Why Is The Digitalization Of The Food Industry Important?

Is it possible to manufacture in a personalized way for an increasingly demanding consumer? The food industry 4.0 was born as a technological response to create an environment connected with the consumer and innovation processes.

Big data analysis, the Internet of Things, and the development of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) have created a new factory concept: more flexible, social, connected, and intelligent.

New technologies allow improving the chances of success since they enable the production processes to be managed more optimally, making them safer for the employees and for the finished product that reaches the shelves. That has a direct impact on minimizing defects in manufacturing and, therefore, in cost savings.

Connectivity is the key point of Industry 4.0. Mobile phones, social networks, tablets, and smart screens are examples of how the consumer participates through interactions in creating certain products, a determining factor in the final acceptance of the product; this means that products must now be able to meet consumer demands flexibly and sustainably.

But what new technologies has Industry 4.0 brought?

• 3D printing: Food printing is a tool that is already being used and that will bring many new features to the market.
• Chemical image: Thanks to this technology, a product composition map is achieved, including the percentage of fat, protein, among others.        
• Intelligent software: Together with sensorization and monitoring, this technology allows to regulate production precisely, obtain analytical data on raw materials, detect errors in packaging or carry out inventories in real-time.         

It is important to emphasize that smart food is a critical element of the present and future of humanity, and in this future, digital tools are setting the pace of the evolution of consumption habits. In addition to the challenge of competitiveness and dynamization, Industry 4.0 leads us to respond more efficiently to consumers who are more aware of their well-being from a nutritional and environmental point of view.

Installing the concept of Industry 4.0 in the food and beverage sector means talking about efficiency and competitiveness. This investment should not be seen as an added expense but as a value to bet on and that -in the short, medium, or long term- will generate the desired results in terms of business growth and productivity.

October 4, 2018