5 Benefits of IoT in Food Processing
The Internet of Things (IoT) is slowly but surely making its presence felt in the food processing industry. With its number of remarkable applications, IoT in food processing has started to provide food suppliers, processors and retailers with good opportunities for financial as well as operational augmentation in the food and beverage businesses.
Every functional area in the food industry has been positively impacted by the integration of IoT. For example, IoT in food processing allows food companies to achieve higher levels of traceability, food safety and accountability all throughout the supply chain. Additionally, the IoT network minimizes risk, costs and waste in all stages of the process. This transformation, dubbed “Industry 4.0,” changes the landscape of food processing to become a smarter, more connected supply chain.
Let us have a deeper look into the impact that digitalization and IoT have had upon the food manufacturing industry and consequently, their benefits –
- Improved Food Safety: By implementing IoT in the food processing industry, the risk of an epidemic caused by food illnesses have greatly reduced. Different types of sensors are being used temperature, essential production state and shipping time. Most importantly, the use of real-time temperature tracking sensors allows facilities to remotely monitor food safety data points, thus ensuring the effective management of its cold chain supply. The data also enables the supply chain to function jointly and remain compliant with local and global food safety regulations. Automated Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) checklists used throughout the manufacturing, production and transportation processes empower companies with meaningful data in order to put into practice food safety solutions that are the need of the hour.
- Increased Operational Efficiency: IoT platforms backed by machine learning algorithms can help ensure profitable and sustainable growth throughout the supply chain. This kind of technology and its capability to digitally analyze the data collected can give valuable insights into predictive maintenance needs, equipment performance and real-time inventory tracking. For example, IoT devices can capture and store the operating data, pinpoint inefficiencies in the production line and help identify actionable solutions. Remote connectivity of these devices greatly improves the field support and provides visibility in packaging operations. By monitoring the equipment from remote places, one can foresee issues before they occur, thereby saving time and money.
- Logistics: With the help of GPS systems and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) transmitters, the chain of distribution can be completely monitored from storage to shipping to the sale points or stores. RFID tracking provides visibility into the food supply chain, automates shipping and delivery, and monitors and controls temperature during the process. It enables companies to track the location of the product with GPS. All the data collected can then help the company to understand customer behavior, better respond to market requirements and decrease surpluses. IoT technology can also make it easier for both companies and consumers to track products, thereby amplifying the transparency of the supply chain and acquiring customer loyalty and trust.
- Production and Storage: Sensors can improve quality control, worker’s activities and real-time analysis for food production. For example, the specks and color throughout flour production or its moisture and protein content can be analyzed by sensors. This can provide real-time optimization of the production process allowing the flexibility to rectify any inaccuracies on the spot.
- Waste Reduction: A huge amount of human food production is wasted globally each year. This results not only in money loss but also damage to our environment due to the growing GHC emissions in the atmosphere. IoT helps to easily monitor the state of all food products and send real-time information to the handler, thereby decreasing food wastage.
The Industry 4.0 revolution continues to push the food industry to develop more innovative ways to connect the food supply chain to real-time product data. This creates a whole new sphere of possibilities for food manufacturers and retailers who can leverage IoT technologies to maintain the highest quality standards in production, find and solve inefficiencies in the supply chain, meet and exceed food safety regulations and provide transparency to their customers.
Read our blog on Automation in Manufacturing here
Implementing IoT solutions into your food business could be the most beneficial decision from all aspects. Thingstel’s next-generation sensors, visualization platforms, and customizable analytics modules come with increased intelligence, reliability, and improved accuracy specifications. Our technologies can empower and strengthen your business, providing you with a wide array of solutions ranging from predictive maintenance to remote monitoring to real-time analytics and data visualization. Reach out to us in case you have any questions or simply want to know more!