Articles by Wayne Labs

Repeat recalls by the same company for the same foodborne illness seem to imply that they haven’t learned from their past mistakes. It’s a tough way to maintain a brand’s reputation. Nevertheless, the right tools applied correctly can help alleviate the repeated recalls.

Inspection tools today include metal detectors, vision systems, X-ray and NIR hyperspectral systems, and for some applications, all of them may be required for a specific food or beverage product. AI/ML promises to extend their capabilities in the coming years.

Plants often have aging equipment that works fine, and it may have sensors, but in many cases that data never connects with data from other siloed processes. Why not connect all the data together with intelligent networks and use AI to get a better understanding of the whole process?

Rather than a hodge-podge of sanitation and cleaning records scattered everywhere, why not tie them together digitally so they’re available in minutes or hours rather than days or weeks?

While the mixing and blending of liquid ingredients into a liquid product is an exact, controlled process, combining dry ingredients has unique challenges that have been difficult to control with automation. Finally, sensors and automation are here to help.

Some new ERP providers are building their systems from scratch totally on AI, but can their systems fulfill all the demands that manufacturers have expected from conventional ERP over the years?

Older facilities, in many cases, can be maintained to protect ingredients and finished goods. However, attention should be paid to drainage systems, along with monitoring environmental temperatures, humidity and airflows in critical spaces.

This visual overview, featuring images and videos of robotics applications in the food industry, illustrates what is possible with modern vision systems, artificial intelligence and robotics in a range of applications — from agricultural harvesting to serving up RTE meals, smart palletization and carcass cutting.

The world of smart packaging comprises many parts — intelligent equipment, recyclable materials, captivating art and lots of data — but pulling it together is a challenge. However, if done correctly, it benefits everyone in the supply chain from producer to consumer with timely information.

You know the origins of all your ingredients and everything that happened during the processing, cooling and freezing of your product, but what can you know about your product once it leaves your premises? This is the job of the track part of track-and-trace.