Robot utilization on the rise

When Canadian decision-makers weigh the pros and cons of adding robots to their workflows, many wonder if these advanced machines can fit into their budgets. Fortunately, some robotics vendors prioritize affordability in their business models.

For example, Formic Robotics is an Illinois-based company that offers by-the-hour contracts that allow manufacturers to pay for their robots only after they’re installed and operational. According to a report in the Wired, Polar Manufacturing, which uses Formic’s technology, found the solution costs the equivalent of US$8 an hour to run, making it less expensive than hiring a person to do the job.

Additionally, statistics published by the International Federation of Robotics in 2024 showed the world hit a record of 3.9 million operational robots in 2022. The report indicated the world average for robot implementation is 151 machines installed per 10,000 employees. However, Canada’s rate is slightly higher, at 198 robots per 10,000 workers.

Since robots are becoming more affordable and easier to obtain, some Canadian beverage manufacturers are beginning to realize investing in these machines could help them stay competitive in a challenging and changing market. Some can also gather real-time analytics from the machines and use the statistics to achieve continuous improvement.

Cyberworks Robotics’ autonomous self-driving technology automates manual tow tugs and forklifts without making any changes to the infrastructure of a facility. Photo © Canadian Food Innovation Network

Achieving better output

Some decision-makers choose robots to help them with repetitive tasks, such as bottling. That approach gives them better consistency, and allows factories to boost overall output.

In 2023, Coca-Cola announced a $70 million investment for a Calgary bottling plant. It will result in a new high-density warehouse on an existing property, and the building will have the company’s first automated storage and retrieval system. The 60,000-sf warehouse will have enough room to store 19,000 pallets of products.

Some Canadian brewers have also budgeted for robotic canning solutions. Ross Alger, owner of Alberta’s Confluence Distillery, uses a 14-sf machine that can fill 45 cases per hour. He appreciates how the robot’s compact size supports his company’s output.

He says employees only need to can a small percentage of the overall product amount made yearly and do it just a few times per month. That meant a larger system didn’t make sense from a floor space or financial standpoint.

Formic Robotics offers by-the-hour contracts, which allows manufacturers to test out at the technology in an affordable manner. Photo © CNW Group/Nulogy Corporation

Tackling labour shortages

It’s also becoming more common for people in the beverage industry to rely on robots for moving heavy loads, such as cartons and pallets of ready-to-ship drinks. Self-driving forklifts reduce the number of people needed to do those jobs while minimizing injuries. Ontario’s Cyberworks Robotics provides technology that turns manual tow tugs and forklifts into fully automated vehicles without changing a facility’s infrastructure. The company received $227,946 from the Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) to pilot test their technology in a live F&B facility.

Tow tugs and forklifts usually require humans to steer and pull them. However, labour shortages make it difficult to fill these handling-related manufacturing roles. A June 2023 Canadian labour market report found many respondents are anticipating challenges related to finding and keeping employees. Among the surveyed groups, manufacturing businesses were most likely (over 48 per cent) to expect issues around finding skilled workers.

Self-driving robots can’t wholly solve this issue. However, they can certainly help by accomplishing tasks with fewer people and easing the challenges caused by personnel absenteeism due to injury or other issues.

Reducing manufacturing waste

As consumers and producers alike become more focused on waste reduction, many are interested in making new, viable products from ingredients that are generally discarded. Ontario’s Dairy Distillery makes vodka from milk permeate, a dairy industry byproduct. The company invested in a partially automated solution to improve its labelling process. Its previous equipment had a 50 per cent error rate, and employees needed at least five minutes per bottle to fix the issue if they noticed it during packaging.

The company now uses a machine-vision camera system that automatically detects the label’s elements and shows the manufacturing worker a real-time image on a grid. That person uses those details to ensure they place the label squarely on the container. This approach addresses wasted time and labels. Another aspect of the company’s automation investment involves a quality control app that automatically recognizes in-tolerance label positioning and assigns a pass or fail grade.

Some manufacturers also use other high-tech solutions, such as sensors that can tell when food has spoiled or is in an environment where spoilage will happen without proactive measures.

Vancouver-based Trendi is a robotics and agritech startup that uses a different method of waste reduction. Its system consists of two main components. The first is BioTrim, an autonomous mobile freeze-drying unit that converts fruits and vegetables unfit for sale in their current conditions into shelf-stable products. These units can be used onsite, at manufacturing plants or farms. The second aspect of the business model is the Smoothie Machine. This automated vending device uses upcycled produce to create smoothies on demand.

