Food Safety Reform Bill Passes U.S. Senate Panel

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. Senate committee voted unanimously on Wednesday to increase government oversight of food safety but the first significant overhaul in 50 years may not happen until 2010.

Pressure to overhaul the food safety system has grown following several high-profile outbreaks involving lettuce, peppers, peanuts and spinach since 2006 that have sickened thousands and killed several.

However, the full Senate probably won’t vote on the bill until 2010 as Congress is currently mired in debate about overhauling the U.S. healthcare system, said Tom Harkin, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

“I really, honestly, I just don’t see how we’ll get to it before Christmas,” Harkin said of the food safety bill.

The Senate bill would expand U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight of the food supply and shift its focus toward preventing, rather than reacting, to foodborne outbreaks. FDA would have the power to order recalls, increase inspection rates and require all facilities to have a food safety plan. Read the rest of this entry »

U.S. Department of Energy to Strengthen Efficiency Standards

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced three new steps to strengthen its ability to enforce energy efficiency standards. DOE has formed a new enforcement team within the Office of the General Counsel; established a program to randomly review manufacturers’ compliance with DOE certification requirements; and is publishing guidance that provides further details about DOE’s energy efficiency enforcement regulations.

In its new guidance, DOE confirms that under existing regulations, it can take enforcement action and assess civil penalties if a manufacturer fails to properly certify a covered product and retain records. Specifically, the agency clarifies that any failure to certify covered products according to DOE’s rules violates the Energy Policy Conservation Act of 1975 and DOE regulations. DOE will randomly select previously filed certification reports for review, request certification records as needed, and hold manufacturers accountable for failing to certify covered products according to DOE rules. Read the rest of this entry »

Zero Ozone-Depleting FOAMULAR Extruded Polystyrene Insulation

Toledo, Ohio – Owens Corning (NYSE: OC), a global leader in building materials and energy efficiency solutions, today announced it has started manufacturing zero ozone-depleting FOAMULAR^® Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) rigid foam insulation. The new blowing agent technology developed by Owens Corning meets the requirements of the Montreal Protocol which requires the phase-out of the hydrochloro-fluorocarbon (HCFC) 142b, an ozone-depleting compound, by January 1, 2010.

Owens Corning’s new Gresham plant is the first facility in the Western U.S. to meet the requirements of the Montreal Protocol and expands the company’s XPS foam production capabilities. The company also has converted its Rockford, Ill., insulation plant to use the new blowing agent, and all FOAMULAR products will meet the requirements of the conversion deadline.

“High performance homes and buildings are an ever-growing segment of the construction industry, and Read the rest of this entry »

U.S. Cooler at the National Restaurant Association Show

U.S. Cooler will be exhibiting at the NRA Show in Chicago, May 16-19.

Since last NRA, U.S. Cooler has been busy working on new and innovative processes to reduce waste, inventory, time, and costs while increasing productivity. All of these factors together equal savings for dealers and consumers.

Providing customers with quality, affordable walk-ins in a convenient amount of time has always been U.S. Cooler’s highest priority. Earlier this year, we launched our new Hybrid panel for walk-in coolers. The hybrid panel is the best designed and engineered, competitively priced panel in the market.

U.S. Cooler, through their discount dealer program, passes savings on to consumers via the internet. Quick delivery, quality product, and competitive prices have drawn customers from across the nation to buy walk-in coolers and freezers from U.S. Cooler’s internet dealers online. Recently, prices were discounted even further, saving consumers even more money. Check out www.fastcooler.com, the internet’s best resource for discount walk-in cooler and freezer dealers.

Stop by U.S. Cooler booth 1834 to learn more about our discount internet program and how U.S. Cooler can save you money.

California Accepts EISA Regulations

The use of energy has become a commonly discussed issue with environmental and economic concerns. Everyday a significant amount of energy is used for commercial equipment in restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, and warehouses. Prior to 2006, there had not been any set regulations on energy usage for commercial refrigeration.

California was one of the first states to set energy regulations for walk-in coolers and freezers. They previously required an envelope insulation rating of R-28 for refrigerators and R-36 for freezers. California was also one of the first to require electronically commutated motors or permanent split capacitor-type motors for refrigeration. Before more states could pose their own requirements on energy consumption, the federal EISA (Energy Independence and Security Act) agreement was signed in 2007. California has fully accepted the EISA requirements, amending their previous appliance energy code.

