Wire Belt offers the latest in custom conveyor belt innovations and technology. Wire Belt’s specialty belts offer solutions for maintaining product separation, minimizing points of contact and keeping products aligned. For applications that require special handling of complex products, Compound and Aligned belts are custom designed to meet diverse needs. Compound belts are designed to move products up an incline, down a decline or to separate and minimize contact between products. Aligned belts utilize rows of flights to allow control and separation of delicate products to minimize damage and waste.

Wire Belt: (603) 644-2500, or visit www.wirebelt.com

Ashworth Bros. has introduced a 1-1/2-inch pitch Omni-Pro link to extend the Omni-Pro line of spiral/turn-curve conveyor belts. The 1-1/2-inch pitch Omni-Pro 150 retains the same design features that allow the belt to minimize cage bar wear, maintenance costs and downtime in demanding high-tension spiral applications. The Omni-Pro 150 withstands spiral/turn-curve tensions of 400 pounds for 100,000 cycles versus competing belts that rate for 50,000 cycles. The increased strength of the Omni-Pro comes from the new 360-degree buttonless weld technology utilizing a “zero tension” design which allows a higher load bearing capacity. Unlike a traditional bridge weld, the 360-degree buttonless weld is free from surface imperfections and crevices, eliminating the possibility of bacteria entrapments.

Ashworth Bros.: (800) 682-4594, or visit www.ashworth.com

QC Industries’ new Automation Series low-profile belt conveyors are now available with a nosebar tail. It improves transfers of small parts between two conveyors or other integrated machinery. The nosebar tail offers a slim, 11mm outer belt diameter that, when placed end to end, reduces the gap between conveyors. With a smaller gap, it is easier for small parts to pass across the gap without becoming trapped. This new option builds on QC Industries’ Tension Release Tail by directly replacing the tail idler pulley. This maintains the push-button ease-of-use of the Tension Release Tail, which flips up and relieves tension for belt changes or under-belt cleaning.

QC Industries: (513) 753-6000, or visit www.qcindustries.com

Trimmer

The Whizard® Model 620 Trimmer from Bettcher Industries is specially designed to harvest meat from neck bones, while also eliminating the risk of bone fragments, spinal cord or spinal fluid contamination. The new housing features a 15 degree angle so the wrist and forearm operate in a more natural position, resulting in increased throughput and reduced stress on the hand and the forearm. When normally trimming pork neck bones, approximately 2.5 oz. of meat per hog is typically harvested when using a straight knife. In contrast, using the Whizard® Model 620 trimmer increases the yield to approximately 7.5 oz. per hog. Significant yield improvements are also experienced when trimming beef neck bones.

Bettcher Industries: (440) 965-4422, or www.betcher.com

Packaging Materials

Processors can try a free “Beautiful Ham” sample pack from Flavorseal, including a bone guard shrink bag, soaker pad, bone disc, red and gold Mylar wrap samples, and black netting with a ham tag. Treated smoked tight weave netting controls the diameter of the ham during cooking to increase the number of center slices, allows smoke penetration, and imparts a sweet/savory taste and aroma and rich, traditional exterior color. Metalized vacuum bags, foils, and decorative color wrap help preserve the freshness and flavor of spiral hams and create colorful appeal from the meat case. BGB 90 Bone Guard Shrink Bags are designed specifically for bone-in, heavy rub, or high-abuse products such as spiral sliced hams.

CMS: (866) 769-1500, or visit www.cmsflavorseal.com

Hefestus has created an advanced packaging solution for extending fresh seafood shelf life. This packaging system protects the safety and freshness of the product while retaining shape and product appearance. Seafood and fish are highly susceptible to oxidation and degradation. Classic thermal processing methods like cooling usually are deployed to protect and extend the shelf life of fish and fish products. SLB technology, shelf life booster, further enables manufacturers to pack fresh fish and seafood and keep its freshness, good flavor and high quality for up to twenty-one days. Hefestus’ advanced packaging system allows manufacturers and marketers to transport fresh seafood products to distant destinations without any impact on product odor and appearance.

Hefestus: 972 4 6271835, or visit www.hefestus-slb.com

Lubricant

Sheerplex® food grade lubricant – a new multi-purpose premium grease created by Lubrication Engineers – meets the needs of the food industry, and is clean, translucent and approved for incidental food contact. Sheerplex lubricant is NSF H1 registered, Kosher Pareve certified, and cleared for use in USDA-inspected facilities. It is manufactured with white mineral oils, performance additives and organo-metallic thickeners that are approved for incidental food contact. Its smooth, non-tacky texture ensures a clean and easy process for the frequent washdown of food equipment, and provides for outstanding pumpability in centralized lube systems. Its corrosion inhibitors give it an excellent rating on bearing corrosion tests, providing rust protection for equipment that experiences high levels of water contamination.

Lubrication Engineers Inc.: (800) 537-7683, or visit www.le-inc.com.