These examples are only a sampling of the exciting things possible when Canadian manufacturers apply robots to their beverage-making processes. Individuals interested in taking similar approaches in their factories will get the best results by customizing their efforts according to goals, plans, budgets, and current workforce size.

They should not consider a small production output an automatic barrier to robot use. After all, Dairy Distillery produces a relatively small average of 1,500 bottles per day, but leaders there still found various processes to automate. Decision-makers should also set and track metrics to keep everyone motivated and working toward the same goals. These strategies increase the chances of successful robotics integrations.

The five projects will target the Canadian meat processing industry and the Canadian controlled environment agriculture industry with the goal of advancing automation and robotic technologies. Under the Canadian Meat Processing Technology Development Challenge, projects include:

• Exonetik, which is developing a low-cost, collaborative robot to help automate tasks; and
• E.O.I Technologies for developing sensors to collect data on fast moving conveyor systems.

Under the Enhancing Automation in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Farming Challenge, projects include:

• Exonetik for developing a robotic arm to work alongside humans to harvest fruits and vegetables;
• Mycionics that is developing a robotic mushroom harvester, packer and harvester lift; and
• Kinova for developing a robotic arm to pick, harvest and de-leaf cucumbers and strawberries.

“These cutting-edge solutions will help the sector overcome some of the challenges it faces, leading to a more prosperous and competitive future for Canadian agriculture. Congratulations to all of the winners and thank you for your great work,” said Lawrence MacAulay, agriculture and agri-food minister.

The Innovation Booster funding recipients are:

Project lead: GreenCo Robots Inc. (Alberta)
Project title: Integrated Table Tracking Solution for Quick Service Restaurants
Funding: $97,922

Since lauching in 2020, GreenCo Robots has provided more than 300 robot waiters to Canadian restaurants. Noticing the positive impact of AI and robotics on operational efficiency, they’re launching a Table Tracking Solution, specifically for QSRs. By seamlessly integrating with diverse autonomous robot models, their solution not only addresses critical industry challenges such as labour shortage and efficiency, but also elevates the dining experience by transitioning from traditional counter service to personalized table-side hospitality.

The integrated Table Tracking Solution, when coupled with GreenCo Robots’ existing robotic technologies, has the potential to optimize order delivery, minimize wait times, attract new customers and enhance overall dining experiences.

Project lead: Cheffer Technologies Inc. (Ontario)
Project title: Intelligent Menu-Planning Assistant
Funding: $94,415

Cheffer aims to revolutionize the foodservice industry by empowering operators through data-driven efficiency. This project will leverage data science and AI to develop a proof of concept of Cheffer’s Intelligent Menu-Planning Assistant. The goal is to enable chefs to proactively choose optimal ingredients during menu planning, such as by highlighting opportunities to leverage the highest value ingredients available, forecasting for waste reduction, and highlighting sustainable and local options. This initiative promises to elevate culinary decision-making, enhancing operational efficiency, and sustainability in the food service sector.

Project lead: ProFillet (Nova Scotia)
Project title: Pilot Trails of Plant Based Nutritious Catfish
Funding: $94,107

ProFillet is on a mission to craft a plant-based fish fillet analogue that authentically mirrors the taste, texture, and nutritional composition of raw channel catfish. Their product, now a finalist in the ‘XPrize – Feed the Next Billion’ competition, replicates the protein and polyunsaturated fatty acid content of catfish. Leveraging algal and plant proteins, along with starch hydrocolloids, ProFillet enhances texture and mouthfeel in comparison to existing plant-based seafood. Collaborating with food formulation experts, they’re advancing from bench prototypes to a pilot-scale production of two-three fillets, selecting the best for a subsequent 300-unit production run.

Project lead: Dispension Industries Inc. (Nova Scotia)
Project title: Intoxication Detection System for Unattended Alcoholic Beverage Kiosks
Funding: $89,562

Dispension specializes in secure, self-service kiosks for canned beer and ready-to-drink beverages. Their key innovation is Intoxivision, an intoxication detection system that uses thermal imaging for real-time analysis of a person’s intoxication level. This project aims to develop an intoxication detection model, create a real-time detection device, undergo regulatory compliance reviews, and document the findings. The goal is to advance Intoxivision to commercial readiness, enabling Dispension’s beer kiosks to operate fully unattended in stadiums and venues, offering a contactless and secure solution for dispensing alcoholic beverages.

