Previous approaches and models used to boost food production to meet the rising global demands are no longer able to keep pace. The ever-present threat of climate change, alongside burgeoning population growth, means that increasing crop yields or land for food production may no longer be a feasible or long-term solution. This has made it even more imperative for the food industry to explore innovative technology and tools that maximize space utilization, minimize waste, enhance productivity and optimize costs.

Feeding the Future

Over the next 20 years, the world’s population is predicted to reach almost 10 billion people. Historically, global food supply has been able to keep pace with this demand. However, the world now consumes three times more food than it did in the 1960s. Additionally, food supplies are not evenly spread, with one in seven people unable to access sufficient amounts and going hungry.

Population and consumption growth, alongside increasing competition for land, water and other resources, threatens the supply of food. Moreover, the climate crisis is causing temperatures to rise, precipitation patterns to shift, droughts to lengthen and an increase in extreme weather events, leaving many crops struggling to grow and disrupting the shipment of food on a global scale. By mid-2024, the U.S. had already experienced seven climate disaster events.  

There has never been a more pressing need to make our food system resilient to the shocks of extreme and unpredictable weather. How do we sustainably and safely feed 10 billion people by 2050? Research analyzed by the World Resources Institute points toward two major solutions: increasing food production without expanding land and facilities and taking action to reduce food loss and waste.

Food Safety for Tomorrow’s World

The sustainability of our global food supply chain and robustness of our food safety systems are intrinsically linked. In 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its Global Strategy for Food Safety, with the primary goal of strengthening food safety systems to ensure that “all people, everywhere, have access to safe and healthy food.”  

When approaching the needs of our future food supply chain, there is an overall understanding that simply increasing food production without ensuring the food is safe for consumption, would be counterintuitive, wasteful and pose a risk to the health and safety of consumers.

Modern Approaches for Modern Times

As modern and automated as many of today’s food factories are, they are entirely governed by increasingly tighter food safety, weight control, labeling and quality assurance regulations. While it is impossible to predict how exactly the landscape of food safety will change in the coming decades, there is a consensus that smart, space-saving technology will help to streamline workflows, increase productivity, eliminate inefficiencies and allow food manufacturers to keep up with rising demands — all while supporting a more sustainable food production future. 

Building on the framework of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint, outlining achievable goals to enhance traceability and strengthen food safety culture. By leveraging smarter technology and predictive analytic tools, the FDA is aiming to create a safer, digitized and more traceable food system. 

The Core Four

Metal detection, x-ray, vision inspection and checkweighing – these four inspection technologies are influencing how the food industry approaches production and regulatory compliance. Together, they guarantee a complete food safety and quality assurance solution, bolstering each other’s strengths and compensating for the other’s inspection limitations. 

As food demand increases, regulatory bodies will experience more pressure to ensure food safety and quality is not compromised. For manufacturers, this will mean increasing the number of risk-based preventative control measures in their facilities as their production lines expand and adapt to stricter regulations. 

Fortress Technology anticipates a wider adoption and integration of all four technologies in food production environments, particularly at the end of the HACCP/HARPC packaging lines.

New Levels of Efficiency

Food inspection equipment trends are shaped by industry and global needs. For food manufacturers, physical space restraints, cost production challenges and sustainability agreements have to be factored in when expanding production yields.

Combination inspection systems are already starting to make waves within the food industry. Manufacturers are observing higher levels of efficiency when there is one point of control with inspection technologies. Not only do combination systems significantly reduce equipment footprint, but every aspect of that footprint provides value to the company. 

With one system, all the sales, services, parts and technical support come from one supplier. By having one single interface, training and operating equipment becomes easier and safer, with cost-savings incurred from faster installation, reduced training time and increased operational efficiency. When compared to purchasing multiple, individual inspection systems, the faster ROI, smaller footprint and operational savings of a single combination inspection unit can be a no-brainer. 

One drawback of combination systems is that downtime affects the whole system. For example, if maintenance is required for the metal detector this would also inhibit the checkweigher function. To manage this, proactive scheduling of regular maintenance and comprehensive staff training can help prevent unplanned downtime from occurring.

Many of the perceived limitations of combination systems can be overcome with smart design considerations, customization and configuration flexibility, regular training and localized support.

One System, Four Technologies

Looking toward the future, metal detection, X-ray, vision inspection and checkweighing could be integrated into one all-encompassing, streamlined system. By doing this, the industry could see each technology’s respective performance synergistically enhanced, particularly when utilizing data analysis and AI tools. 

For example, vision inspection can improve x-ray technology by providing a visual context to the pack being inspected. Vision systems can also help to enhance checkweigher performance by reading weight labels and provide physical information about pack separation. Likewise, metal detection and x-ray can work in tandem to inspect for all types of physical contaminants. Where an x-ray can only detect higher density metals, metal detectors can detect both flat and spherical metal contaminants. The most important thing to note is that the performance and sensitivity of any technology in a combination system should never compromise the others. 

All-in-one inspection systems could also collect comprehensive data on each inspected pack, including details on weight, size, visual integrity, contaminant detection results and adherence to quality standards. This hub of valuable data resources on every pack has never been done before, from categorizing non-conformity detection to determine which is most critical, to increasing hazard traceability through production transparency.  

With the future of our food supply relying on optimizing current manufacturing spaces to their fullest extent, using modern technology, trends and data management, an AI-driven all-in-one system will allow food manufacturers to unlock efficiency while elevating food safety and quality standards.