< Previous30 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net PROCESS, CONTROL AND AUTOMATION fruits without causing damage, are allowing robots to handle many raw foods. Advances in vision systems have also helped in this, and are seeing picking and placing robots in particular increase in use outside of the production line, with vision systems helping in the identification of products, allowing for better handling and sorting, while robots with intelligent vision systems are enabling specific placement of products on a belt to be completed with high accuracy. Automation is implemented well in monotonous and repetitive tasks that can result in high employee turnover and quality problems due to lost focus, such as the transportation of goods, where humans are replaced with AGVs, and in potentially dangerous tasks like cutting and slicing. Products must often be sliced in a manner consistent with a brand, or delicately to a high degree of accuracy with limited waste. Pre- programmed robots can perform this job with more precision and speed than humans, creating identical cuts every time. From simple machines to vision guided robots, automation can speed up cutting lines and improve safety in a highly hazardous sector of food production in terms of both worker and food safety. Advanced robotic cutting has the potential to automate the task of dismembering bigger animals, particularly those that cannot be dealt with via fixed station automated cutting - often used, for example, with chickens. Robotic butchery has been a difficult task to automate as each cut is based on shape and position of flesh and bones, and all animal carcasses are different. However, innovation has seen robotics combined with machine vision and other sensing abilities that automatically scope fat and structural characteristics of a carcass. Sensors can calculate dimensions of carcasses to help with precision and automated arms clamp on to the carcass while other arms use knives to cut them. Meanwhile, another robot can then sort the cuts and move them to conveyor belts, to be weighed and packed by further robots down the line, all with minimal human supervision. Automation extends to the most delicate of processes such as cake decorating, to meet demand in secondary production, where decoration by hand is no longer viable due to fast-paced production lines. With robotic arms piping icing onto cakes and performing intricate decorating, thanks to 3D and 2D vision technology, automation offers a perfect finish despite if the surface of the cakes or their sizes are inconsistent, reducing waste and as a result costs. Integrating automation today, and making the most of it, comes in hand with more intense data collection, data- based decision making powered by advanced analytics, and the IoT – which all come together in the current focus on embracing Industry 4.0. Though IoT is still relatively new to food production, a desire for deeper insight into the process of manufacturing, in order to boost production, efficiency and make savings, is seeing IoT technologies such as wireless sensors become more prevalent. With wireless sensors, automated processes, equipment and machinery can send and receive real SICK’s Deep Learning brings simplicity to complex AI inspection SICK has launched a suite of Deep Learning apps and services to simplify machine vision quality inspection for challenging food products and agricultural produce, especially those that have previously defied automation and remained distinguishable only by human inspection. SICK Deep Learning radically reduces set-up time and cost by enabling Artificial Intelligence image classification to run directly onboard SICK smart devices. With Deep Learning, programmable SICK devices take decisions automatically using specially- optimised neural networks and run accurate and reliable inspections that would have previously been extremely challenging or simply impossible to achieve in food manufacturing processes. Developed with user-simplicity at their core, SICK’s Deep Learning products cater for a wide range of needs and skill levels. The Deep Learning Starter App is designed for easy-set up by entry-level users, while the ready-to-use Intelligent Inspection Sensor App provides quick and easy integration with a large set of configurable machine vision tools. For more information, visit www.sick.com/gb/en. 28-31.qxp_Layout 1 27/11/2020 09:48 Page 3Food & Drink International 31 www.fdiforum.net PROCESS, CONTROL AND AUTOMATION HOSE, VALVE & COUPLING SOLUTIONS • • • • •• dixoneurope.co.uk+44 (0)1772 323529 time data, be closely monitored and processors are able to gain more control over and discover how to streamline operations, make and sell products faster and gain more profit. IoT sensors can be utilised for many purposes from checking equipment status and performance, to speed of lines, flow rates, temperature and other conditions. Many companies supplying these sensors usefully allow for alerts to be sent to smart phones and mobile devices. Wireless sensors also beneficially enable the automation of maintenance by providing constant updates on the health of process equipment like conveyors, pumps, and fans, and collecting data on the equipment’s performance which can then be used to predict when it will need to be replaced or repaired before is breaks, and can send advanced warnings for this. Being able to predict when maintenance is required reduces downtime for repairs and prevents productivity loss while also reducing the need for constant human supervision over equipment. Further, as the IoT enables connectivity outside of a facility, machinery and equipment sellers can be connected to their products on the floor, allowing