While the
Internet of Things is slowly making its presence felt in the food processing industry, with its remarkable applications, the Internet of Things in the
food processing sector has begun to render the various stake holders such as the food suppliers, processors as well as retailers with good opportunities for both financial as well as operational augmentation in the
food processing sector.
All functional areas in the food sector has been impacted positively by the integration of the Internet of Things. For instance, the Internet of Things in the food processing sector lets food businesses to achieve higher levels of traceability, food safety & accountability all throughout the supply chain. Furthermore, the IoT network decreases risks, costs & waste in several phases of the process. This transformation, dubbed "Industry 4.0" changes the landscape of food processing to become a smarter, & more connected supply chain. Some of the top benefits in the implementation of IoT in food processing sector include:
Improved Food Safety: The risk of an epidemic caused by food illnesses has reduced to a greater extent by implementing IoT in the food processing industry and various types of sensors are being used for tracking temperature, essential production state and shipping time. However, most importantly, the implementation of real-time temperature tracking sensors lets the facilities to remotely monitor food safety data points remotely, thereby ensuring the effective management of its cold chain supply.
The data also facilitates the supply chain to function together & stay compliant with local as well as global food safety regulations. Automated Hazard Analysis as well as Critical Control Points checklists that is used throughout the manufacturing, & transportation processes empower firms with meaningful data to put into practice food safety solutions which are the need of the hour.
SafetyCulture - a food safety software solution facilitates in eliminating paper-driven audit processes & modernizing the food safety compliance program. All that is needed to access this software is a mobile device, and it lets you capture critical food safety information. Build digital checklists which allow your auditors to generate comprehensive reports.
Increased Operational Efficiency: The Internet of
Things platforms that are backed by ML algorithms can help in ensuring profitable as well as sustainable growth throughout the supply chain and this type of technology & its capability to digitally analyze the data gathered can render valuable insights into predictive maintenance requirements, equipment performance as well as real-time inventory tracking. For instance, IoT devices can capture & save the operating data, pinpoint inefficiencies in the manufacturing line & help in identifying actionable solutions. Remote connectivity of these devices enhances the field support & renders visibility in packaging operations. Furthermore, by monitoring the equipment from remote places, one can foretell the issues even before they actually occur, thereby saving time & money.
"Automation in the food processing industry brings more opportunities for manufacturers today. By adopting new technologies, operational efficiency is increased and also the companies can integrate systems across the supply chain with improved results and safety," says Raghav Gupta, Director, Kanchan Metals.
End-to-end Logistics visibility: The chain of distribution can be completely monitored from a storage to shipping to the sale points or stores with the help of GPS systems & RFID transmitters. RFID tracking renders visibility into the food supply chain, and automates shipping & delivery, as well as monitors & controls temperature during the process. It also enables firms to track the location of the product with the Global Positioning System. All the data that is gathered can then enable the firm to understand the customer behavior, better respond to market requirements & reduce surpluses. The Internet of Things technology can also make it easier for both organizations as well as consumers to track products, thereby amplifying the transparency of the supply chain & acquiring customer loyalty & trust.
Enhancing quality control & real-time analysis for food production: Sensors can be used to enhance quality control, worker's activities as well as real-time analysis for food production. For instance, the specks as well as color throughout flour production or its moisture & protein content can be analyzed by sensors & this can render real-time production process optimization which lets the flexibility to rectify any inaccuracies on the spot.
Waste reduction: The industry 4.0 revolution continues to push the food industry to develop more innovative ways in order to connect the food supply chain to real-time product data, which creates a whole new sphere of possibilities for food manufacturers as well as retailers who can leverage the Internet of Things technologies for maintaining the highest quality standards in manufacturing, find & solve inefficiencies in the supply chain, and meet & exceed food safety regulations as well as render transparency to their clients.
One such company that has a large network of smart fridges stocked with jars of fresh meals accessible in workplaces, airports, hospitals & various other locations is Farmer's Fridge. Every fridge has the feature of temperature scanning which alerts technicians about when the temperature is off & the food will not be dispensed if it is not fresh. Based on an algorithm, the fridges stay stocked and learns about the customers' food preferences for preventing waste by sticking to a supply of what people want to eat.
In a nutshell
With the availability & enlargement of the Internet of Things solutions & services, the food sectors is experiencing a few key transformations specifically in terms of trends in food safety. Food manufacturing agencies can utilize the Internet of Things technology to keep pace with the highest quality standards with the assurance of having the same product, with the similar higher quality at anytime & anywhere.
