Purdue center starts up to help small, medium food processors

Purdue University rolled out a new Web site Tuesday (Sept. 1) to help small- and medium-sized food processors comply with environmental regulations.

The Food Processing Environmental Assistance Center's Web site, http://www.fpeac.org , is an all-encompassing source for small- and medium-sized food processors on environmental regulations. It contains federal and state regulations and publications aimed at helping processors address environmental issues related to their businesses.

"Large food processors have full-time staffs devoted to these regulations and activities," said Kevin Keener, director of the center and Purdue associate professor of food science. "The small- and medium-sized processors don't. This is their resource."

The center, located in Purdue’s Department of Food Science, is funded through Purdue, along with nearly $340,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Keener said the Web site is just the first step. In the future, the center will offer technical services to processors.

"We're looking to do training, environmental audits checks and workshops on energy efficiency, water use and other topics," Keener said.

He said the site also will add industry news to keep processors updated on new regulations or changes in their industry.

The center is one of more than a dozen EPA centers in the country aimed at different industries, such as construction, printing and auto repair.

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