Food & Food Equipment News

3M Introduces Next-Generation Rugged Touch Solution

3M Touch Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the 3M Company and a leading innovator and manufacturer of touch technology, announces today the availability of the 3M MicroTouch System SCT7650EX, 3M’s next-generation, price-competitive surface capacitive touch solution for vandal-prone, heavy-use environments.

Three key product features offer display integrators an economic, user-safe, easy to seal, robust touch solution for unattended public applications such as ATMs, kiosks and vending machines. First, the 3M MicroTouch System SCT7650EX is now up to 40 ppercent less expensive than 3M’s current 3M MicroTouch ToughTouch II system. Second, the SCT7650EX touch system still features optically-clear laminated glass-on-glass construction which provides superior impact resistance and 86.5% light transmission for brighter, crisper display images. And finally, now the SCT7650EX touch system uses a conductive adhesive-bonded flexible circuit tail in place of the traditional solder connections and wire leads designed to facilitate a superior liquid and dust seal between the touch sensor and display bezel.

“The SCT7650EX ruggedized touch system was designed based on voice-of-the-customer requirements for an economic, highly-durable solution in environments where glass breakage and user safety are important concerns,” said Chris Tsourides, business unit manager, 3M Touch Systems. “With more than 25 years developing of touch products and more than 100 years of continuous innovation, 3M remains committed to the touch industry while investing in new product development that meets the needs of our customers despite the challenging economic times. The SCT7650EX system combines a new sensor design with manufacturing efficiencies to yield a product that is up to 40 percent less expensive than its predecessor and very competitive with other rugged touch system offerings.”

3M Touch Systems provides innovative touch technology products to customers worldwide under the “MicroTouch” brand. Popular interactive applications include casino gaming, retail point of sale, foodservice, hospitality, self-service, industrial, healthcare and interactive digital signage. For more information about 3M MicroTouch products, visit www.3M.com/touch01.

Hatco Rolls Out New Convected Drawer Warmer

Hatco Corporation recently introduced its new model CDW-3N Convected Drawer Warmer. Using dry heat only, the unit is designed to keep a variety of food products hot, flavor-fresh, and crisp until served. Energy efficiency is built in with insulated top, sides, and back. Available in a freestanding narrow model, the unit easily fits most kitchen footprints.

The CDW-3N’s advanced heating system provides very even temperatures throughout the cabinet. A digital electronic controller allows easy programming and temperature display accuracy. One set point controls the temperature in all three drawers.

The cabinet has a narrow width and low profile, with 2" (51 mm) locking casters for easy mobility. Built for the busy kitchen, the Convected Drawer Warmer boasts durable stainless steel construction. Its chrome handles are angled to avoid glances from passing carts. The heavy-duty drawer slides with nylon rollers perform smoothly for years. Each drawer fits a standard or perforated food pan 12.75" wide by 20.75" high, and up to 6" deep (324 x 527 x 152 mm).

For more information, visit www.hatcocorp.com.

Prenova Announces 10-20% Energy Savings For Restaurants

Today Prenova, the 10 year old energy services firm responsible for $2 billion in annual energy purchases, announces that last quarter, retailers, chain stores and restaurants saved an average of 15 percent on energy spending thanks to Prenova’s platform. Burger King, Costco, Dollar Tree, Eddie Bauer, and Rite Aid are among the national brands that rely on Prenova to help drive higher profitability by sourcing advantageous energy contracts and managing energy usage. The average savings range of 10-20 percent is based on Prenova operations data across retail and restaurant customer sectors for the quarter ending December 31.

“The immediate savings visible for retailers and restaurants with Prenova are outstanding,” says Michael Nark, CEO of Prenova. “This recent report underscores a fact we almost take for granted—that by relying on a centrally sourced, monitored and proactive system like Prenova, you can radically reduce your energy expense and take those savings to your bottom line.”