Project lead: Transport Genie Ltd. (Ontario)
Project title: Smart Real-Time Gas Sensors Development and Integration
Funding: $60,107

Transport Genie is advancing their sensor technology by integrating gas measurement capabilities—specifically for ammonia, carbon dioxide, and ethylene in parts per million—alongside temperature and humidity monitoring. This innovation aims to enhance precision and minimize risks during transportation events, offering real-time insights. Monitoring ethylene is crucial, especially as it’s released during fruit and vegetable ripening. The incorporation of these sensors not only opens new revenue streams, but also addresses sustainability concerns. Transport Genie’s Canadian-designed, manufactured, and assembled sensors have the potential to play a vital role in reducing food waste through instant alerts and improved situational awareness.

Project lead: JAKS Automation Inc. (British Columbia)
Project title: Robotic Paneer Handling & Packaging System
Funding: $28,405

JAKS Automation is implementing an advanced robotic pick-and-place system in a paneer production facility. Their cutting-edge system adeptly handles three sizes of paneer – small, medium, and large – utilizing a food-grade precision suction-based robotic end effector. Integrated with a machine vision camera, the system identifies and retrieves paneer from a conveyor. This seamless process optimizes production by efficiently placing paneer into packaging units, ensuring precision and reducing waste from mishandling.

“These six projects represent CFIN’s vision for a future where new ideas and technologies create a more efficient, sustainable, and customer-centric food industry. As we introduce intelligent solutions, autonomous robots, and state-of-the-art technologies, it’s clear that Canadians aren’t just embracing change in the food sector – we’re the ones driving it,” said Dana McCauley, CEO, CFIN.

This year hosted 1,200 exhibitors (30 per cent coming from abroad) while 10,000 meetings were scheduled.

The 2023 edition of Cibus Tec was opened by Franco Mosconi, president of Fiere Parma.

“Fiere di Parma is a special place, in which the authentic beauties of this country are periodically on display: art, antiques, tourism, good food. With Cibus Tec, however, it takes the visitor inside an ideal factory of the future in which one can experience first-hand all the processes – of very high technical depth – that bring the foods and drinks we consume daily to our tables,” says Mosconi. “All this gives enormous prominence to the foodtech supply chains and manufacturing excellence of our territory and of Italy as a whole, attracting highly qualified exhibitors and visitors from all over the world, certain of finding here in one place, the best and most advanced solutions, technologies and innovations for the food industry.”

Photo: Cibus Tec

The inauguration ceremony was an opportunity to present data from the first Cibus Tec machinery observatory for food & beverage, which aims to measure and monitor the size, performance, markets and competitiveness of the supply chain on international scale.

The meeting was concluded by Emanuele Di Faustino, head of industry, retail and services at Nomisma, who oversaw project.

“Despite the uncertain international macro-economic and geopolitical scenario, the opportunities for a further expansion of Italian exports of food and beverage technologies and machinery in the coming years are plausible. The market of greatest interest for Italian companies is certainly the United States, the main world importer (7 billion euros in 2022) and the first destination for Made in Italy exports (1.2 billion euros), a record destined to remain so in the future, thanks to an expanding food industry and significant growth rates in the demand for Italian machinery. Precisely in light of this strategic nature, the USA was the first market to be studied in depth within the newly created Machinery Observatory for Food & Beverage by Nomisma for Cibus Tec,” he said.

Many companies who operate in Canada were exhibitors at the show, including: bioMerieux, Honeywell, Kronen GMBH and Provisur Technologies, to name a few.

The Italian company, Bardiani Valves, opened a Canadian distribution office in Toronto in 2014. At the Bardiani booth, Food in Canada had a chance to speak with Andrea Genitrini, General Manager at Bardiani about the show and Italian/Canadian ties. 

“At this edition of the trade show we decided to invite our biggest Canadian partners to our Parma facility. We try to open up in the same way they opened to us when we first came to Canada. We hope to share Italy with them like a local.” 

Bardiani hosted an evening of education and networking on October 24 at their Parma plant. There were presentations on their machinery and equipment, with the team available to explain the features and advantages of new technologies. 

