At The Austin Food and Consumer Products Group, we understand that every food and beverage plant must rest upon a solid understanding of 3 uncompromising standards:

Safety

For food and consumer product manufacturers, the issue of SAFETY in the products they produce and in the plants that produce them are inextricably linked. The ramifications of a product which has been released to the market and then determined to be unsafe can be disastrous for any food company to deal with. Not only is a product recall an expensive undertaking, but negative publicity and potential liability issues can cripple a manufacturer. Austin understands that both product safety and a safe and productive workplace are issues to be addressed from the initial stages of a project, and must be "designed in" from the beginning. From USDA and FDA regulations — through cGMP design standards for production and process controls — to HACCP analysis and application — Austin’s designers, engineering and construction professionals work to constantly keep abreast of the latest regulations and requirements for food and consumer products manufacturing, packaging and storage.

Quality

Next to safety, the most important aspect of any food and beverage manufacturing operation is the QUALITY of the products produced. Consumers demand — and manufacturers expect — that the quality and consistency of the products they manufacture and sell will be maintained throughout the manufacturing cycle. Whether produced in quantities large or small, through continuous or batch applications, and at one location or several, product quality is an area where Austin’s architects, planners, engineers and food industry specialists can bring their expertise to the manufacturing process, and assist clients in designing a facility where maintaining product quality and consistency is a cornerstone of the building process itself.

System Reliability

In a manufacturing environment, the reliability of the systems engineered are paramount to the successful operation of any business. In the food and consumer products industry, however, SYSTEM RELIABILITY takes on an even more critical role, in that lapses in product availability, no matter how short, can have an adverse impact on a manufacturer’s profitability. In today’s critical product-to-market timeframes, even short downtimes can have serious consequences. At The Austin Company, our food and beverage process and packaging engineers understand the need for manufacturing reliability, and work with owners and equipment manufacturers to "engineer in" critical backup systems and programs to ensure that disruptions to the manufacturing process does not adversely affect product availability.