To review the entire California Code of Regulations, click on the link below. The walk-in cooler and freezer section starts on page 120 of the document.

http://www.energy.ca.gov/2008publications/CEC-400-2008-021/CEC-400-2008-021-15DAY.PDF

Heart to Heart Cold Storage Unit

Heart to Heart International Inc., a leading global humanitarian organization, has installed a U.S. Cooler cold-storage unit on Saturday, January 24, 2009, at its Global Distribution Center in Kansas City, KS. The 14,000—cubic-foot, refrigerated unit is expected to store life-saving medications, such as insulin, for Heart to Heart’s local and global health initiatives. Much of the hardware and labor was donated by local businesses.
“Without the support of several charitable companies, this day might never have come,” said Jon D. North, Heart to Heart’s CEO. “Now we can deliver life-saving medicines requiring cold storage more efficiently to under served people in Kansas City, in the United States and almost anywhere in the world.”
U.S. Cooler is very gracious for the opportunity from CFM Distributors to contribute to Heart to Heart’s mission.

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NAFEM 2009

Our Customers Buy Smart

February 5, 2009 Orlando, FL — Although the attendance at the NAFEM Show was lower this year, the quality of the people who stopped by our booth was the best we have seen. This year at the NAFEM Show, U.S. Cooler placed two Smart Cars atop one of our 7’7” x 20’ walk-ins. The Smart Cars were successful in grabbing attention and were visible from across the showroom.
We borrowed the cars from The Smart Center in Orlando. On one side of the cooler, we showed a cutout in the wall, displaying our three types of foam insulation; Extruded Polystyrene, Hybrid and Polyurethane. Many people found it useful to compare the insulations side-by-side and to discuss the characteristics of each. Overall, the show was a huge success!

New Hybrid Panels

U.S. Cooler introduces New Green Hybrid Walk-in Coolers

Quincy, IL, December 23, 2008–U.S. Cooler is introducing their new green Hybrid panels for walk-in coolers.  U.S. Cooler’s new product launch will be January 1, 2009. The Hybrid panel is a 4” thick panel, consisting of 3” Extruded Polystyrene and 1” Expanded Polystyrene, which exceeds EISA requirements.  This combination provides the customer with the strength and moisture resistance of Extruded Polystyrene and the insulation economics of Expanded Polystyrene.  With these crucial characteristics, the Hybrid is the best designed and engineered competitively priced panel in the market.  U.S. Cooler will offer the Hybrid cooler in addition to their leading line of 4” Extruded Polystyrene coolers and freezers.  Unlike Polyurethane walk-in manufacturers, U.S. Cooler’s panels are 100% recyclable and are made from over 60% recycled materials.

When purchasing a new walk-in cooler or freezer, the initial cost of the walk-in is almost always the deciding factor. With U.S. Cooler’s new Hybrid Cooler you will receive a high-quality box at a reduced price. In addition to the up-front cost savings, the Hybrid will also save you money over the lifecycle of your walk-in. The Hybrid cooler is ideal for the customer that wants the most efficient and competitively priced walk-in cooler in the industry. Its overall product lifecycle cost will prove that this walk-in is one of the best walk-in coolers available.

The goal of U.S. Cooler’s high quality walk-ins is to obtain and maintain the highest possible R-value, ultimately resulting in energy and cost savings. Both Expanded and Extruded Polystyrene are a closed-cell structure that is free of voids preventing both air and moisture infiltration which allows it to sustain a high thermal opposition through the life of the walk-in.

Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to help reduce energy consumption in the United States. The Act requires commercial walk-in coolers and freezers under 3,000 square feet to contain an insulation R-value of at least R-25 for coolers and R-32 for freezers. U.S. Cooler’s products exceed the government requirements. U.S. Cooler’s new Hybrid cooler has an R-value of 25.8 while their freezers have an R-value of 32.4, both exceeding government standards.

Our New Hybrid Insulation

You can also read about the differences between extruded polystyrene and polyurethane.