FOOD & BEVERAGE
FOOD LABEL VERIFICATION: A FUTURE SHAPED BY DATA
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n any business world, data is reshaping the landscape. Food processing is no exception. If we consider the next big technology development, it will inevitably be a non-incremental, non-organic, move away from human labour and towards automation. In food production humans generally perform two sub-tasks for each primary task. In virtually every case, one of these sub-tasks is checking/quality control.
After biological contamination, label related defects are cited as the second most common cause behind costly and brand-damaging product withdrawals and retailer returns. There are several powerful reasons to ensure that the labelling of food products is correct. From the perspective of a food processor, the reasons broadly fit into three categories – improved production efficiency, waste reduction and regulatory compliance.
BOOSTING PRODUCTION EFFICACY Automated label verification has a huge part to play in increasing production line efficiency in food factories. Many applications which were previously deemed uneconomic to automate are now being automated based solely on the unavailability of a skilled workforce. Using technology to verify the label offers far greater benefits compared to manual inspection. Given today’s production speeds, it’s impossible for one human to accurately read and process all the data for an entire shift. Let alone check all elements of the label integrity, use by dates, country of origin, special promotions and cooking time. Operative fatigue swiftly kicks in. A few minutes is more realistic.
Having decided to automate the two main questions that follow are “How to go about it?” and soon after “what’s the risk?”. Most automation tasks should be achievable and contacting organisations such as BARA can help guide projects. Among some of the many automation risks, one of the most significant is removing the final visual check due to labour shortages. For instance, a food operative putting meat steaks into a retail tray will inevitably check a multitude of critical factors, such as general appearance, colour, fat content etc. as they pick up and place the steaks into the tray. However, inspecting established quality parameters in each piece of meat on processing lines can be further enhanced with the use of automated vision solutions. Machine vision companies can almost replicate (and in
8 APRIL 2023 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
Dr Russell Sion, Director, JentonDimaco
many cases outdo) a human operative. It is non- destructive, easy and quick. It is entirely feasible that inspection processes on meat and poultry processing and packing lines will be dominated by cameras in the next decade.
In the case of checking the label is correct, the case for automation is much stronger. The label not only identifies the product but contains critical variable information such as “use by” dates and pricing. A well-designed label verification
Infographic showing how data and label verification systems connect in a typical food production environment
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