Rack Protectors

Protecting pallet racks in cold rooms or freezers (down to minus-30 degrees Fahrenheit) is possible with LT Rack Sentry, a reformulation of the energy absorbing rack protectors pioneered by Sentry Protection Products that is specifically engineered to absorb collision impacts in colder environments. Rack Sentry LT makes the troublesome steel protectors used in many cold storage environments obsolete, and provides a low-cost virtually zero maintenance way to protect racks, inventory, lift trucks and workers operating in cold room or freezer room environments from collision damages. Rack Sentry LT is available in the same size ranges as the original Rack Sentry, including 3-inch (75 mm), 3.25-inch (80 mm), 3.5-inch (90 mm) and 4-inch (100 mm) widths.

Sentry Protection Products: (888) 265-8660, or visit www.sentrypro.com

Packaging Equipment

Bosch’s SVI Vertical Bagger’s low height in-field upgrades provide numerous bag-style options and is suitable for a wide range of food and non-food applications. This combination allows the intermittent SVI machines to produce bags with corner seal and doy style bags with optional zippers. For corner sealing, the manufacturer can upgrade the machine with an additional module. The production of a doy style bag can be easily performed by turning the machine cross seal jaws to a 90 degrees position. Whenever the package style is changed, there is no need to adapt the machine height or dosing platform This efficient changeover reduces machine downtime during format change and increases the overall performance of the equipment.

Bosch Packaging Technology: (715) 243-2404, or visit www.bosch.com

The AirPouch Division of Automated Packaging Systems has introduced a new engineering upgrade that eliminates the need for a common wear item found on void-fill air pillow systems. An innovative engineering design has replaced the cutting knife that these systems use to slit the film material just prior to filling each pillow with air. Now, a new vertical perforating process used exclusively in the manufacture of the preformed AirPouch pillows allows the Express 3 Void-fill system to run without a knife, therefore significantly extending the length of time between maintenance cycles. This engineering upgrade makes the AirPouch Express 3 the most reliable and productive void-fill air pillow system available.

Automated Packaging Systems: (888) 288-6224,or visit www.airpouch.com

Labeling System

The new Label-Aire® Hugger Belt Clamshell labeling system is designed to accurately apply top/bottom decorative labels to clamshell containers for a variety of consumer packaged goods. Label-Aire’s latest labeling system consists of a hugger belt product transport system with an infeed belt conveyor for easy product loading/transfer. The result was top/bottom custom labeling system featuring stainless steel and anodized aluminum construction with a pair of industry-proven Label-Aire 3115 Wipe-On label applicators. As the clear containers (filled or empty) come down the conveyor at speeds of up to 70 products per minute, they are seamlessly transferred on the hugger belt system, exposing the top and bottom container panels for label application.

Label-Aire Inc.: 714-449-5155, or visit www.label-aire.com

Software

Vigilos Inc. offers version 5.2 of its BrightSite technology, which addresses issues that range from connecting a food processing company’s production activities to its existing security technologies, allowing them to make measurable improvements in labor optimization, manufacturing, employee welfare, premises security and safety, to securing multiple facilities. Benefits to the food processing industry include improved selection of cameras to choose from that can survive the harsh, industrialized environment and can be tailored to your plant more cost-effectively; management of multiple facilities from a single remote location; ability to audit employee compliance with best practices in the areas of critical control points (CCPs) and standard operating procedures (SOPs), and more.

Viglios Inc.: (866) 344-6464, or visit www.vigilos.com

Hand-washing/drying

The enMotion family of touchless towel dispensers from Georgia-Pacific Professional has a new member – enMotion® with Lotion towels. EnMotion with Lotion towels have been designed with softness in mind to help protect hands from the signs of dryness, cracking and scaling – a common issue among employees required to engage in frequent hand washing. Release of the lotion applied to the towels is enhanced when in contact with water, typically after hand washing. Coupled with the enMotion touchless dispensing system, enMotion with Lotion towels can help increase hand washing compliance and help reduce cross-contamination, ultimately helping food industry employees maintain important hygiene, food safety and sanitation methods.

Georgia Pacific Professional: (866) 435-5647, or visit www.gppro.com

Gizzard Inspection

Cantrell has developed a gizzard inspection system that reduces labor, and can run 280 to 300 gizzards per minute. The GIS 1002 requires only two employees, instead of the usual four, to inspect the gizzards, and it reduces the work load on the remaining employees in the process. Cantrell’s new system adds more automation to the gizzard harvesting system for added safety on the remaining employees handling the product. The gizzard inspection system separates transport water from the product and reprocesses the selected gizzards for further peeling and discharges a cleaner and better peeled product.

Cantrell: (800) 922-1232, or visit www.cantrell.com

Association News

The Reusable Packaging Association (RPA) will host its annual meeting and education sessions Oct. 5-7 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in conjunction with the PACK EXPO conference. The “2009 Choose Reusables Conference at PACK EXPO” is open to RPA members and non-members.

