. For the first episode of Particulate Matters,  managing editor John S. Forrester spoke with Anastacia Marx de Salcedo, author of “Combat Ready Kitchen: How the US Military Shapes the Way You Eat,” about the invention of dehydrated cheese powder during World War II. 

Crews Battle Fire at Amalgamated Sugar Plant

Several area fire departments responded to a fire that broke out in late March at the Amalgamated Sugar plant in Twin Falls, ID. Upon arrival, crews saw a volume of smoke coming out of a building used to dry and store sugar beet pellets. No injuries were recorded during the incident.

Mars Invests $390M to Build Dry Pet Food Plant in Ohio

Mars Petcare company Royal Canin North America is investing $390 million to build a new dry pet food manufacturing plant in Lewisburg, OH. The new production site will be located on the same property as its existing Pet Health Nutrition Center in Lewisburg. Mars Petcare said the site was also chosen because of its proximity to customers and raw material sources, as well as access to talent.

Nestle Recalls Infant Formula After Plastic Found in Product

Food manufacturer Nestle UK issued a voluntary recall for SMA Wysoy Infant Formula after blue plastic pieces were found in some cans of the product and expanded the recall several days later. Plastic in the products presents a choking hazard for babies, rendering the product unsafe.

Richardson to Expand Canola Crush Capacity at Sask. Plant

Responding to growing demand for canola oil and canola meal products, Canadian agribusiness Richardson International Ltd. announced plans last month for a project to double the canola crush capacity of its processing plant in Yorkton, SK. The investment will double the site’s current capacity to 2.2 million mt.

Worker Dies in Dust Explosion and Fire at Seed Cleaning Plant

A worker lost their life in a dust explosion and fire at the Riches Seeds seed cleaning plant near Silverton, OR. Officials told CBS News affiliate KOIN that the incident was a dust explosion. Another person was taken to a hospital to receive treatment for injuries.

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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