them to monitor, troubleshoot and enact preventative maintenance remotely, decreasing site visits, which can be costly. As food manufacturers seek to scale up and alter operations to meet demand, automation will increase across the supply chain, creating a stronger, safer and more secure operation. © Shutterstock /asharkyu 28-31.qxp_Layout 1 27/11/2020 09:49 Page 432 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net TRACEABILITY Not a day goes by without consumers scrolling upon a product recall post shared on Facebook, which has unsurprisingly made trust of the food industry more fragile. These concerns come alongside ever more stringent legislation across the globe pushing traceability - the ability to track the movement of goods forward and back in the supply chain to record and verify product history - into the spotlight. Knowing precisely where every ingredient comes from, where products have been produced and packaged is more important than ever in light of this, and in mitigating problems down the line. If unable to illustrate high levels of traceability, companies and their products are simply considered more of a risk. Thus it is essential that food and drink firms create fully traceable supply chains, especially as sceptic consumers demand safer and ethical food and proof of these claims. One key change impacting traceability rules in the industry is the US FDA’s ‘FSMA Proposed Rule for Food Traceability’, building on now outdated and limited one step forward, one step back principles. The document standardises traceability practices for high risk foods, proposing additional traceability record keeping requirements for those who manufacture, process, pack, or hold foods that have been designated for inclusion on the Food Traceability List (FTL). While the requirements only apply to foods on the FTL, they were designed to be suitable for all FDA- regulated food products, and therefore voluntary adoption is encouraged industry-wide. The document comes as an important component of the FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint which features recommendations for using digital technology to improve food safety and traceability. According to the FDA, the proposed requirements would help it rapidly and effectively identify recipients of foods to prevent or mitigate foodborne illness outbreaks and address credible threats of serious adverse health consequences. Foods on the FTL include the following, and any foods that contain them as ingredients: cheeses (other than hard cheeses), shell eggs, nut butter, cucumbers, fresh herbs, leafy greens, melons, peppers, Absolutely essential New rules and a desire for transparency from consumers are making commitments to traceability more important than ever. Absolutely essential 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 27/11/2020 09:59 Page 1Food & Drink International 33 www.fdiforum.net TRACEABILITY sprouts, tomatoes, tropical tree fruits, fresh cut fruits and vegetables, finfish, crustaceans, molluscs, bivalves, and ready to eat deli salads. An electronic food safety management programme can assist in tracking products that would fall under the rule. The main aspects of the proposal involve firms establishing and maintaining records containing Key Data Elements (KDEs) associated with different Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) - this involves the collection and communication of traceability data and takes place at critical points in the supply chain. Growing, receiving, transforming, creating, and shipping are identified as the CTEs for which records containing KDEs would be required. The records required at each CTE would need to contain and link the traceability lot code of the food to the relevant KDEs. In addition to requiring records of KDEs, the proposed rule requires those who manufacture, process, pack or hold FTL foods to establish and maintain traceability programme records. The records include a description of relevant reference records, a list of foods on the FTL that are shipped, a description of how traceability lot codes are assigned, and other information needed to understand data provided within the required records. The rule also requires that records be maintained as original paper records, electronic records, or true copies, and are all legible and © Shutterstock /STEKLO 34 Á 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 27/11/2020 10:00 Page 234 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net TRACEABILITY stored to prevent deterioration or loss, that traceability records be provided to the FDA as soon as possible but no later than 24 hours after a request is made, and that an electronic sortable spreadsheet containing relevant traceability information be provided to the FDA within 24 hours of a request when necessary to assist during an outbreak, recall, or other threat to public health. The comment period for the rule is open until 21 January 2021 and following the final regulation a compliance date of two years is proposed. While such rules are brought into play, various technologies are being adopted in the food industry to help companies establish a fully traceable supply chain; to upgrade traceability processes to bolster inventory management, logistics and distribution processes, food safety, maintain compliance, perform efficient recalls, secure a positive brand image, and prevent fraud. Traceability also has a place in enhancing brand value and facilitates storytelling in marketing, is a signifier of quality, and in making available key information to prove authenticity of goods can justify a higher retail price. Tools being employed to achieve optimum traceability include RFIDs, QR codes, bar codes integrated