Various events took place during the week, one of the conferences scheduled was organized by the Order of Food Technologists from Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, and Umbria.

“The Impact of Circular Economy on Food Safety” roundtable discussion provided insights into the importance of food safety in companies adopting sustainable practices such as reducing their carbon footprint, fighting food waste, food redistribution, and waste management. The seminar concluded a three-day event hosted by the Order, in collaboration with Cibus Tec, which focused on current regulations and innovations in food, from functional foods to cultured meat, from insect-based products to plant-based products, and clean-label offerings.

In celebration of the 120^th anniversary of the International Milk Federation and the Italian Committee, a discussion took place aimed at giving voice to the dairy industry. The goal was to share business experiences and strategic directions to collectively tackle upcoming challenges.

Demo line. Photo: Cibus Tec

Walking through the conference halls, machines were spotted in action; moving in rapid speed, zipping vacuum sealed cheese and other products down converter belts with precision. 

In Hall 2, three automated production lines were showcased. One was dedicated to a traditional Italian bakery product, ‘pinsa,’ which has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years. The processes of mixing, forming, and packaging the finished product were designed to optimise production, minimise waste, and ensure precise weight accuracy.

A second line replicated the processes of portioning and packaging hard and semi-hard cheeses. The initial step was cutting, a process that could be conducted with different diameters and heights, resulting in products with fixed geometry or calibrated weight. The portioned cheese was transported to a quality control system that employed 2D and 3D analysis to examine the product both dimensionally and cosmetically. Safety at work was also considered in this line, with specific stainless steel protections safeguarding tasks performed by human operators.

The third line replicated the packaging of ‘Doypack’ bags, applied to candies (though the process is versatile). An aspirator transported the sweets to a 10-head weigher, which could adjust the product dosage as needed for packaging. The packaging machine featured both a bag loader with servo-assisted pick and place and a system for discarding unopened or improperly positioned packages. The line integrated an electronic gas mixer in direct communication with the machine, minimising consumption. At this stage, packages passed through an in-line sealing integrity control system, ensuring food safety and product quality.

Start up arena. Photo: Cibus Tec

In Hall 4, at the Cibus Tec Digital Factory, visitors entered the world of Industry 5.0, where digital technologies such as the industrial internet of things, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence optimised production efficiency, streamlined maintenance and training operations, made production more sustainable, and enabled new post-sales business models for machine manufacturers.

Mechanics for the F&B industry is an area of focus in Italian manufacturing; with over 2,100 active companies and 61,000 employees, the sector generated a turnover of 15.7 billion euros in 2022. Compared to 2019, turnover grew by 7.6 per cent, while the workforce recorded an increase of 11.7 per cent.

This industry also represents one of the Made in Italy sectors most suited to international markets, with exports of eight billion euros in 2022 (24.2 per cent compared to 2012). In the first six months of 2023, compared to the same period of 2022, the export trend is growing (+16.4 per cent), and at the end of 2023, it is estimated to close with a value of approximately 8.8 billion (+10 per cent compared to 2022).

Supply chain optimization

Automation and AI streamline supply chain processes, enabling companies to operate more efficiently and cost-effectively. For instance, Toronto-based McCain Foods has enriched and enhanced its demand planning and production forecast through its investment in Fiddlehead Technology (Moncton, N.B.), a company specializing in data science and machine learning solutions for the food and beverage industry. This has allowed McCain to better manage inventory, reduce its waste, costs, and carbon footprint.

TheoryMesh, Winnipeg, is growing its software as a service (SaaS) platform that captures data from across food supply chains and uses blockchain and machine learning for certification and traceability.

“Improving the food supply chain is an imperative to feed the world and reduce the impact of agriculture and food waste on the environment,” says TheoryMesh CEO Chris Bunio.

Improved product quality

Robotics and AI are being used by food companies to ensure product quality and safety. A notable example is A&L Canada Laboratories in London, Ont. It uses AI-driven image analysis to detect contaminants and defects in food products, ensuring they meet the highest safety standards. This technology reduces the risk of food-borne illnesses and enhances consumer trust in the industry. Additionally, food and beverage businesses are using robotics to automate the cleaning of food processing equipment, reducing the risk of contamination, and improving food safety.

Labour savings

By automating repetitive and physically demanding tasks, companies can save labour costs and improve working conditions for their employees. Robotics is becoming prevalent throughout all stages of food production, including for sorting, packaging, and material handling. Robots help reduce workplace injuries, increase efficiency, scale up production, and allow employees to perform less physically demanding and risky tasks.

