TORONTO, Feb. 12, 2026 /CNW/ - Armstrong Cheese, voted Canada's Most Trusted Brand in the Cheddar Cheese Category*, has introduced a new High in Protein Marble Cheddar Cheese — an innovation that has already earned them the 2026 Product of the Year in the Cheese Category by Kantar.**

Rather than asking Canadians to rethink their meals, Armstrong's new High in Protein cheese offers a familiar, craveable way to boost protein through a food Canadians already know and love. 

"With Armstrong High in Protein Marble Cheddar Cheese, we set out to deliver the great taste Canadians expect from Armstrong Cheese with the protein they are increasingly seeking," said Tina Galluccio, Director of Marketing, Saputo Canada. "Being recognized as Product of the Year is something we are incredibly proud of, because it reflects how strongly this product is resonating with Canadians and how naturally it fits into everyday meals and snacks."

Proudly Canadian, Armstrong High in Protein cheese is lower in fat and high in protein, delivering the signature melt, stretch, and flavour for which Armstrong is renowned, without compromising the taste Canadians love.

The recognition as 2026 Product of the Year in the Cheese Category reinforces Armstrong's continued focus on innovation that resonates with Canadian shoppers.

Armstrong High in Protein Marble Cheddar Cheese is now available at major grocery retailers across Canada in cheese sticks, shredded cheese, and block formats.

*Armstrong Cheese was voted Most Trusted Brand in the Cheddar Cheese category (tie) based on Canadian consumer research conducted by BrandSpark.

** The Kantar Product of the Year designation is determined through a quantitative study using a nationally representative survey of 4,000 Canadian consumers, who vote on products across defined categories.

BLOOMFIELD, N.J., Feb. 12, 2026 /CNW/ - SGS, the world's leading testing, inspection and certification company, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Murray-Brown Laboratories, a nationally-recognized food testing laboratory based in Denver, Colorado (United States). Murray-Brown Laboratories supports North American producers, manufacturers, and retailers by ensuring that their food, pet food, and nutraceutical products meet safety and compliance standards through advanced microbial and analytical chemistry capabilities including pesticide and mycotoxin detection. With North America leading the global food safety testing market in terms of regulatory frameworks and food recall management, this move marks SGS's commitment to expanding its service to the industry. 

"Over the past few years, we have seen an increased demand for rapid and advanced testing services from our North American clients - driven by stricter FDA and USDA regulation, an increase in foodborne illnesses, and consumer demand for safe and high-quality foods," said Jodi Jurgens, Head of SGS's Food Group in North America. "Our clients expect precise and timely results, while consumers expect safety and quality in the food supply chain. With new analytical chemistry capabilities offered by Murray-Brown Laboratories, we are excited to expand our service scope while also strengthening our geographical footprint for microbiological testing services. This addition to the SGS Food Testing Network will of course also allow us to better serve SGS and Murray-Brown Laboratories' clients while safeguarding the public."

Murray-Brown Laboratories also strengthens SGS's services for the nutraceutical industry with additional kratom, kava and hemp testing capabilities. With the expanded geographic footprint for microbial testing, SGS will be able to offer PCR and advanced microbial pathogen detection technologies to a wider range of food producers. These DNA-based molecular test methods are playing a critical role in rapidly detecting contaminants and pathogens to prevent foodborne illnesses. In the United States, the FDA continues to process a record number of microbial assays year-over-year. This highlights the significance of microbial testing for early detection of harmful pathogens.

SGS has been delivering food and pet food testing services in North America for over 27 years and for over 35 years globally. It operates six state-of-the-art ISO 17025 accredited labs across the United States. As a top global service provider for food safety testing, SGS holds the largest number of global accreditations to support North American manufacturers in bringing their products to market within the region and globally. This acquisition also contributes to achieving SGS's corporate strategy, , while aligning with its platform. Strategy 27 seeks to double North American sales between 2023 to 2027 by responding to megatrends driving growth in the TIC industry - including societal expectations for safe, high-quality foods and nutritional transparency.

Hygienic design is frequently prioritized over other features in food safety equipment due to the critical role it plays in preventing cross-contact contaminations. The PMMI 2025 Food Safety and Sanitation Trends report lists ease of cleaning as the highest priority for end users, with automated sanitation-supporting features also cited as key considerations for future equipment investment.

Fortress Technology considers sanitation alongside traceability and precise inspection in all of their food metal detectors, checkweighers, X-ray and combination systems. Features such as Clean-in-Place (CIP) systems, high IP ratings, tool-free component removal and smooth corrosion-resistant stainless steel surfaces ensure quick and effective microbiological sanitation, even for high-risk food applications.

Additional elements on Fortress Technology inspection equipment include sealed areas and protected electronics to support consistent cleaning without compromising performance. These designs reflect established principles around cleanability, material selection and accessibility, helping reduce areas where contamination can develop.

Automatic testing further improves hygienic operation. Strengthening overall verification quality, Halo Automatic Testing can be combined with Contact 4.0 digital reporting software. Used together these Fortress-specific features can help to identify upstream issues that affect cleanability and overall hygiene. 

Read more in Fortress Technology’s new whitepaper: The Role of Hygienic Equipment Design in Meat and Poultry Processing.

West Chester, OH – February 11, 2026 – E Tech Group, a leading provider of industrial automation and systems integration, 2025 System Integrator of the Year and Rockwell Automation Platinum System Integrator, today announced a collaborative live session with Rockwell Automation focused on helping Food & Beverage manufacturers accelerate modernization with PlantPAx®, Rockwell Automation’s distributed control platform.

Titled “Simplify Modernization of Your Food & Beverage Operations with Rockwell Automation PlantPAx® and E Tech Group,” the live session will take place on Tuesday, March 4, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM EST. Attendees will gain strategic insights into modernizing aging infrastructure, standardizing operations, and reducing migration risks through scalable control solutions.

Register here: https://etechgroup.com/simplify-modernization-of-food-beverage-operations/

In today’s competitive Food & Beverage landscape, digital transformation through modernization is key to operational agility. Aging equipment and fragmented systems limit productivity and expose manufacturers to escalating maintenance costs, increased downtime, component obsolescence, and greater cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The cost of delaying modernization is high, but the right strategy can turn that risk into an opportunity.

Attendees will gain practical knowledge on:

• Deploying standardized PlantPAx® architectures across multiple sites to simplify complexity and improve reliability
• Mitigating risk during migration from legacy distributed control systems (DCS)
• Leveraging digital transformation with future-ready scalable solutions to support smart manufacturing and future expansion

Featured speakers include:

• Umar Karim, Senior Automation Engineer III, E Tech Group – A seasoned expert in PlantPAx® implementations for Food & Beverage and CPG clients
• Kyle Van Druten, Group Engineering Manager, E Tech Group – An automation expert in manufacturing modernization, standardization and process control integration
• Tom Steffen, Senior Solution Consultant, Rockwell Automation – Bringing over 35 years of industry experience in automation and digital transformation

“This session is for manufacturers ready to move past the constraints of outdated systems and take real steps toward operational modernization,” said Kyle Van Druten. “Together with Rockwell Automation, we’re showing what’s possible when you align technology with strategy.”

E Tech Group brings more than 30 years of proven experience helping manufacturers modernize with confidence. From batch processing and CIP systems to data contextualization and regulatory compliance, the team specializes in designing, integrating, and supporting full-lifecycle automation solutions delivering safer products, increased efficiency, and greater visibility across the production lifecycle.