with ERP solutions, wireless sensor networks, cloud, and blockchain. Blockchain is a frontrunner in the food traceability space, with the sentiment continuing that it will play a vital role in transparency and accountability in supply chains in creating an immutable, encrypted ledger or audit trail of product events. Blockchain is being used alongside technologies such as AI and the IoT, for full supply chain visibility, real-time data collection, and with barcodes and QR codes to present product story - from source of food to logistics data - to consumers. Walmart has perhaps been the most famous in its commitment to blockchain, in hand with AI, sensors and RFID tags, to enable the recording of real-time data as goods travel through the supply chain. The company has conducted various pilots across the globe, like its mango traceability pilot which reduced product tracing times from days to seconds, and its pork pilot, 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 27/11/2020 10:00 Page 3Food & Drink International 35 www.fdiforum.net TRACEABILITY smart tagging pigs with bar codes, using RFID and cameras in slaughterhouses to capture production, and GPS systems and temperature and humidity sensors in shipping trucks to ensure meat arrived at distribution centres safely and that procurement managers could track product information. New commitments and pilots to test out blockchain alongside other technologies continue to be made. For example more olive oil producers are signing up with IBM’s blockchain-driven Food Trust to mitigate food fraud and facilitate traceability. In this instance QR codes are place on product labels, linked to a blockchain backend operating on the cloud that gives producers a permanent unalterable record of transactions as olive oil bottles move through the supply chain. Upon scanning the QR code, consumers can trace production from groves to mills to stores. Meanwhile, Two Hand recently completed its first blockchain traceable shipment of lobster, sent to Shanghai, involving a solution where a SmartTag is attached to each lobster which can be scanned to track on software. Moreover, a consortium of industry experts and a global public health and safety organisation and certification body for food industries, NSF International, are developing an agri- food platform to identify and digitally record an animal’s journey from birth through the supply chain. The tracing system hosts real-time data in a blockchain enabled database for end to end traceability. Combining blockchain, virtual intelligence and data analytics, a three-factor authentication protocol is used to digitally track animals through the supply chain. Animals are given an RFID ear tag at birth and are registered with a DNA sample. Throughout their lifetime geolocation data points are gathered and stored, eliminating manual input and reducing error risks while producing a record of trust for livestock from birth. Though these steps forward are being taken, according to a Gartner study released this year, through to 2022, 80% of supply chain blockchain initiatives will remain at proof-of- concept (POC) or pilot stage, showing a future of industry-wide standardised blockchains remains out of reach. © Shutterstock /Franck Boston © Shutterstock /Image Point Fr © Shutterstock /koonsiri boonnak 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 27/11/2020 10:00 Page 436 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net RECYCLING AND WASTE MANAGEMENT future For the © Shutterstock /Huguette Roe 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 27/11/2020 10:39 Page 1Food & Drink International 37 www.fdiforum.net RECYCLING AND WASTE MANAGEMENT The responsible recycling of food waste offers several business benefits as well as the ripple effect on the environment, our urban spaces and the people that inhabit them. Firstly, there’s corporate social responsibility. As the relationship between consumers and business has evolved with the advent of social media, so too has a company’s responsibility. If a company is seen to be operating in a wasteful way, they can be called out online by media professionals, industry rivals and vocal contingents of consumers. This can leave a business unsure of how best to dispose of their food waste. Do they donate surplus food and drinks to food banks and other charities, as an increasing number of supermarkets, restaurants and retailers do? Or do they send their waste to anaerobic digestion (AD) plants where it can be turned into beneficial biogas? The answer comes down to size and scalability. For a food business, the former can be much more viable option. There will be peaks and troughs in terms of yield, products sold and surplus. Much of this will still be perfectly edible, but it might be approaching its best before date or the packaging might be slightly worn or damaged. A company can forge agreements with any number of food charities and social enterprises to donate quality excess food. No doubt there will also be spoiled products that are unsuitable for human consumption and are thusly better sent to AD In the UK alone, some 7.3 million tonnes of food waste is produced every year. While changing consumer habits will be critical to tackling this issue, a lot of the onus lies on manufacturers and producers. The same is also true of recycling and managing wastewater, as Food and Drink International explores. 