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This article does not necessarily reflect the views of the Food Administration’s editors or management.
Food safety is becoming a concern around the country. Consumers in particular want more information about food sources, often out of fear Potential carcinogens or cancer-causing chemicals. Foodborne diseases, pesticides and food additives are also on the list. The Food and Drug Administration has heeded the call and launched a series of regulatory efforts in hopes of increasing safety and oversight in the food supply chain.
When manufacturers, processors, and producers all realize their share of responsibility, food safety and related programs can be costly. Take meat and poultry for example. Depending on the size of the operation, a single food-safety plan can go anywhere From 6,000 to 87,000 dollars– And that doesn’t include additional training costs, which range from $120 to $2,500 per employee.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that on average 48 million People get sick every year from foodborne pathogens. This costs an estimated $15.5 billion annually, and associated pathogens are identified in only 20% of cases. If every pathogen contained in FDA-regulated foods could be eliminated, the food industry would save even more. 6.32 billion dollars per year. That’s not small potatoes.
Implications of food safety issues
Although these are hard dollar estimates, consumer trust and brand protection may be worth more. According to a study conducted by Johns Hopkins University, just one foodborne illness can have serious consequences for a restaurant and prove that it costs the company. Millions of revenue. The same is true if food products are to be recalled. According to a study by GMA, Covington & Burling LLP and Ernst & Young, 23 percent recall food. More than 30 million dollars Direct costs. Other activities can increase costs even further and have negative consequences for people in the supply chain.
Suppliers and business customers will feel the weight of the recall. From supermarkets to local butchers, businesses can lose significant revenue. in fact, 55% of consumers After the food recall, it changes brand names, at least temporarily. After all, 15% of consumers never buy the product in question. If a business operates on tight profit margins, losing a small percentage of customers can spell doom for the operation.
With billions of dollars invested in identifying and tracking food, it’s hard to deny that the marketplace is becoming increasingly efficient at identifying and tracking down the source of the problem. That’s a move in the right direction, but the marketplace is short on new technology for tracking and tracing. Soon after harvesting, it enters the food supply chain, especially when it comes to grains, nuts and fresh fruit.
This lack of accountability is unfair. Consider what this means for independent farmers who spend time and money to grow the safest crops possible. If someone in the supply chain uses different farming practices that call into question the safety of the crop, it lowers the value of the product. Prevention and improvement are important from a technological standpoint, yes, but being able to track each crop can make a big difference in encouraging greater responsibility for all parties and potentially protect the farm at a higher level.
Are they headed in the right direction?
Overall, the whole process seems to be working. So, yes: the industry is moving in the right direction, and both the tech companies and those in the industry deserve a lot of credit. They’ve listened to the consumer and been quick to answer the call to prevent the potential for contamination before food hits shelves.
The tightening of food standards has led to a shift in which companies large and small are pouring big dollars into new technologies. The added emphasis on prevention is that more and more digital solutions are finding their way to the market. A recent article by Technology networks It highlights how these technologies run the gamut from genome sequencing and smart packaging to sensors and food preservation processes. (Full disclosure: This is where our company, NanoGuard Technologies, spends most of its focus.)
All told, the future will continue to promote new and exciting technologies, driven by the need to prevent and identify pollution. As we continue to see this appetite for more food-safety improvements, we see more and more companies investing in each area. If you look at the venture capital space, it’s hard to ignore the increase in demand.
While the adjustment may not be as straightforward as in other sectors of the food industry, the potential return is worth the risk. In the first quarter of 2021, food technology investments in total 13.5 billion dollars. Investments fell to $8.9 billion in the second quarter, but that’s still a big focus for the food industry. And most of the funding was focused on creating a safe and reliable food system. While this may be a response to the global pandemic, it’s still a big win for consumers and producers.
Tracking and pollution prevention
With centuries of history, the food manufacturing industry clearly recognizes the importance of good manufacturing practices to reduce the potential for contamination. Clean facilities, for example, can limit (if not limit) the spread of pathogens that can make their way down the food supply chain.
What many manufacturers focus on is proper cleaning, which often requires a strictly written protocol of cleaning procedures that never leave the program. Cleaning is not often done, as this can damage the product’s touch surface and lead to other issues. More importantly, it’s about establishing a proper system where team members clean the parts within prescribed limits to ensure that potential contaminants are removed from the equipment.
Another area where the food industry is showing great positive activity is smart packaging and related technologies. Smart packaging technology generally helps manufacturers in a number of ways: measuring product freshness, temperature and microbial growth in real-time.
Smart sensors are quickly becoming the next generation of technology in the food industry. If it follows current trends, smart sensors could be found in almost all food packaging. If microbial contamination is observed, advances in food technology have enabled manufacturers to detect even small changes in the gas composition in a sealed package.
The same is true for changes in pH or the release of volatile compounds. Let’s say E. coli and Salmonella were concerns. You can get an antitoxin-based RFID sensor to detect one of these bacteria in packaged foods. The sensor uses immobilized antitoxins on RFID tags embedded in food packaging to detect contamination potential. All that is required is to attach the sensor to the device and provide real-time monitoring of the wireless network.
Contaminant detection can give an organization the ability to mitigate problems as soon as they appear. Reducing capacity early – even by a small amount – can have complex benefits, preventing problems in the supply chain and preventing catastrophic consequences for all parties.
Larry Clark He is the CEO. NanoGuard TechnologiesA company that protects food and feeds waste and improves food safety by eliminating harmful pathogens and mycotoxins. Ventilation technology. He brings more than 30 years of experience in agribusiness, including international business management, trade and international operations.
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