With Canadian Food Innovation Network’s (CFIN’s) support, Cyberworks Robotics, Markham, Ont., is developing autonomous self-driving tow tugs for food distribution and production centres. The company is currently partnering on a pilot project to mitigate labour shortages, decrease operating costs, increase worker safety, and increase logistical efficiencies within facilities, without changes to their infrastructure.

“Our mission is to reduce costs to the consumer,” explains Vivek Burhanpurkar, CEO of Cyberworks. “We enable this by reducing labour shortages and labour costs for food and beverage companies by providing self-driving solutions for common tasks like operation of forklifts and floor scrubbers.”

Reducing waste

Industrial solutions based on automation and AI are used to reduce waste, water use and the reliance on plastics. Automated systems for packaging and processing, for instance, can reduce waste, while improving efficiency. Ottawa’s Food Cycle Science Corporation (FCS) is developing technology that combines the use of enzymes with automation of food waste biodegradation. The company uses sensors and automation in its FoodCycler technology to rapidly degrade biodegradable plastics and transform them, along with food waste, into a beneficial soil amendment that reduces reliance on artificial fertilizers and contributes to a circular food economy.

AI-driven technologies are revolutionizing all aspects of the industry, from new product development to supply chain management and sustainability efforts. Expect to see more companies investing in automation and AI to maintain their competitive edge.

Cost savings and price optimization

By using AI and machine learning, food businesses can make data-driven decisions, optimize pricing strategies, and improve overall profitability through:

Demand forecasting – analyzing data such as historical trends, identifying seasonality and weather patterns to predict demand.

Dynamic pricing – monitoring real-time market conditions, competitor pricing, and customer behaviour to adjust prices dynamically.

Personalized pricing – analyzing customer behaviour, preferences, and purchasing history to create personalized offers and targeted discounts.

Price elasticity modelling – estimating price elasticity, which measures the sensitivity of demand to changes in price.

Inventory management – helping to optimize inventory levels by analyzing sales data, identifying patterns, and predicting future stock needs.

Promotion optimization – analyzing past promotional campaigns, customer responses, and competitor strategies to help businesses design effective promotions.

Competitor analysis – monitoring competitor prices, promotional activities, and product offerings in real-time so food businesses can make informed decisions on pricing and marketing strategies.

Cost optimization – identifying inefficiencies in the supply chain, production processes, and distribution networks, leading to cost savings.

Nestor Gomez is chief technology officer for the Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN), a national, free, member-based organization stimulating innovation across the Canadian food sector. Contact him at nestor@cfin-rcia.ca.

Automated order fulfillment solutions can be installed within the distribution end of food manufacturing facilities or in stand-alone distribution centres (DCs). While previous generations of automation couldn’t meet the need for speed and safety when it came to fresh foods, modern systems are now changing the game. These solutions can take over the entire distribution process from the moment products come off the production line. All order fulfillment functions run as part of one fast, seamless operation—from receiving and storage to picking, palletizing and shipping.

This streamlined setup is ideal for facilities like produce processing plants, dairy plants, and commercial bakeries, where product freshness depends on the speed of order fulfillment. With automation distributing fresh products as quickly and efficiently as possible, food manufacturers can ultimately satisfy customers with optimal quality, freshness, and shelf-life.

As customer demands and supply chain challenges grow, we’ll see more and more food manufacturers turning to automation. Here are a few key factors that will drive automation adoption the remainder of this year and beyond.

Labour shortages

For years, labour shortages have been a big problem across Canada. Factors driving these shortages include economic impacts and a generation of workers looking to retire. And it’s not just the 65-and-over crowd hanging up their tool belts. According to a study by Statistics Canada, a record number of Canadians aged 55 to 64 retired in the last 12 months.

Staffing shortages hit hard for production facilities and DCs with a traditional distribution setup, where fresh food orders are still picked and prepared by hand. As older workers retire, facility managers struggle to find jobseekers interested in taking on such physically demanding and potentially dangerous work. When new hires do come on board, they rarely stay long. Many quit within a few months, leaving companies right back at square one. Staffing problems only grow worse during peak seasons or when demand unexpectedly spikes. Orders flood in, yet facilities don’t have enough staff to keep distribution operations running smoothly.

