5 Technologies Changing the Food Manufacturing Industry

As the food manufacturing industry changes, companies need different skillsets in their organization. They turn to staffing and recruiting firms to solve their problems.  

While many trends are changing the way food is manufactured and promoted, technology is improving manufacturing methods or increasing efficiency. Here are five technologies that are impacting food manufacturers around the world. 

Plant-Based Alternatives 

Meat is a huge part of the average American’s diet. However, in recent years, many people’s diets have changed whether based on personal beliefs or efforts to reduce their carbon footprint. In response, companies such as Impossible Foods have begun to create meat substitutes made entirely from plants. 

As food tech entrepreneurs use science to unlock the potential of plant proteins, they’re producing increasingly better plant-based burgers, deli slices and nuggets that look and taste like the real thing, but with a much lower carbon footprint. Some in the meat industry are embracing the new and investing in these alt-protein companies. 

Food Safety Sensors 

Food recalls are seeming to dominate our news headlines these days. As food manufacturing has grown, the need for increased safety monitoring has increased as well. Tracking food allows authorities to find out where tainted food has come from to notify others who may have the same food. But what if tracking measures could stop that food from leaving the manufacturing plant? 

Thanks to the internet-of-things, Internet-connected sensors can now measure time and temperature set points in real time and immediately send a notification if safety thresholds are not met. Now a bad batch can be disposed of right away, saving time and money while reducing the risk of that product leaving the facility, avoiding the fallout created by a recall.

3D Printed Food 

Other manufacturing industries are rapidly embracing 3D printing technology, and the food is no different. For soft foods like chocolate, the ability to build complex edible shapes is becoming a sought-after business. Currently, the global 3D food printing market is strongly motivated by the increasing demand for customized food products with nutrient content tailored to individual dietary needs.

Edible Coatings and Film 

To replace chemicals and plastics, many edible coatings are becoming available to help food stay fresh longer. Edible films and coatings based on cellulose gums effectively slow down ripening process in fruits like mangoes, bananas, and papayas. Various studies also showed that whey protein films and coatings can prevent oxidative degradation of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. 

Edible films and coatings can be effective as moisture and oxygen barriers in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. In particular, antimicrobial films and coatings are recently gaining potential interest in reducing the deleterious effects caused by also minimal cut processing of fresh fruits and vegetables. 

Blockchain Food Tracking 

Consumers want to know where their food came from, and when it was made. Although expiration dates give an idea of when a product should be used, that is very limited. With blockchain technologies, food tracking is becoming much more accurate and robust. 

 The idea is you can scan an item in the store and tell where it was grown and when it was shipped. This is helpful for the consumer, and in avoiding waste if contaminations are found at a particular source—you can get rid of just the affected crop. 

If you’re looking for staffing solutions to harness the latest food manufacturing technologies, contact Reliable Resources today. 

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