Dairy and milk processing will once again be an integral part of the PROCESS EXPO tradeshow event, which is scheduled to take place Sept. 19-22 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

This equipment-focused tradeshow will deliver thousands of dairy-specific technologies via the Dairy Zone, where attendees can discover everything from dairy equipment and sanitation solutions to new ingredients and flavors.

“We highly encourage dairy industry professionals to make plans to attend PROCESS EXPO, where they will find new solutions and have access to leaders in the industry who will share important updates impacting the industry in the education courses and our meet ups,” says Bill McPhail, chair of the Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA), the McLean, Va., host of the PROCESS EXPO show, and president of Max Engineering & Consulting, New York. “We are working diligently to facilitate connections in the dairy industry and provide great value for attendees for their participation at the show.”

Trends to be addressed on the show floor and through the education program include food safety with a focus on the implementation and enforcement of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA); updates on 3-A Sanitary Standards; the impact of labeling laws; and the use of natural ingredients. In addition, the show will cover food processing technologies such as cold process pasteurization, high-pressure pasteurization (HPP), the process involved in the development of functional foods and the rise of process equipment for artisanal cheese manufacturers.

“Many of these trends are important to all sectors of the food processing industry, and the FPSA councils are working to address each of these and the impacts they have on the various segments,” adds McPhail. “PROCESS EXPO is the premier food processing event in an ideal location at the prime time of year offering great value to the 15,000-plus attendees. The tradeshow and education component of PROCESS EXPO offers attendees insights from experts as well as new ideas they can take back to their plant for immediate returns.”

The expansive PROCESS EXPO show floor will feature the Virtual Reality Showroom, Food Safety Summit Theater, networking events, Innovations Showcase, the University Quad, student poster presentations, a Beer Garden and more.

And, new to this year’s show is the FPSA Job Board, where FPSA members can post vacant positions within their company at the job board exhibit and make contact with the 15,000-plus food industry attendees.

“We don’t have an unemployment problem in our industry,” says Tom Kittle, FPSA chairman and president of Handtmann, Inc., Lake Forest, Ill., and Handtmann Canada Ltd., Canada. “In fact, it’s quite the opposite. We have the jobs, we just need to find more qualified individuals to plug into them. This is a significant issue in the food industry, and I would venture to say that every single member company of FPSA is affected by it, hence the need for this program.”

PROCESS EXPO will host over 600 exhibitors spanning 220,000 square feet of equipment, machinery and demos for buyers in all vertical industry sectors, including bakery, beverages, dairy, meat, poultry, seafood, prepared foods, fruits and vegetables, co-packers and more.

For more information and to register online, visit www.myprocessexpo.com. And, visit the FBP Solutions group at Booth #2818.