To tackle these problems, food manufacturers are filling the gaps in their distribution operations through automation. Robotic solutions can take over all fresh food handling tasks, maximizing throughput even when demand spikes and labour is scarce.

Of course, this doesn’t mean human employees are no longer needed. Instead of doing heavy lifting, employees can take on safer, less strenuous jobs like operating, supervising, and maintaining the automated equipment. These types of engaging roles will create better satisfaction for existing employees, plus help attract young jobseekers who want to work with technology.

Shrinking storage space 

Over the years, food manufacturers have expanded their portfolios to meet consumer demand for variety. This means more products, more flavours, and more packaging sizes. Unfortunately, their DCs weren’t designed to house so much inventory, and they’re now running out of storage space. Instead of dealing with the time and costs involved in moving to a bigger building, some companies are using automation to get the most out of what they already have.

Automated systems that incorporate high-density, floor-based storage can accommodate more products—while ensuring every SKU is still easily accessible. Within these systems, all fresh and perishable products are housed in sturdy plastic crates. Overhead gantry robots stack the crates in designated storage areas, directly on the warehouse floor. There are no shelving systems or aisles to eat up valuable space. When a specific SKU is needed for an order, the gantry robots rapidly access the right crate from overhead. This type of system takes up 50 per cent less space than a typical setup, leaving room for future growth.

Safety and sanitation standards 

Facilities that handle fresh food need to comply with the Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA) and its regulations. Traceability is a big part of compliance, and automation can help. As fresh food moves through an automated facility, a warehouse management system (WMS) automatically captures unique barcode data for each product. All data gets saved to a database. If any recall occurs, grocers can quickly trace the affected products’ distribution path.

When fresh products come off the production line or enter the DC, they’re immediately moved by robots into temperature-controlled storage areas. The products are ready for picking right away, which reduces the chance of spoilage.

On top of it all, some automated systems can speed the facility sanitation process. With solutions that use overhead gantry robots and floor-based storage, there are no racks or shelves to collect dust and dirt. If there’s an accidental spill, or when it’s time for routine sanitation, gantry robots clear the floor completely. It just takes minutes, and everything is wide open for easy cleaning.

Sustainability goals

Sustainability has become a hot topic in every industry, and many consumers prefer to support companies that take greater responsibility for their environmental and social impacts. Some consumers will even pay more to support sustainability. In one survey by PwC Canada, 64 per cent of Canadian consumers said they would pay a premium for products made from recycled, sustainable, or eco-friendly materials, and 63 per cent said the same for products produced by a company with a reputation for ethical practices.

Automation can help fresh food brands support their sustainability goals in multiple ways:

• by accelerating the speed of fresh goods to stores, manufacturers can minimize premature spoilage and prevent food waste;
• energy-efficient automated equipment can reduce energy usage within production facilities and DCs; and
• automated systems that handle fresh food in reusable plastic crates reduce the need for on-time-use materials like cardboard boxes.

These are just a few of the many possibilities.

New cost-effective approaches

Finally, new solutions and strategies are lowering the cost barrier for automation adoption. Many companies believe automating means massive implementations, high costs, and long timelines. Others are concerned that they’ll invest in an expensive solution, only to outgrow its capacity down the road. But with today’s innovative modular solutions, neither has to be the case.

Modular solutions are built with individual, pre-engineered cells of automation. The modules can be arranged to fit any facility footprint—even older buildings that have been in operation for years. Since each module can run independently, food manufacturers and distributors can take a phased approach to implementation. They can start by automating processes that will generate the biggest and quickest ROI, while the rest of their facility operates as usual. Then, they’ll be able to add more modules over time as needs change or business grows. With a modular solution, the benefits of automation are easier and less costly to achieve.

Fresh food supply chains of the future

It’s a challenging, yet exciting time to be part of the fresh food supply chain. Automation and other emerging technologies are creating so many new opportunities for food manufacturers to optimize supply chain processes, improve business performance, and better satisfy customers. Fresh and perishable food distribution is one great place to focus their modernization efforts.

Adam Gurga is sales manager for North America, Cimcorp.

Using automation can improve productivity and create a more sustainable, energy-efficient product. These are fundamental benefits of incorporating automation for bakeries of all sizes. Automating production and packaging lines can be easily measured while keeping up with product demand. Also, automation is one solution to address the current tight labour market. Typically, automation works at a more consistent rate (and faster) than human workers.

