technology

Coffee at a Crossroad: 3 Industry Trends to Watch in 2019

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From functional ingredients to sustainable practices, new consumer values are transforming market trends.

The following post originally appeared in Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

The coffee industry is again going through a transformation, driven by shifting consumer values in an increasingly connected global landscape.

Today, people are using their purchasing decisions to support companies that reflect their values and introduce new innovations.

“The theme of this year’s NCA Convention [March 7-9, 2019 in Atlanta] is ‘coffee at a crossroads.’ In this time of unprecedented change, the decisions we make today as an industry will determine our direction in the years to come,” says Bill Murray, NCA President & CEO.

Here’s what to watch (and watch out for) in the year ahead:

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IBM’s Coffee Delivery Drones Can Predict Your Next Cup

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The drones could read social cues and biometrics to dispatch caffeine when you need it

Because this doesn’t at all sound like the beginning of a post-apocalyptic dystopia where sentient technology withholds caffeine to control the human population, your coffee may one day be delivered by drone — before you even ask.

IBM has secured a patent for a coffee-delivering drone that reads social and biological cues to know when people will need their next caffeine pick-me-ups, reports USA Today.

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5 Ways to Reduce Water Use in Your Food Processing Plant

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Optimizing your water consumption isn’t only better for the planet – it can help you cut utility costs as well. Photo: Unsplash

This post was originally published on Food For Thought

By , VP Process Engineering, Stellar

Food and beverage manufacturing facilities are notorious for how much water they consume. While water is central to your plant’s operations [Ed. note: Especially for coffee!], there may be ways you can operate more efficiently and be smarter about how your plant uses water.

Optimizing your water consumption is not only better for the planet, but it may save you in utility costs as well. Let’s look at five basic ways to reduce water consumption in a facility.

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Data Breaches: What’s the Cost?

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Watch the NCA Webinar: Cybersecurity Trends and Threats 2018

The following post is reprinted with permission from the Crowe Horwath Cybersecurity Watch Blog

By Mike Porter, Crowe Horwath

With the release in June 2017 of the newest IBM “Cost of Data Breach Study,” conducted by Ponemon Institute, the web is buzzing with discussions of what a breach costs.

As a result, now is a good time to provide a more nuanced analysis of this report through an examination of the assertions of a variety of recent breach cost reports that attempt to answer similar questions.

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