The timing of this announcement couldn’t be better for the consumer services sector, where profits have been hurt by reduced consumer spending. “This program has immediate payback,” says Ann Gurnee, director of property management at Dollar Tree. The company has been using Prenova in 3,000 retail locations since 2005. “In 2008 we’ve seen a 10 percent reduction in utility costs on a per square foot basis versus our baseline—a significant impact given our margins on $1 items.”

The Prenova energy services platform can be up and running in as few as 20 business days. Retailers and chain stores can feel the impact of cost savings with the next month’s reduced energy bills. “What’s unique about this program is it works right now—without buying new equipment,” says Nark.

ConAgra Foods Frozen Meal Trays Win Ameristar Food Package Award

ConAgra Foods announced today that its packaging innovation, frozen meal trays made from post-consumer recycled plastic, has received the Ameristar Package Award for food. The trays, which contain up to 40 percent post-consumer recycled plastic, will divert approximately 8 million pounds of plastic from landfills to the recycling stream each year. The Ameristar Awards are presented annually by the Institute of Packaging Professionals.

ConAgra Foods partnered with Associated Packaging Technologies to utilize a new technology that cleans recycled plastic for use as a component in frozen meal trays. Older plastics technologies limited food companies to using only new plastic to comply with regulations for direct food contact materials. The new ultra-clean processing technology makes it safe for consumers to eat the prepared food directly from the frozen meal trays. The new trays are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as direct food contact materials. ConAgra Foods is the only company in North America using post-consumer recycled plastic in frozen meal trays.

“Our frozen meal trays with post-consumer recycled material are one small part of ConAgra Foods’ effort to reduce waste and positively impact the environment,” said Gail Tavill, ConAgra Foods vice president, Sustainability. “We are proud that the Institute of Packaging Professionals is recognizing our efforts, and we’re pleased to accept the Ameristar award,” she added.

For more information, visit www.conagrafoods.com.

Romer Receives NAFEM President’s Award

NAFEM recognized Dennis M. Romer, CFSP, Director of Sales, Henny Penny Corporation, Eaton, Ohio, with the 2009 President’s Award. The NAFEM President’s Award, presented during the All-Industry Celebration (AIC) at The NAFEM Show, and recognizes a non-elected NAFEM volunteer who has donated their time and expertise for the betterment of the association.

"There are more than 300 individuals who regularly give their time and talent to NAFEM committees and activities," says Paul K. Angrick, CFSP, NAFEM President and President of Wells Bloomfield, LLC, Verdi, Nev. "Denny stands out in the crowd for his hard work and enthusiasm for all NAFEM is and can be."

Romer’s contributions to NAFEM include numerous committee assignments, including the Sales & Marketing Conference Planning Committee, which he also chaired, the Annual Meeting & Management Workshop, Membership Screening Committee, Trade Show Advisory Council and AdHoc Membership Committee. He served on the board of directors from 2000-2006, and chaired The NAFEM Show in 2007.

For more information and photos, visit www.nafem.org.

USCIS continues to accept comments on new I-9 form

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced today that it will extend until April 3, the requirement that businesses begin using a new employment eligibility verification form.

Employers use the form, known as the I-9, to document that employees are authorized to work in the United States. The new I-9 changes the list of acceptable documents for proving identity and employment authorization.

Although the USCIS announced last month that it would require employers to start using the new form Feb. 2, 2009, today the agency delayed the effective date to April 3, 2009. The USCIS will continue to accept public comments on the regulation until March 4.

Once the revised I-9 takes effect, businesses will be required to use the new form for all new hires as well as for employees who must be "re-verified" because their work authorization expired.

The revised I-9 will include several important changes to make the verification process more secure, says the USCIS:

• Employers will no longer be able to accept expired documents to verify employees' work eligibility.
• List A documents -- documents that do double duty as proof of both identity and eligibility to work in the United States -- no longer include forms I-688 (temporary resident card) and I-688A and I-688B (outdated employment authorization cards).
• The form will add certain foreign passports to the acceptable List A documents.
• The new form includes minor technical changes in the language where employees attest that the information they provided is valid.