Smart technologies will help decision makers improve operator and food safety in bakeries. Photo © industrieblick / Adobe Stock

Efficient operations

Daniel Millar, business development manager, Factory Automation/Packaging at Emerson, describes, “Production and packaging lines are the areas of the baking process that we’re seeing the greatest automation demand. Today’s bakers are facing the same skilled labour shortages and sustainability pressures as other industries. With fewer or inexperienced personnel, it can be challenging to improve or even maintain production uptime to meet demand. With no way to monitor equipment and processes, bakers may not know if they’re getting the proper product count for ingredients, and operations may use more energy and resources than required. By automating production and packaging lines, staff can work more efficiently, operations can rely less on personal knowledge and experience and processes can result in less waste.”

Millar points out, “With such optimized operations, bakeries can better ensure production levels and respond faster to market demands to remain competitive. Depending on the application, automation can improve facility safety. Smart technologies that continuously monitor operations and provide advanced analytics can give bakeries greater control over energy and resource consumption and significantly improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).”

Let’s talk ROI

Automation is an investment. However, the ROI can be advantageous. With the benefit of automation, bakeries can improve accuracy during the production process resulting in improved product quality. Peter Rasmussen, industry segment business driver – baking, North America, Festo Corporation, explains, “If you look at the overall baking process, primary packaging has been the area with the most focus on automation, as it generated the highest levels of ROI. While bakeries can see great returns on their investments by taking advantage of automation in packaging, I also think bakeries of tomorrow will look at automation in a more holistic view. They will capture data points and employ software to help decision makers improve operator and food safety, while increasing operational efficiencies and lowering environmental impacts. This, in turn, could help them engage their labour force by making work more interesting, which can assist in labour retention, another way of enhancing ROI.”

Automation is not just for large bakeries. Automation can be introduced in stages, and it does not need to take away the artisan style for small and mid-sized bakeries. For this group, rather than installing a multiple function system, it may be better to first integrate a smaller scale solution. At the International Baking Industry Expo (IBIE) 2022, I discovered Festo’s new generation of soft customizable, hand-like grippers. These robots can be deployed in applications where individual baked goods are handled to pick and place all sizes and formats. Advancements in design allow for handling odd-shaped items like artisan cupcakes with icing. The grippers’ finger-like movements are suitable for end-of-the-line packaging. Food safety and ease of cleanability, quick and simple changeovers, and low energy consumption are all part of the design.

In 2020, advances in automation were driven by a need to meet record demand for baked goods on supermarket shelves. Today, customized automation and unique digital transformation continue to expand in bakeries of all sizes. 

Decarbonization company Relocalize received $246,618 in funding. With the motto of “thinking big by being small,” Relocalize’s autonomous micro-factories make the food supply chain more sustainable.

The company will be using the funding to pilot the world’s first autonomous micro-factory for food and beverage at their partner’s facility in Florida, in partnership with Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie and Fresco y Mas stores.

Relocalize will produce packaged ice hyper-locally on-demand at their distribution centre. As part of the pilot phase, the system will produce ice that will be initially available at two stores in Jacksonville. Since the micro-factory is located at the distribution centre, the product only has a one-step journey from point of distribution to the customer or store.

“We have developed autonomous micro-factories that do everything a large factory can, but they are miniature so they can be placed hyper locally,” said Wayne McIntyre, CEO, Relocalize. “Since these products are made hyper locally, there is no longer a need for trucks to travel long distances.”

One of the biggest challenges in food sustainability is long supply chains that include many trucks and long-distance travel.

McIntyre explained his micro-factories can make and process the product, create the required packaging as well package the product, then palletize and store it in a food safe environment, all without the need for people.

Ultimately, these micro-factories, McIntryre said, can reduce product costs by up to 30 per cent, while eliminating up to 90 per cent of transportation CO₂.

“We started with packaged ice because ice can be quite hard to manufacture. It is a heavy and logistics intense product. Only one ice factory serves the entire province of Quebec. Ice is travelling long distances on trucks, and putting water on trucks in my mind is a really bad idea when it is available in every tap in every building in North America,” said McIntyre.

Fun fact, Relocalize’s filtered Better Ice comes in cubed form and is sealed in airtight packaging, which improves the taste of the product. The company has started with micro-producing ice, with plans to enter the beverage sector next.

