The Ongoing Evolution of Next-Gen Inspection and Detection

The food & beverage industry continues to battle foreign material contamination of the product stream, and technological innovation continues to feed processors the tools they need to continue to push back the enemy. Even as food & beverage recalls continue to make headlines for foreign material issues, there has been progress toward reducing the risk of product contamination.

“We're moving from reactive to predictive decision-making,” explains Juanfra DeVillena, senior vice president of quality assurance and food safety for chicken processor Wayne-Sanderson Farms. “Digital platforms provide real-time visibility into quality and food safety performance, while AI and machine learning technologies are creating new opportunities throughout our 23-plant operation.”

Next-gen inspection

Like many systems in food & beverage processing, data and subsequent analysis are driving innovation forward. According to DeVillena, Wayne-Sanderson has been able to transform its approach to quality assurance, food safety, sustainability and operational performance simply through leveraging data analytics to identify trends, mitigate risk and make informed decisions before a shift ends.

The next frontier

Although AI continues to evolve, and quite quickly in most cases, it is already delivering measurable results when it comes to inspection and detection, DeVillena says. In the wake of all this progress, processors will be able to alter their approach to foreign material prevention as well.

“The next frontier is moving from reactive containment to predictive prevention through multimodal AI, hyperspectral sensing and integrated digital food safety systems,” DeVillena says. “Additionally, broader plant connectivity through IoT sensor networks, predictive maintenance, automated traceability and digital compliance systems will continue transforming food safety programs from retrospective reporting to proactive risk prevention.”