Process Expo, The Global Food Equipment and Technology Show opened its doors at the McCormick Place Convention Centre in Chicago Monday morning. With more than 375 exhibitors from 19 countries, the event attracted attendees from across the food and beverage manufacturing industry.

From product information to inspirations, from tech advancements to trends, and from new connections to business solutions, attendees had a lot to discuss, explore, and take away. The 2023 edition also opened with more features than ever before, including the Food for Thought series spread across two theatres, three live production lines covering meat, bakery, and pet food, The Market and Career Development Center, as well as the Process Expo Innovation Awards.

Highlighting industry front-runners whose revolutionary solutions are shaping the future of the F&B industry, Process Expo announced the 2023 Innovation Award winners. The award-winning developments represented in areas such as new products or applications and new technologies for sustainability and automation were presented to:

• Best New Application and Product: German Bionic for the fully connected Apogee robotic exoskeleton combines human intelligence with machine power to boost workplace safety and worker health.
• Best New Technology for Sustainability: TMCAqua for their Ceramic Membrane technology that can recover low-grade enthalpy and clean water from waste exhaust stacks from gas combustion and drying processes. This reportedly is the only technology of its kind that works at this temperature and recovers clean water.
• Best New Technology for Automation: Weber Inc. for the Weber retail bacon solution that is customized to solve unique challenges like processing with fewer people, more throughput with your existing square footage, and innovative automated line control making smart decisions without operator input. A single integrated solution allows total line control and access to real-time data – whether on the slicer, automation, or the packaging machine.

“Innovations push new market developments and are a testament to the ingenuity and vision of the brands participating at this year’s show. Best of all, attendees are able to see these winning innovations present in the winner’s booth,” says Kristy Meade, vice president of technical textiles and technology shows for event organizer Messe Frankfurt, Inc.

Alongside the innovation award winners, grabbing the spotlight this year are exhibitors in the meat, bakery, and pet food production lines that have come together to showcase a real-time factory set-up covering the seamless integration of cutting-edge processing equipment to packaging tools to AI-driven insights for efficient automation.

“This year’s production lines, once again with real food products, are the most ambitious that we’ve ever had at Process Expo,” says Brian Perkins, chairman of the Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA), and president of Provisur Technologies. “The 30+ companies participating in this year’s lines are highlighting the latest in production/packaging technology for all segments and with the integration of AI, end users have far more data at their fingertips to make the right decisions for a more efficient production.”

As a new addition this year, The Market, showcasing butchering demos in collaboration with Chicago Meat Collective, led by McCullough Kelly-Willis was a big draw offering insights into sourcing, processing, and artful meat preparation of a hog. Over the next two days, whole Animal Butchery of a Lamb as well as Sausage and Ground Meats will be covered in this feature area. The Career Development Center was another major highlight for students and sector professionals to understand the nuances of effective leadership skills and hiring talent, opportunities via the FIT Program, and building a career in the food industry. Students new to the industry can join PepsiCo’s Nicole Utne, and BSI’s Gary Wills, as they discuss career opportunities in the food industry and how to engage with associations to develop your career.