38 Á © Shutterstock /Jevanto Productions 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 27/11/2020 10:39 Page 238 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net RECYCLING AND WASTE MANAGEMENT © Shutterstock /People Image Studio facilities. Data has shown that businesses across the UK are recycling more food waste than ever before. Waste management company Biffa reported an almost thirty per cent rise in the amount of food waste it recycled. This increase coincides with food waste and landfill diversion becoming a focal point of waste management policy. Collected food is steered away from landfill and sent instead to anaerobic digestion plants. A typical AD plant can generate up to 1,800 cubic metres of biogas from two tonnes of food waste. This is enough to produce 1,800 kilowatt hour of renewable electricity. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) claims that if the UK achieved zero food waste to landfill by 2020, the nation could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 27 million tonnes, with businesses saving £2 billion. Food waste isn’t the only by-product used to produce renewable biogas. Agricultural waste, such as straw and manure, is also hugely important in supplying this burgeoning industry. Farming businesses can either work in tandem with a biogas company or, more commonly, choose to erect a digester on their own land. This is a more sustainable option than the wooden pellets more commonly associated with biogas. Although tackling food waste along the supply chain is an important challenge, it’s far from the only area where food businesses need to take greater responsibility and a more proactive approach. 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 27/11/2020 10:39 Page 3Food & Drink International 39 www.fdiforum.net RECYCLING AND WASTE MANAGEMENT Not only are the agriculture and food production industries water intensive but produce a massive amount of wastewater. In the case of agriculture, this wastewater can be contaminated with faecal and other animal matter, chemicals such as pesticides, and antibiotics. Previously, much of this wastewater was simply outsourced to a processing plant or treatment facility – or sluiced straight into rivers or the sea – but in the wake of ongoing droughts and global water scarcity driven by expanding urban areas, intensive farming, climate change and inefficient systems, the burden is on recycling and reuse. To combat the myriad of contaminates lurking in wastewater, from biological matter to heavy metals, it first needs to be processed. Some of the key technologies involved in treating wastewater include chemical dosing, filtration, distillation, absorption, electrolysis and reverse osmosis, among others. Perhaps unsurprisingly, filtration is most commonly used due to its cost- effective and reliable nature. Reverse osmosis continues to become more widespread thanks to its high levels of effectiveness. Chemical dosing, meanwhile, is a critical element not only in treating wastewater, but treating water period. As with other methods, the quality and outcome of chemical dosing depends on the equipment that’s used. If a company buys cheap, they’re likely to suffer for it. Likewise, there’s plenty of standard options available which can be easily integrated into water systems, but there are also bespoke options which can be precisely tailored to meet a company’s exact needs. Treating and purifying water with ultraviolet (UV) light is a versatile and highly reliable method. In cities where ageing infrastructure is a concern, for example, contaminants can enter the water source and put the public at risk. Yet even at a domestic level, a UV water purification system can destroy 99.99 per cent of waterborne microorganisms in a single pass. Unlike some of the other technologies and solutions available, UV is environmentally-friendly and results in no disinfection by-products. Moreover, its electrical needs are low, meaning it can run indefinitely without racking up costly bills. Using the correct and consistent dosage, UV treatment has been scientifically proven to deactivate the entire assortment of microorganism attributed to spoilage – including viruses, bacteria and moulds. In a triumph for health and safety, the technology was also shown to switch- off microorganisms resistant to pasteurisation. This is critical in the food supply chain where waterborne organisms are responsible for adversely affecting the smell, taste and functionality of food and beverage products. Although a company might not reclaim its wastewater, leaving it untreated leaves their facilities and product offering vulnerable to contamination. The reclamation or re-use of industrial wastewater is integral to creating a truly closed-loop society, one in which a rapidly expanding population has access to food and clean water. It’s not enough to simply process this contaminated water for disposal but find new and innovative means of putting it to use. Leftover industrial liquids are finding new leases of life where before they may have simply been disposed of. Whey, a by-product from the cheese making industry, is being used for all manner of fermentations as well as providing a protein boost to health drinks and supplements. Then there’s hydroponics. Put simply, this is a means of growing vegetables without the need of soil and often in great indoor facilities that closer resemble laboratories than what we’ve come to associate with farming. Fruits and vegetables are grown and fed on misted water packed with nutrients, often leading to more produce than their traditional counterparts. This method is one of the biggest innovations taking place in the agriculture industry, offering a means of growing high-quality produce in urban environments or where open fertile land might be at a minimum. Combining this method with treated wastewater could have a transformative effect on supply chain efficiency and sustainability. 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 27/11/2020 10:40 Page 4Next >