Grant Gerke

Recent regulatory moves appear to shift the burden of food safety to manufacturers, but they’re already taking steps to ensure quality food production – including designing facilities with safety in mind.

The definition of clean label is evolving to include not only natural ingredients but also decarbonization, reductions in virgin plastic packaging, cleaner processing, energy efficiency and more.

Traditional operator safety approaches are still in place at food plants, but dynamic digital tools and continuous training are solving problems for plant managers.

Data collection has become a major part of food manufacturing, but without data standardization, measuring overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) poses a challenge.

Food manufacturers are increasingly turning to cobots and robots to alleviate labor shortages, increase efficiency and manage tight operational footprints.

Food and beverage manufacturers are discovering that machine learning is a vital ingredient in moving to predictive maintenance strategies. Larger food companies have the jump on digital transformations, but smaller companies are starting small and increasing spending to start the journey. 

FOOD ENGINEERING discusses machine learning, neural networks, Industry 4.0, data governance and other AI concepts in food manufacturing with Markus Guerster, founder and CEO of MontBlancAI.

The food manufacturing sector is rapidly embracing automation and data-driven tools, with companies like Tyson Foods and Goodman Fielder leading the charge. From reducing labor costs to streamlining operations with advanced SCADA and MES platforms, the industry is leveraging cutting-edge technology to address workforce challenges, boost efficiency, and drive sustainable growth.

Food manufacturers now include sustainability-related emission programs but are still identifying ways to displace plastic from packaging.

New remote service tools and robust asset management platforms enable food and beverage companies to envision AI-based strategies and facilitate product innovation across the enterprise.