[Infographic] Factors That Influence Cold Storage Warehouse Cost Savings

At the close of 2014, data released by the International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses showed that the total capacity of refrigerated warehouses has increased 20 percent since 2012. And over the past few months, trade magazines have been honing in on the topic, tapping into our team members at Stellar for insights into cold storage construction, including rising technologies, efficiencies and best practices. Continue Reading “[Infographic] Factors That Influence Cold Storage Warehouse Cost Savings”

FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule Now Final: What You Need to Know

Following several years of FDA outreach and industry input, the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Preventive Controls for Human Food rule is now officially final. The rule implements elements from the original proposal in 2013 as well as supplemental proposals since then. Several things have changed as a result. Continue Reading “FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule Now Final: What You Need to Know”

5 Key Questions to Answer During Hygienic Food Plant Design

Food safety should always be a shared responsibility for your food processing plant. Whether you’re planning the hygienic design of a new or existing facility, schedule a collaborative planning session. Invite your engineering and construction professionals along with individuals from multiple departments to answer key questions that will drive the sanitary design of your plant.

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[Timeline] 9 Defining Moments for the Food Processing Industry

July marks an exciting milestone for Stellar: our 30th anniversary. While we’ve celebrated plenty of remarkable moments over the past three decades, we know we’re not the only ones. Food processing has experienced several turning points of its own, signifying key changes that have molded food manufacturing as we know it today. Continue Reading “[Timeline] 9 Defining Moments for the Food Processing Industry”

Is Your Food Processing Plant Safe From Listeria?

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?

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Following Sanitary Design Best Practices Key to Avoiding Food Safety Recalls

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.

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The International Building Code’s Modification to Exit Access Travel Distance

The 2015 International Building Code includes a key modification, increasing the length of exit access travel distance from 250 feet to 400 feet (if it meets specific criteria) for buildings containing Group F-1 and/or S-1 occupancy. This change is significant to the design industry, building owners and occupants of large distribution and manufacturing facilities. Understanding the code’s implications for your existing and future facilities will ensure you’re properly prepared. Continue Reading “The International Building Code’s Modification to Exit Access Travel Distance”

Five Steps in Energy Modeling to Make Your Building More Efficient

This week, we welcome guest bloggers Thulasi Narayan and Andrew Lee from Paladino and Company. Paladino is an industry leading green building and sustainability consulting firm with a team of architects, engineers, building scientists, commissioning agents and business analysts who advise companies on energy efficiency. Stellar often partners with Paladino to estimate energy performance, help develop energy reduction strategies and track estimated performance against the project’s energy goal during the design process.

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