Hygienic design is frequently prioritized over other features in food safety equipment due to the critical role it plays in preventing cross-contact contaminations. The PMMI 2025 Food Safety and Sanitation Trends report lists ease of cleaning as the highest priority for end users, with automated sanitation-supporting features also cited as key considerations for future equipment investment.

Fortress Technology considers sanitation alongside traceability and precise inspection in all of their food metal detectors, checkweighers, X-ray and combination systems. Features such as Clean-in-Place (CIP) systems, high IP ratings, tool-free component removal and smooth corrosion-resistant stainless steel surfaces ensure quick and effective microbiological sanitation, even for high-risk food applications.

Additional elements on Fortress Technology inspection equipment include sealed areas and protected electronics to support consistent cleaning without compromising performance. These designs reflect established principles around cleanability, material selection and accessibility, helping reduce areas where contamination can develop.

Automatic testing further improves hygienic operation. Strengthening overall verification quality, Halo Automatic Testing can be combined with Contact 4.0 digital reporting software. Used together these Fortress-specific features can help to identify upstream issues that affect cleanability and overall hygiene. 

Read more in Fortress Technology’s new whitepaper: The Role of Hygienic Equipment Design in Meat and Poultry Processing.

West Chester, OH – February 11, 2026 – E Tech Group, a leading provider of industrial automation and systems integration, 2025 System Integrator of the Year and Rockwell Automation Platinum System Integrator, today announced a collaborative live session with Rockwell Automation focused on helping Food & Beverage manufacturers accelerate modernization with PlantPAx®, Rockwell Automation’s distributed control platform.

Titled “Simplify Modernization of Your Food & Beverage Operations with Rockwell Automation PlantPAx® and E Tech Group,” the live session will take place on Tuesday, March 4, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM EST. Attendees will gain strategic insights into modernizing aging infrastructure, standardizing operations, and reducing migration risks through scalable control solutions.

Register here: https://etechgroup.com/simplify-modernization-of-food-beverage-operations/

In today’s competitive Food & Beverage landscape, digital transformation through modernization is key to operational agility. Aging equipment and fragmented systems limit productivity and expose manufacturers to escalating maintenance costs, increased downtime, component obsolescence, and greater cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The cost of delaying modernization is high, but the right strategy can turn that risk into an opportunity.

Attendees will gain practical knowledge on:

• Deploying standardized PlantPAx® architectures across multiple sites to simplify complexity and improve reliability
• Mitigating risk during migration from legacy distributed control systems (DCS)
• Leveraging digital transformation with future-ready scalable solutions to support smart manufacturing and future expansion

Featured speakers include:

• Umar Karim, Senior Automation Engineer III, E Tech Group – A seasoned expert in PlantPAx® implementations for Food & Beverage and CPG clients
• Kyle Van Druten, Group Engineering Manager, E Tech Group – An automation expert in manufacturing modernization, standardization and process control integration
• Tom Steffen, Senior Solution Consultant, Rockwell Automation – Bringing over 35 years of industry experience in automation and digital transformation

“This session is for manufacturers ready to move past the constraints of outdated systems and take real steps toward operational modernization,” said Kyle Van Druten. “Together with Rockwell Automation, we’re showing what’s possible when you align technology with strategy.”

E Tech Group brings more than 30 years of proven experience helping manufacturers modernize with confidence. From batch processing and CIP systems to data contextualization and regulatory compliance, the team specializes in designing, integrating, and supporting full-lifecycle automation solutions delivering safer products, increased efficiency, and greater visibility across the production lifecycle.

Regina, Saskatchewan, February 10, 2026 – Farm Credit Canada (FCC) today announced it has convened a coalition of more than 20 investment organizations collectively prepared to deploy up to $5 billion into Canadian agriculture and food innovation by 2030. This milestone reflects a generational investment opportunity in Canada’s agriculture and food sector.

This new coalition pledge builds on the momentum of the May 2025 commitment by FCC’s investment arm, FCC Capital, which pledged $2 billion by 2030 to drive innovation across the agriculture and food industry. As part of this commitment, FCC Capital is already on track to deploy $325 million in new capital during its fiscal year ending March 31, 2026. With the pledge announced today, combined with FCC’s commitment in May 2025, this represents $7 billion of new investment into Canadian agriculture and food by 2030.

