Joseph Bove, PE
Vice President of Design Engineering
Joe has more than 37 years of experience in the design, engineering and construction of food processing plants. Joe develops architectural and engineering standards to ensure compliance with client procedures, government codes and standards. Joe has managed projects for Burris Refrigerated Logistics, General Mills/Pillsbury Bakeries, Kraft Foods, Nestlé, Sysco and many other brand-name food companies.
Listeria is a foodborne illness that can have dire consequences–sometimes, deadly. The bacteria is characteristically persistent, able to not only thrive for years, but within frozen storage and outside of the expected environments, such as meat processing plants. Are you sure you’re taking the proper measures to ensure listeria isn’t growing in your facility?
Stellar is experiencing a major uptick in sanitary design projects, and we have a hunch as to why. The implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) has many food and beverage companies taking a deeper look at their processing practices, their plant designs and the equipment that goes inside their facilities. As food recalls litter the headlines and impact the health of consumers, food safety continues to be a crucial area of focus. A sound food safety program begins on the plant floor, and it all starts with following sanitary design best practices.
Continue Reading “Following Sanitary Design Best Practices Key to Avoiding Food Safety Recalls”
Odor complaints from those who live and work near food processing plants have been making headlines lately, resulting in bad press and poor community relations for the manufacturers. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Air Act was created to reduce emissions of hazardous and odorous air pollutants and outlines specific requirements for food processors. Subsequently, odor control should be a part of any food processing plant’s Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) program.
Continue Reading “Eliminating Noxious Plant Odors Through Incineration: A Case Study”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a new strategy document that outlines the agency’s guiding principles for implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This latest move by the FDA is designed to encourage dialogue and collaboration between the agency and the food industry as FSMA moves into its next phase – the effective and efficient implementation of the new standards.
Continue Reading “The FDA Invites Comments from Food Processors on Proposed New FSMA Rules”
For the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), 2014 will be a year of change. The President’s 2014 budget includes a request for $295.8 million allocated to the FDA’s food safety initiatives. According the FDA’s 2014 Congressional Budget Request, the agency’s priorities this year include:
In this day and age of fierce competition and tighter budgets, food manufacturers are often faced with making critical—and expensive—business decisions as part of their strategic plan. Should you refurbish existing equipment or buy new equipment to meet your manufacturing needs? Should you add product lines to increase market share and what impact would that have on current operations?
Continue Reading “When to Conduct a Feasibility Study For Major Plant Decisions”
There’s a saying that failing to plan is planning to fail. As competition increases and belts tighten, many food-processing companies are realizing the importance of strategic plans.
Continue Reading “Six Ways Your Food Processing Facility Will Benefit From a Strategic Plan”
Over the years, the role of food plant architects has expanded greatly, requiring designers to become true experts in sanitary design. As a result, some best practices have emerged in the food processing design-build industry to ensure food safety and prevent problems, and added expenses, down the road.
Continue Reading “Best Practices for Sanitary Design in Food Processing Plants”
If you’re thinking of upgrading equipment or renovating your facility, it’s critical that food safety requirements are met in the process. Most manufacturers are taking a proactive role in ensuring equipment is engineered for optimal cleaning and sanitizing to meet all safety regulations, but it’s important that all plant stakeholders who play a role in food safety have input.
Food processing engineers are frequently challenged with developing controls and processes for managing food safety precautions within a plant. Yet food safety is a role that every employee, from the top down, needs to embrace. It should be deeply rooted within the plant’s culture and most important, it should be a continuous improvement process.
Continue Reading “Food Plant Sanitation: Five Roles Your Employees Should Play in Food Safety”
