While the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was felt across every sector, it has been quite a significant one for the food industry. Particularly, the effect of the pandemic in terms of how the industry has been producing and handling foods has been one of the crucial ones.
The social distancing norm and periodic lockdowns saw the food industry largely rely on technology to stay abreast of the crisis. From automation tools to cloud technology, every bit of the latest innovation has found its specific application within food production cycles. For instance, meat processors have already started to expedite their plans to incorporate more automation and robotics to elevate food safety as the pandemic ravages their workforce. Similarly, many companies have started to look at wastewater to catch foodborne pathogens such as salmonella or E. coli. And as the calendar turns and we enter a new year, these trends will continue to take more prominent shape while many new ones come into the picture.
In 2021, transparency throughout the supply chain will dominate as the top trend of the year. New packaging technologies such as invisible barcodes are expected to cater to these rising demands in the coming months. Besides, innovations like digital expiration date labels that offer real-time monitoring of food quality are already debuting to spotlight emerging smart packaging trends. In addition to smart packaging, food producers are also increasingly using blockchain to track products from farm to table, including coffee and turkeys. Blockchain can help if there is a recall and can provide better traceability.
At this juncture, many cutting-edge food automation and manufacturing solutions and service providers are entering the domain with advanced and integrated offerings. To help the food industry strengthen its operational capabilities and simultaneously enable growth in the industry, Food and Beverages Tech Review has compiled a list of the top food automation solutions and services providing companies. The list comprises prominent organizations in the industry that address issues by implementing current trends. Besides, the magazine also includes insights from thought leaders in the sector on the industry trends, best practices, recent innovations, and their advice for aspiring CIOs.
We present to you Food and Beverages Tech Review’s, “Top 10 Food Automation and Manufacturing Service Companies – 2021.”
