foreach $item ( @array ) {
    if( $pid = fork ) {
        print "Forking off to $pid\n";
    } elsif( defined $pid ) {
        &proprietary_function( $item );
        print "Done with function\n";
        exit;
    } else {
        die "Can't fork: $!";
    }
}

##</code><code>##

sub REAPER {
    my $waitedpid = wait;
    $SIG{CHLD} = \&REAPER;
}

##</code><code>##

    if( $pid = fork ) {
        print "Forking off to $pid\n";

##</code><code>##

    if( $pid = fork ) {
        $SIG{CHLD} = \&REAPER;
        print "Forking off to $pid\n";