The National Restaurant Association is offering assistance to members on wading through the new form and proccesses. For more information, click here.

ShockWatch TrekView Keeps Perishable Products Longer

When the doors of the transport vehicle close, your perishable products are alone…all alone. With the darkness, warm temperatures can creep in on your perishables and damage your products’ integrity. Even worse is when no one even knows it happened. With ShockWatch and its TrekView™ environmental recorders, you and your temperature-sensitive goods have nothing to fear. Whether the surroundings are too warm or too cold, TrekView recorders obtain vital information regarding the environment that products like frozen foods, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, cosmetics and electronic components encountered during their journey. Offering world-class accuracy and intuitive software, the environmental recorders allow shipment recipients to make quick go/no-go decisions and deliver key information that brings accountability to the distribution environment and confidence to you.

“The TrekView recorders are visual tools that allow users to make informed decisions about the viability of their product as well as about their shipping environment,” says Kerri Lusk-Barnes, VP of marketing and product management at ShockWatch. “These new ShockWatch recorders expose what happened to your product while in transit, protecting the quality and integrity of your shipped goods. Your perishables no longer have to be afraid of the dark.”

The ShockWatch TrekView product family is a key addition to the overall ShockWatch damage prevention portfolio. ShockWatch currently has a full line of environmental indicators. The TrekView recorders provide the next step in data collection, information analysis, accountability and, of course, confidence. The Microsoft Windows-based TrekView software offers an intuitive graphical user interface that makes setup and analysis fast and easy.

ServSafe Alcohol Applauds Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc.

The National Restaurant Association and ServSafe Alcohol® are proud to congratulate Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc., which was recently recognized by Cheers magazine for its responsible alcohol service training program at the January Cheers Beverage Conference. Buffalo Wild Wings was presented the award for Best Chain Responsible Beverage Alcohol Service Training Program. This marks the third time an operation using the ServSafe Alcohol training program has been awarded this honor.

In 2005, Buffalo Wild Wings began implementing ServSafe Alcohol Responsible Alcohol Service training program, and within a year certified all directors, regional managers, franchise consultants and the executive leadership team. Based on this immediate success of the program, in 2007, the company began training all managers and staff. To date, Buffalo Wild Wings has attained more than a 90 percent compliance rate over all units.

“We are proud to congratulate and recognize Buffalo Wild Wings for its continued commitment to responsible alcohol service training,” stated Sam Stanovich, director, ServSafe Alcohol, National Restaurant Association Solutions. “The Cheers Awards are national accolades, widely recognized throughout the industry, and Buffalo Wild Wings has earned this honor through its dedication to ensuring staff have the most up-to-date and comprehensive training available, which directly impacts the safety of guests and the communities within which they operate. They truly serve as a model for all companies to follow.”

Part of the training program’s success is attributable to the fact that several Buffalo Wild Wings staff are certified as ServSafe Alcohol field instructors. This allows for timely, on-site training for staff, as all front-of-the-house staff are required to complete the formal ServSafe Alcohol classroom instruction and certification within 90 days of hire.

For more information on the Cheers Awards for Beverage Excellence, visit www.cheersconference.com.

How Does UV Light Technology in an Exhaust Hood System Work?

By Tom Carter, Vice President of Sales, Caddy Corp.

The hood has a series of removable, high efficiency, cartridge type, grease-particulate extractors. Behind these, inside the hood, are a series of ultraviolet “C” lamps.

The grease vapor and effluents that are not collected by the high efficiency cartridge extractors pass over the lamps. For the grease that would normally collect in the hood, ductwork and exhaust fan, a chemical reaction converts this grease to carbon dioxide, water vapor and microscopic non-grease compounds. None of the compounds support fire or collect in the ductwork.

