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

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Food and beverage companies announced several new expansion projects and plans for new facilities in September as the industry continued to contend with the ongoing pandemic. During the month, the US Department of Justice issued its largest-ever fine following a conviction in a food safety month and OSHA issued several fines to meatpackers for COVID-19-related safety hazards. 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.

Purina Invests $450M to Open New Manufacturing Plant
Pet food and products company Nestle Purina PetCare Company is committing $450 million to renovate a former MillerCoors brewery in Eden, NC into a new manufacturing and distribution site.

OSHA Fines Beef Plant After Massive COVID Outbreak
The outbreak--which occurred in April--resulted in 338 of the plant's 850 workers--nearly 40%--testing positive for the virus, 80 more cases than previously revealed.

Cargill to Open $21M Chocolate R&D Center, Pilot Plant
American agribusiness Cargill revealed plans for a new “House of Chocolate” complex that will be constructed next to its existing chocolate production plant in Mouscron, Belgium. The $21 million facility will house a chocolate experience center, pilot plant, sensory lab and creative workspace for its European R&D team of chocolate engineers.

OSHA Fines JBS for COVID-19 Safety Failures
The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited JBS Foods Inc. in Greeley, Colorado, for failing to protect employees from exposure to the coronavirus. OSHA proposed $15,615 in penalties.

Report: COVID-19 Puts 651,000 Beer Industry Jobs at Risk
Three trade associations representing the US beer industry – The Beer Institute, the National Beer Wholesalers Association and the American Beverage Licensees – released a report this week positing that some 651,000 jobs in the US beer industry will be cut before the end of 2020 because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Firmenich Debuts New Biotechnology Pilot Plant
Flavors and scents manufacturer Firmenich announced the opening of its new biotechnology and naturals pilot plant in the La Plaine area of Geneva, Switzerland. The company said the new facility enables it to enter a “new era” of ingredients and clean label solutions development.

General Mills to Cut Value Chain GHG Emissions by 30%
American food and beverage firm General Mills announced plans to cut the absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of its full value chain by 30% over a ten-year period.  In the same announcement, the company also pledged to reach net zero emission levels by 2050.

Ice Cream Maker to Pay $17M for 2015 Listeria Outbreak
Ice cream manufacturer Blue Bell Creameries LP was ordered by a federal court in Texas to pay criminal penalties of $17.25 million after the company pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of distributing adulterated ice cream products.

Gerber Expanding Michigan Food Processing Plant
Baby food and baby care products manufacturer Gerber Products Company is launching an expansion project at its Fremont, MI production facility. The Nestle subsidiary will invest $36 million over the next two years to move a freeze-dry yogurt line from a West Coast site to the Michigan plant and consolidate a line of purees.

LifeLine Foods Finishes $12M Expansion at Missouri Plant
Corn milling firm LifeLine Foods recently held a ribbon cutting event on Tuesday to mark the completion of a $12 million expansion project at its St. Joseph, MO production plant.

Arrowhead Mills Sells Facility to Panhandle Milling
Grain firm Panhandle Milling is expanding its capabilities, product portfolio, and custom packaging solutions through the acquisition of the Arrowhead Mills facility in Hereford, TX.

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About the Author(s)

Powder Bulk Solids Staff

Established in 1983, Powder & Bulk Solids (PBS) serves industries that process, handle, and package dry particulate matter, including the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical markets.

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