Kurt Warzynski

Kurt Warzynski

Senior Vice President, Food & Beverage

Kurt has extensive experience in the food industry, with extensive project work in prepared foods, beverage, dairy, bakery and frozen foods. A recognized expert in food process design and engineering, Kurt designs food process layouts; specifies processing equipment; oversees the proper execution of construction documents; and manages equipment installation and commissioning. He has worked on projects for General Mills, H.J. Heinz, and Nestlé among others. Kurt has 22 years of industry experience including more than 10 years with Stellar.

The latest from Kurt Warzynski

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Vertical Farming Can Bring Sustainability and Steadiness to the Supply Chain

As we explained in this previous post, vertical farming is a farming technique where crops are grown indoors in a laboratory-like, climate-controlled space. Instead of a crop being limited to geographical regions that provide the ideal growing conditions, vertical farmers can fine-tune the level of water, nutrients, humidity and temperature, as well as light frequency, duration and intensity to create the most ideal environment possible for the crop to grow.

A handful of rural conventional farms are the mega-producers that supply vast swathes of the country with fruits and vegetables, generally located far away from the urban and suburban areas where their crops are shipped to be made available to consumers. The shipping journey — often spanning thousands of miles of highway or open ocean — leads to large amounts of waste and product loss, in addition to creating a large carbon footprint. 

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Vertical Farming Could Bring the Farm to Your Block

Vertical farming is a soilless method of farming that takes place inside a climate-controlled, laboratory-like environment. Farmers are able to fine-tune indoor spaces to the crops they want to grow, instead of being limited to growing crops that a particular outdoor area can support. 

The ability to grow in-demand produce without the massive footprint of an outdoor farm, regardless of climate, has led to more vertical farming facilities in urban areas, where produce is grown, harvested and quickly shipped to retailers in the same city. This cuts down on product loss and shipping damage while increasing the shelf life and quality of produce once it hits the shelves.

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5 Ways Hoses and Flow Panels Can Be a Risk to Your Brewery or Distillery

Breweries and distilleries can be infamous for their “snake pits,” the areas of the facility where transfer hoses can become a tangled mess.

Flow panels and hoses are widely used to route product and cleaning solutions through brewery and distillery piping systems, and they are a cost-effective initial investment. However, as a facility grows, so do the number of connections — and that can quickly get out of control.

These snake pits can pose serious problems for your facility’s efficiency and the safety of your workers. Let’s examine five major risks associated with snake pits, and what you can do about them.

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Views: 6815

What is Total Package Oxygen in Beer?

Managing total package oxygen (TPO) can be a challenge for beer producers looking to grow their output. TPO is the total concentration of oxygen (O2) present in packaged beer at the time of packaging. When beer comes into contact with air, it begins to oxidize — and too much oxygen can negatively affect the beer’s flavor.

The ultimate goal is to reduce the amount of oxygen allowed in during packaging to prevent oxidation and maintain product quality and taste. However, this can be easier said than done, especially if you’re transitioning from a smaller-scale production with manual processes to greater throughput with increased automation.

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Views: 7455

The 3 Most Popular Organic Food Categories in 2017

The organic food market is no longer a fringe segment, and Big Food is paying attention. Sales of organic products totaled a record $45.2 billion in 2017, according to the Organic Trade Association (OTA) — and it shows no signs of slowing down.

It’s a trend food and beverage manufacturers can’t ignore, but exactly what segments are growing? And which aren’t? Let’s look at the top-selling organic products from last year.

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Views: 2732

Back to the Basics: How to Optimize Your Clean-in-Place System

A number of food manufacturing facilities have been utilizing clean-in-place (CIP) for years. It’s the method of cleaning processing equipment and piping without disassembling it. While most of us already know what CIP is, when was the last time you performed a thorough audit of your system?

Over the years, changes to the systems being cleaned may have caused the CIP system set-point ratios to change without notice to the operators — making it more out of whack than you may realize.

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Views: 5533

5 Ways to Reduce Water Use in Your Food Processing Plant

Food and beverage manufacturing facilities are notorious for how much water they consume. While water is central to your plant’s operations, there may be ways you can operate more efficiently and be smarter about how your plant uses water.

Optimizing your water consumption is not only better for the planet, but it may save you in utility costs as well. Let’s look at five basic ways to reduce water consumption in a facility.

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Views: 2649

3 Unexpected Food Processing Solutions Inspired by Different Industries

I see a lot of neat things working in the food and beverage industry, especially because I have the opportunity to work with a wide variety of clients across different sectors.

Of course, food manufacturers know their product best, because ultimately, it’s their product. However, when it comes to their processing and the technology they use to make their product, I often encourage owners to keep an open mind.

Here’s the thing: Many times, companies can get boxed in and only focus on their particular product and the way things are “typically” done in their industry. Their factories and boardrooms can act as echo chambers for their ideas.

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Views: 5190

Spirit Manufacturing: 3 Challenges to Consider Before Expanding Your Alcoholic Beverage Product Line

The global alcoholic beverage market is growing, and liquor is gaining popularity over wine and beer. However, the logistics of producing in this multibillion-dollar industry are unlike any other food and beverage sector, especially if you’re looking to expand your product line.

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Views: 3982

Food Manufacturing Plant Design: Tips for Preventing Food Safety Issues

An exemplary model for sanitary equipment design

 

One of the most common causes of food safety problems is a flaw in the sanitary design of food processing equipment. When building new facilities or installing new lines, many food manufacturers struggle with increasingly fast-paced project schedules and limited funds, which affect priorities assigned to sanitary equipment design and requirements during the early stages of a project.

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