These commitments will bring new innovation to Canadian farmers through investments in innovative Canadian businesses, construction and project finance opportunities, and early-stage ag-tech companies.

This announcement marks a major step in expanding Canada’s capacity to scale world‑leading agriculture and food innovation. In 2021, total estimated investment in agricultural innovation stood at $270 million annually according to RBC Thought Leadership. Today’s coalition helps position Canada to dramatically increase this figure and accelerate commercialization of breakthrough technologies and productivity across the entire value chain.

Together, FCC Capital’s pledge and the commitments made by this coalition of investors represent a clear and meaningful statement to the strength and long‑term potential of the Canadian ag and food industry at a pivotal moment for the sector.

“Canada’s farmers, producers, and processors are already among the most innovative and entrepreneurial in the world,” said Darren Baccus, executive vice-president, Agri‑Food, Alliances and FCC Capital. By bringing this coalition together, we’re crowding in the capital needed to scale breakthrough solutions and deliver the next generation of innovation directly to Canadian producers. This work strengthens our food security at home while accelerating Canada’s rise as an ag and food superpower. FCC remains rigorously focused on supporting Canadian farmers and ensuring our work delivers tangible, measurable impact for them.”

“Agriculture is one of the most important and investable sectors of our economy,” said Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Heath MacDonald. “This landmark investment will strengthen Canada’s leadership in agriculture and agri-food innovation, while charting a course for long-term growth, competitiveness, and resiliency for generations to come.”

Investment organizations that are part of the coalition include:

Area One Farms
Arterra Growth
Bonnefield Financial
District Ventures Capital
Emmertech
Glengarry Farm Finance Corporation
InvestEco Capital Corp.
Maverix Private Equity
Nàdarra Ventures
Northleaf Capital Partners
NYA Ventures
Power Sustainable Lios
Radicle Growth Food and Agriculture Venture Capital
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
S2G Investments
Seminal Capital Holdings, LLC
SVG Ventures
Tall Grass Ventures
Tikehau Capital
Yaletown Partners

The VeriGreen® Plus by , a world-first ‘self destructing’ cup made from bio-based materials, is set to make waves at its UK debut when it appears at .

Engineered to be recyclable, the cup also features a time-delayed biotransformation feature that activates should it fail to find itself in the recycling stream, disintegrating within two years. While this feature remains dormant, the material – a polymer made from recycled cooking oil – behaves exactly like a conventional plastic. After the transformation is triggered, however, it breaks down into a powdery wax that will quickly biodegrade.

An innovation with the potential to revolutionise single-use materials, the cup also utilises a QR code design that consumers can scan to access useful information about disposing of the product, supporting crucial public education initiatives in the process. The product has significant implications for the foodservice, catering, and live event sectors, and could be a watershed moment in the conversation around single-use plastic.

Caroline Wiggins, Chief Executive of eGreen, says VeriGreen Plus represents more than just a product. “It’s a single-use product but made from fossil-fuel-free material,” she explains. “If you follow COP every year and all the global conversations, you’ll know the world is moving towards fossil-fuel-free, carbon-free materials. At the moment, all plastics come from oil. This material doesn’t. It’s made from recycled cooking oil that’s turned into a polymer, and then we include a technology that ensures if the product is left in the open air, it biotransforms and returns to nature.

“The priority is always that cups are collected and recycled. But we know 80% of plastic that ends up in rivers and oceans comes from land. If a product escapes the recycling stream, the self-destruct technology means it will biotransform when exposed to heat, air, sunlight, and moisture, transforming it into a harmless wax. That’s particularly important in environments with large crowds and a low collection rate. It’s not an excuse for littering, but it provides a safety net.”

The news only builds anticipation for an already eagerly awaited showcase, and cements the show’s position as one of the most high-profile and impactful ways to launch a major new product line.

And, with several major customers across Europe already on board with the Verigreen Plus, attendees to Packaging Innovations can be among the first in the UK to experience this potentially game-changing innovation. Free tickets for the event, held at the Birmingham NEC on 11 & 12 February 2026, are available now at.