Food safety has become primordial in today’s world, where foodborne illnesses continue to be present. However, people have come up with a good solution, called technology, that can revolutionize safety in both the food and beverage market. Nowadays, everything happens rapidly, and we no longer want to wait an extended period for something, especially when we have ordered food at a restaurant. This is why restaurants and food industries need to prepare food at a faster speed, but they also must maintain hygienic and safe food norms. To meet these challenges, food-related businesses have adopted technologies that could help them deliver better services and products to customers worldwide.
Now, many companies in the beverage and food industry, no matter their size, have become more interested in ensuring safety in their operations. This applies to all areas, from food processing to distribution and packaging. The food industry’s safety can become the norm if companies invest in a digital transformation to maintain better safety and ensure quality in all products. Here are a few of the technologies that can improve the operations of food and beverage companies.
Temperature monitoring systems
One of the most present challenges that can pose problems to food safety is the temperature of the products, especially when the goods are transported from farm to fork, which always needs to maintain a set norm to ensure good quality and safety. The most tragic consequences of these practices are that people will suffer from foodborne illnesses, and unfortunately, some of them could also die because of them.
This is why manufacturers need to make sure that their food maintains a good temperature throughout the entire production lifecycle. Luckily, temperature monitoring systems could help with this regard. These technologies can read data and transmit it virtually so that company owners will always know the temperature of their foods when transported. Technology has improved these monitoring systems even more, as apps have been developed that offer better control over keeping track of the temperature of foods and beverages. These sensors have been adopted in many industries because they alert companies when something changes so that they can take the needed steps to address problems. This level of safety could never happen in manual checks, so we need to thank technology for this massive advantage.
Spectrometers
A spectrometer could also improve food safety, as with its help, food companies can identify if there are chemical compounds in food or detect anything that could present risks to human health. A lot of spectroscopic techniques are used in food safety, including infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Spectroscopy can be used in plenty of ways in food safety, so this domain can really improve operations for companies worldwide.
For example, with the help of a NIR spectrometer, companies can analyze all the soybean samples to ensure they meet the required standards while maintaining their quality. The uses of spectroscopy expand even further, as it can also be utilized to examine the chemical composition of barley, which is used in alcoholic beverages like beer. With the help of spectroscopy, organizations can detect mycotoxins, representing harmful substances that can pose problems to human health.
Spectroscopy can also detect counterfeit products, increase safety for all people involved, and reduce the risks of developing foodborne illnesses.
Robotics
Robotics could also improve the quality of the food industry, as it leads to automated operations, ultimately improving the overall food quality. Why? Because, robotics can prevent food contamination in all stages of production. Robots reduce direct human contact with products from the food industry, minimizing safety risks. Plus, robots always operate in more controlled environments, and this is why they have stringent food safety standards. In addition, robots can detect everything related to food standards, adding an extra layer of safety.
Robotics also play a great role in quality control, ensuring that food products maintain their quality, size, and shape. Robotic quality control is more reliable, as they are better programmed to respect exact standards. This improves a brand’s trustworthiness and enhances customer trust, which will always lead to better loyalty.
IoT
IoT can also improve food safety by detecting anything that doesn’t respect the norm, thus preventing contamination, improving customer satisfaction, and keeping better track. IoT sensors are able to detect harmful allergens, toxins, or bacteria, both in raw ingredients and the finished products. Additionally, IoT technology can improve the supply chain as IoT devices can transmit and record vital information, such as origin, identity, and history of food products. Plus, with the help of IoT systems, food manufacturers can also ensure they comply with all the regulations, increasing customer loyalty and trust.
Blockchain
Blockchain is a technology that has started to be present in many areas due to all the advantages it brings, and it also has the ability to improve food safety. Blockchain is a decentralized ledger where all information can be traced, and data can’t be modified once it is recorded on the chain. Blockchain is essential in the food supply chain, as it can track each stage in this process, and because of this, it will identify potential risks, and prevent diseases that can pose problems to human health. Around the world, some companies, such as Walmart and Nestle, have already implemented blockchain.
As you can see, many technologies can revolutionize food safety forever and create a new world where food safety is the new norm. Which of these technologies do you think has the ability to improve food safety the most?
