Test & measurement
How can non-destructive testing be harnessed in the fight against food waste?
manufacturing industry is a key contributor to the UK’s food waste mountain. While food manufacturers typically tolerate only five per cent waste within their processes, in the UK alone there are 8,000 producers operating 9,500 production sites – the scale is vast. Waste can arise from numerous avenues in the
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manufacturing sector. For example, products not meeting the correct weight requirements, incorrect packaging, new product development, product defects and product contamination. While frustrating from a financial perspective, it is also important to consider the environmental impacts. After all, every tonne of food wasted impacts
a business’ bottom line – both in terms of lost revenue, as well as the cost of disposal. But moreover, the vast majority of food waste is left to rot in landfill, emitting greenhouse gases considered 21 times more damaging to the
environment than CO2. If food waste were a country, it would be the third most polluting country in the world. While the picture may seem gloomy, the
industry is fighting back. Indeed, thanks to widespread innovation and commitment from across the supply chain to curbing food waste, figures are beginning to decrease. One such initiative, which is being used by an increasing
ccording to insight from New Food Waste Horizons, a pioneering insights report exploring the UK’s progress towards achieving zero food waste to landfill, the food
Philip Simpson, commercial director at ReFood, discusses the value of non-destructive testing technologies and how they can be harnessed by food manufacturing businesses to reduce avoidable food waste.
number of food manufacturing firms, is the application of non-destructive testing technologies.
WORKING TOWARDS A RESOURCE-EFFICIENT FUTURE Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) is a process whereby defects can be detected without breaking a product apart. From automotive quality testing and spacecraft casting integrity analysis, to various applications within the defence industry, NDT is a widely-utilised manufacturing technique. When it comes to the food industry, NDT
can provide insight on structural, morphological, physiological, and thermodynamic composition. In addition, it can assess the temperature of a product, analyse if a seal has been broken, or test for freshness by analysing soundwaves (the acoustic approach). As a result, food manufacturing businesses can quickly ascertain whether a product, or batch, is in optimum condition – removing the guesswork and minimising unnecessary bulk disposal. From a food waste reduction
perspective, it therefore has the potential to further reduce avoidable volumes and ensure customers receive the best products possible. And while the process may seem expensive, time-consuming and complex, NDT is surprisingly cost-effective, rapid, sanitary, and reliable. What’s more, it can be undertaken with minimal human involvement, alleviating the issue of subjectivity. When a tested food product is rejected, it can be disposed of in bulk or extracted individually. So, by embracing NDT techniques, food
manufacturing businesses have yet another opportunity to minimise food waste figures, reduce their environmental impact and save costs. The process can prevent waste from arising in the first place, as well as easily identifying spoiled and damaged goods. But while identification is half the problem, disposal is the other. Indeed, while achieving zero waste status should be the goal, delivering upon this is not always possible. As such, what should food manufacturing businesses do with waste products? Furthermore, how can costs be minimised?
MANAGING THE ‘UNAVOIDABLE FRACTION’ While not the ‘silver bullet’, ReFood believes that food waste recycling is a simple and environmental alternative to traditional waste management solutions. Delivered on an industrial scale, food waste recycling harnesses the anaerobic digestion (AD) process to capture biogas released during the natural degradation of food. This gas can either be combusted to generate renewable electricity or upgraded and injected directly into the gas grid. The environmental benefits are clear, but what about the financial impact? Well, with no costly landfill tax to pay, businesses can expect to save around 50 per cent on waste management costs. Furthermore, the whole process is quick and simple to integrate.
58 April 2022 Instrumentation Monthly
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