Food safety is a serious issue and companies involved in production and retailing need to do all they can to ensure the quality and safety of their day-to-day operations.
There is plenty of official guidance available from organisations such as the Food Standards Agency; however, it is up to individual firms to ensure they comply with the appropriate regulations. In the digital era, systems are available to help.
Digital Platform
Diversey Care has pioneered a digital platform to collect data and monitor everyday food business operations to ensure compliance and allow the monitoring of product quality throughout the production process. This can be linked to training to improve any areas that are falling short. It can also pinpoint any issues that may lead a producer to revise procedures or buy used food machinery to improve its processes.
Ingredients are generally monitored when they enter a factory and finished products are monitored on the way out. The advantage of Diversey’s system is that it allows the continuous monitoring and control of the processes in between. It also eliminates much of the paper trail involved in food industry compliance.
Connected Devices
Last year Diversey also launched what it calls the ‘Internet of Clean’, connecting sensors, machines and other factory technology to provide real time information. If you are intending to use this technology and are looking to buy used food machinery from Clarke Fussells or another provider, it is important to check that it is compatible or can be adapted to deliver the information required.
Historically there has been relatively little digitisation of information in the food industry; however, the launch of this latest technology could see this begin to change. When looking to source manufacturing machinery in the future, connectivity is likely to be a far more important factor.
As with the broader Internet of Things, it is important to adhere to standards. This ensures that equipment can work together to provide information in an acceptable format, even if it is sourced from different manufacturers.
Maintaining standards of safety and hygiene in the food industry is vitally important. If technology can help companies to raise their game without increasing costs, then this is good not only for the manufacturing business but also for the retailer and ultimately the consumer.