Processing's Weekly Mixer
Welcome to Processing’s Weekly Mixer, a look at recent coverage of the process industries published by brands in EndeavorB2B’s Manufacturing & Engineering Group. This week’s installment features content from Food Processing, Chemical Processing and Pharma Manufacturing, as well as a recap of the latest content from Processing.
— Jesse Osborne, Chief Editor
Food Processing readers select 2025 Green Plant of the Year
Food Processing recently crowned Fresh Del Monte Produce’s North Portland, Oregon, facility as its 2025 Green Plant of the Year. FP’s annual Green Plant of the Year award accepts nominations from food and beverage processors and then asks its readers to vote for the plant that they believe deserves the recognition.
More than 860 votes were cast this year, with the produce processor’s plant coming out on top after it significantly reduced food waste by altering its standard operating procedures for incoming fruit quality inspections.
Fresh Del Monte’s entry — one of five nominees this year — noted that the North Portland plant was “a powerful example of what a modern food processing plant can achieve with the help of dedicated, sustainability-minded employees.”
FP senior editor Andy Hanacek, who authored the story, explained the change in the plant's standard operating procedures in the article, writing:
Traditionally, the North Portland quality-assurance team would inspect all inbound fruit in its receiving area before production. Any fruit that did not meet specifications at that point was discarded and sent to farms for feedstock.
The new way of doing things at North Portland was to relocate QA receiving into the production room, which redirected commodities (cantaloupe, honeydew, mango, pineapple and watermelon) to be cleaned and sanitized before inspection.
To read the full story, click here. To learn about previous Green Plant of the Year winners click here.
Also from FP, a recent Food for Thought podcast features an interview with Aptean’s Jack Payne, who shares his insights on the innovations that have driven the industry forward.
Fourth installment of cooling tower series lands at Chemical Processing
Part 4 of Brad Buecker’s five-part series on cooling towers was recently published by Chemical Processing, and it examines cooling water deposition and scale control issues.
Here’s a recap of previous entries in the series:
Cooling Towers: Corrosion Mechanisms to Critical Failures — Part 3
A look at the role proper materials selection and chemical treatment play in corrosion prevention.
Cooling Towers: A Critical but Often Neglected Plant Component – Part 2
Cooling Towers: A Critical but Often Neglected Plant Component – Part 1
According to Buecker, the fifth and final part of this series will examine issues related to mineral deposition and scale formation in cooling systems.
Awards season at Pharma Manufacturing
Pharma Manufacturing earlier this week announced its annual Pharma Innovation Awards. According to Editor in Chief Greg Slabodkin, this year's awards "recognize the progress being made in setting new standards of excellence and ascending to new heights of achievement in pharmaceutical manufacturing, as they shape the future direction of the industry."
Companies recognized this year include innovators redefining bioreactor technology, cell and gene therapy manufacturing, pharmaceutical packaging, and small molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients.
This week on Processing
A recap of this week's content offerings from Processing.
Articles
Scaling up tumble blending processes
Podcast
Choosing the right flowmeter for oil and gas: Comparing turbine, coriolis, ultrasonic and DP technologies
An audio version of an article from Mark Weiss of Turbines Inc., that details the strengths and limitations of each category of flowmeter.
News
- ZwitterCo launches FDA-compliant membranes for food and dairy processing
- PSG integrates Cryogenic Machinery Corp. into Blackmer portfolio as CRYO-MACH Series
- Motion Industries acquires Sunset Industrial’s operating assets in California
- IFS unveils 10 AI-powered Digital Workers to automate complex industrial workflows
New product of the week
Deitz Co. recently introduced an upgraded version of its Pharmafill TC4 tabletop tablet counter. The new design combines stainless steel, anodized aluminum and black acetal plastic to meet Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements for sanitary pharmaceutical packaging.