The lack of grease collection is a major benefit because it helps keep the duct system, exhaust fan and any air pollution control device clean. This process drastically reduces any steam cleaning requirements and costs.

This hood cleaning technology was introduced in Europe in 1998 and was brought to North America in 2000.

The cost of a UVC hood system is competitive to water wash hoods and there is also an additional capital savings because there no need for drains, grease trap requirements or other related plumbing costs.

UVC General Information

• Types of light: Ultraviolet (short wave lengths, 180 – 380 nm); visible light (medium wave lengths, 380 – 780 nm); infrared (long wave lengths, 780 – 1800 nm).
• UVC light is divided into three bands: UV-A (rays that tan the skin); UV-B (rays that cause sunburn); UV-C (strongest rays, and the closest to X-ray bands).

Design Data

• UVC bulbs last for 8,000 hours of operation.
• Sensors and/or micro switches are used as safety shutoff interlocks to prevent accidental eye contact with UVC light.
• 120-volt operation with six amps required at each hood section.
• Master control panel monitors light operation, airflow, hours of operation and on/off status.
• UVC capacity is designed for gas fired heavy-duty char-broiler applications.

Key Benefits of a UVC Hood System

• Cleans grease out of hood chamber, ductwork and exhaust fan, leaving a cleaner and safer exhaust system.
• No special installation requirements or costs.
• Self-monitoring for lamps and fan operation.
• System requires no wash down and uses less than 300 watts of light for every seven feet of hood.
• The system has the same maintenance requirements as a standard baffle filter hood, with the filters cleaned periodically in a dishwasher.

The Energy Savings
There is no wash down system requiring hot water, detergent pumps and drain system use. Hot water wash is a large operating expense when compared to UVC systems. There is little to no steam cleaning required throughout the duct system. Clean ducts and fans extend the life of the system. The result is a substantial reduction in cleaning costs for air pollution control systems.

Spring Air's Web-Enabled TruFlow to Revolutionize Kitchen, Facility Management

Food, labor and energy costs are probably the top three variable expenses that any commercial foodservice operation must contend with. In reality, it is difficult to make any major reductions in either food or labor costs without risking a negative impact on the dining customers’ experience. Energy costs, however, can be reduced with only positive bottom line results. The real question with respect to reducing energy is: Where?

While demand control ventilation for commercial kitchens has been available for more than 20 years, it is still often not one of the top three in the minds of many when they contemplate how to make a commercial kitchen more profitable. Spring Air Systems developed its TruFlow Energy Management Controller to automatically control the exhaust and supply fans, based on measuring temperature change in the hood. This has proven to deliver huge savings—savings that begin to accrue immediately when a TruFlow system is turned on.

At this year’s NAFEM, Spring Air unveiled the latest enhancements to TruFlow: appliance and lighting control. With these enhancements, TruFlow’s ability to save money extends beyond the kitchen to encompass the entire facility! Via TruFlow’s touch-screen display, on/off schedules can be set up for both appliances under the hood and dining facility lighting. Appliances can be controlled individually on a 24-hour schedule. Lighting can be split into zones—kitchen, foyer, dining room, etc.—and each zone operates on its own 24-hour on/off schedule. TruFlow will automatically turn lights or appliances on and off based on the schedules set. The energy savings potential is huge once control of these energy hogs is automated. From a management perspective—with TruFlow controlling kitchen ventilation and appliances and store lighting—training staff becomes much more straightforward.

TruFlow is also a Web-enabled device. This means that energy savings and other data can be accessed from any location with an Internet connection. For multiple facilities, Spring Air can consolidate reports on a secure Web site to make it easy to collect and download data. Finally, Spring Air designed TruFlow for use in new and operating kitchens. Spring Air has the in-house engineering expertise to design a new project or to engineer a straightforward retrofit that will work with virtually all existing hoods, fans, appliances or lighting types.