In today’s food industry, food safety is of utmost importance. With increasing scrutiny on regulatory standards, the need to avoid food recalls, and the wavering consumer trust in food products, dairy processors must ensure that their food safety practices and systems are up to par. To meet regulatory requirements and reassure consumers of the safety of their food and beverage products, producers need to optimize their inspection and detection systems at the plant. These technologies are constantly evolving to meet the ever-changing needs of the dynamic food and beverage industries.
As the implementation date approaches for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s final rule on Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods, there is a greater need for the dairy industry to evaluate, understand, and implement high-quality inspection and detection systems as part of their robust operations. Mettler-Toledo Marketing Communications Manager Sarrina Crowley emphasizes the importance of stricter regulations and quality assurance standards pushing the development of more robust inspection and detection systems to ensure compliance.
Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a significant role in enhancing traceability and safety in food systems. As the world becomes more digitalized, AI continues to influence how the food industry operates. AI can help dairy producers meet the FDA’s Food Traceability Rule standards by increasing traceability capabilities. Sensor technology manufacturer Baumer highlights the benefits of AI capabilities, such as fewer labeling errors, increased quality consistency, and lowered risk for food and beverage product recalls, which are essential in rebuilding consumer trust.
Eriez sees strong potential for AI within inspection and detection equipment. Eriez Global Market Manager for the light industry, Cragi Lorei, believes that AI-driven systems can reduce false positives, identify production issues, enhance food safety, and optimize plant operations by providing actionable insights and enabling predictive maintenance. Multivac’s Technical Product Manager for Printing and Inspection, Sinisa Dunovic, notes the increasing interest in AI capabilities among dairy producers and the move towards increased automation in production.
When implementing inspection and detection systems at the plant, processors need to consider their equipment needs. Fortress Technology’s Regional Sales Manager, Eric Garr, highlights the benefits of metal detectors in multiple stages of the production process, emphasizing their high visibility, suitability for tight spaces, ability to handle higher speeds, extreme temperatures, and low maintenance. Silgan Closures’ Senior Engineer, Mike Palmer, recommends using software-based inspection and detection systems to avoid the hassles associated with gamma technology.
Proper installation of equipment is crucial to avoid bottlenecks and negative production impacts. Advanced Detection Systems’ Assistant Sales Manager, Robert Slauson, advises dairy processors to seek startup support and on-site training from equipment manufacturers to ensure proper installation and informed equipment operators. High-quality inspection and detection systems provide dairy processors with a comprehensive tool to address problems at the plant before they lead to costly recalls.
In conclusion, the future of inspection and detection equipment in the food industry looks promising. There is a trend towards stronger adoption of X-ray, vision inspection, checkweighing, and metal detection technologies, integrated into a single system for enhanced performance and production transparency. Increased data analytics will drive advancements in inspection and detection equipment, providing deeper insights and analyses for improved efficiencies and throughput. By utilizing data to predict rather than react during production, production managers can optimize machine and human relations, ultimately improving overall operations in the food industry.