The gathering is designed for members of the RPA, their customers and any packaging or supply chain professional who is interested in learning more about the economic, environmental and practical business benefits of all types of reusable packaging. It includes a welcome evening reception, breakfast, two reusable roundtable general sessions and a board of directors meeting. In addition, participants can attend four reusable packaging track sessions organized by the RPA at PACK EXPO, and they can attend the PACK EXPO trade show at no additional cost.

“The economic downturn has created a heightened interest in reusable packaging systems because of their potential to increase a company’s profitability and productivity,” said Bob Klimko, Chairman of the RPA. “We look forward to the opportunity to help our members and PACK EXPO attendees understand how they can effectively implement reusable packaging into their operations.”

For more information on the 2009 Choose Reusables Conference, visit www.choosereusables.org

Reservations are being accepted for exhibit booth space at the 71st American Convention of Meat Processors & Suppliers’ Exhibition. The trade show and educational meeting for U.S., Canadian, and foreign operators of small and very small meat, poultry, and food businesses will be held July 15-17, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center.

The Suppliers’ Exhibition will be part of the three-day annual event sponsored by the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) and will be held in Exhibit Hall A & B of the Hyatt Regency Crown Center. The exhibit halls will be open on July 15, 16, and 17, coordinated with, but not conflicting with, concurrent educational sessions and demonstrations.

Exhibiting firms will include suppliers of processing equipment; packaging supplies and equipment; technical and computer services; deli, mail order and catering supplies; marketing aids; transportation, chilling and building information; laboratory services and testing equipment; consultants in various food processing areas; and more. A sell-out is anticipated for the July 2010 Convention.

For more information about exhibiting in the trade show, contact Jodi Bartlett, AAMP, One Meating Place, Elizabethtown, PA 17022. Phone: (877) 877-0168, Fax: (717) 367-9096, or Email: jodi@aamp.com.

Supplier News

CFS held two-day seminars June 22-25 for 75 North and South American customers to highlight the latest developments in slicing, packaging and automation technology. The focus of the program was to show CFS’s dedication to sanitation, performance and production in these three segments. Hands-on experience with new machines, machine updates, and new applications along with classroom presentations from technical experts were all part of the week.

With its slicing area of 550 x 210 mm, the CFS GigaSlicer is the largest in its class. It typically slices one lane more than conventional machines, for example, five 110 mm diameter sausages instead of just four. The mechanical construction separates the product zone from the control and drive zone to minimize contamination as well as simplify cleaning. Main components are easily accessible, while most parts that come into contact with the product can be removed for cleaning without tools, further improving sanitation, speeding up maintenance and reducing operational costs. There have also been hygienic updates to the MegaSlicer XXL and the TwinStar.

CFS also has paired with Bosch to offer a delta RobotLoader. The vision systems on these robots are precise and flexible enough to pick product as small as chicken nuggets and flexible as shaved ham. The CFS RobotLoader has sanitation a cut above the rest with the ability for a complete wash-down of the entire robot.

Orion Energy Systems Inc. on Aug. 18 was awarded a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark office for the energy management company’s energy efficient modular lighting platform. The patent was awarded for the modular features of the system, which make initial installation, and the integration of additional energy saving technologies, easy and affordable. The modularity of the Compact Modular system marks the 22nd patent for Orion, a power technology enterprise that designs, manufactures and deploys energy management systems, consisting primarily of high-performance, energy-efficient lighting platforms, intelligent wireless control systems and direct renewable solar technology.

Lohmann Animal Health International has added online ordering to its Web site for customers in the United States. Customers can conveniently place orders on LAH’s Web site, www.lahinternational.com. The “Online Order Form” is located on the front page navigation bar and sends customers to an easy-to-use order form. Lohmann Animal Health International will quickly fill and ship the orders. The secure and encrypted order form keeps all information safe and confidential during the ordering transmission. An e-mail will be sent to the customer to confirm their order and provide details for shipment. Based in Winslow, Maine, LAH is a member of the PHW Group, which comprises 40 companies that produce poultry health products for the global market.

A decade after retiring as executive director of the world’s premiere branded beef company, Louis M. “Mick” Colvin’s dedication to leadership in the beef industry is unwavering.

College juniors and seniors who share Colvin’s passion for the beef industry are encouraged to apply for the $9,000 in scholarships sponsored by Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) and the Colvin Scholarship fund.

Five students who demonstrate their commitment to the beef industry through the pursuit of a degree in meat, food or animal science, marketing, business, communications or other related degree will be eligible for the scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to $3,500 in value.

The winner of the $3,500 scholarship may be invited to a paid internship with the company the following summer. The top two recipients will be encouraged to attend the 2010 CAB® Annual Conference in Puerto Rico, all-expenses paid. Students will have the opportunity to interact with leaders of the beef production, packing, foodservice and retail industry at the conference.

Students’ applications will be evaluated based on activities and scholastic achievement, communication skills and reference letters. The application deadline is Nov. 16.

For more information and an application, students should visit http://www.certifiedangusbeef.com/press/colvin/index.php or contact Trudi Hoyle at 800-225-2333, ext. 211.