For consumer packaged goods companies (CPGs), this duality requires a perspective – and process – shift so businesses can be ready to react when (not if) disruption happens. Better yet, they can proactively plan for potential disruption internally and throughout their supply chain, able to predict responses and recover quickly. This can be achieved through digital connectivity.

But it’s not just potential disruption that should be a catalyst for CPG digital connectivity. General manufacturing processes can be assessed, enhanced and corrected, whether a company is looking at scaling production, changing suppliers or implementing robotics. What are the impacts of one change – or multiple changes? How quickly will a particular change be visible to the consumer? What’s the effect on your supply chain – and the supply chain on you?

Shifting from demand generation to production data
For CPGs today, creating demand for their products is the least of their concerns. Instead, efforts are focused on accurately understanding their capacity to create, as well as the effect of ingredient/material availability, staff issues and equipment on production levels. The right data allows for scenario analysis of possible outcomes and efficiencies, both internally and through those last “thousand miles” to the consumer – and how all those possibilities affect margins.

Advanced analytics and AI solutions, including machine learning, IoT and computer vision, allow manufacturers to optimize processes and find even small efficiencies that translate to significant cost savings (and maximum profitability). Modeling across production can help businesses react well – and be ready – when problems arise.

Simulating efficiency with digital twinning
How do companies get the right data – and enough of it – to analyze ideal processes and predict disruption response? Digital twin simulations make it possible to have computerized replicas of your production and supply chain, simulating disruption to quantify impact and assess recovery.

Cosmo Tech, a creator of complex simulation and digital twin technology, has partnered with SAS to deliver a solution that lets CPGs understand disruption impacts in real time.

What are some of the challenges digital twin technology can address?

• Maintaining production quality and reducing waste.
• Predicting product shortages.
• Meeting demand shifts while minimizing lost sales.
• Identifying bottlenecks that cause the supply chain to experience low fill rates.
• Controlling costs and margins.
• Anticipating risks and managing supply chain disruptions.
• Determining corrective actions to reduce the risk of future shortages.
• Minimizing environmental impact.

At the supply chain level, CPGs can use digital twins to elevate connectivity well beyond their own infrastructure, including their entire operations network flow from suppliers and factories to warehouses and customers. As within manufacturing, this supply-chain level of virtual representation allows for visibility that would otherwise not be possible. You can test responses and decisions against various potential scenarios to determine and create optimal plans for the next disruption – because it’s just a matter of time.

Digital connectivity through today’s sophisticated AI and analytics solutions enables agile production and proactive planning, allowing you to predict the best possible outcome and muster a swift response.

Do you have the right connections?
Get the e-book from SAS and Intel to learn more.

References

¹ Marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/digital-twin-market-225269522.html.
² Mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/digital-twins-the-art-of-the-possible-in-product-development-and-beyond.

Dan Mitchell is Global Director, Retail and Consumer Goods Practice, SAS

The new rule covers the following high-risk foods:

• cheeses other than hard cheese;
• crustaceans;
• cucumbers;
• fin fish;
• fresh herbs;
• fresh-cut fruits and vegetables;
• leafy greens;
• melons;
• mollusks;
• nut butters;
• peppers;
• ready-to-eat deli salads;
• shell eggs from domesticated hens;
• sprouts;
• tomatoes; and
• tropical tree fruits.

To make these foods safer, the rule requires a detailed account of food origins and movements throughout production, processing, and shipping, even as these foods are transformed into other food products, or as other foods are added to them.

This poses special challenges, as many foods trace back through multiple processing stages, each adding to traceability challenges.

Keeping records this extensive is often nearly impossible with pencil and paper, or even with ordinary spreadsheets, so barcoding has never been more important. Barcode data systems offer affordable, robust, user-friendly solutions that trace product origins and destinations from end to end.

In the new FDA rule, required data points are called key data elements (KDEs). The stages in the production process are referred to as critical tracking events (CTEs).

Below are the CTEs and required KDEs.

Growing

For produce, the grower initiates a lot code for the food grown.

Receiving

When any listed food is received, the lot code must link to the following information:

• location identifier and location description for the immediate previous source (other than a transporter) of the food;
• entry number assigned to the food (if imported);
• location identifier and location description of where the food was received, and the date and time the food was received;
• the quantity and unit of measure of the food (e.g. six cases, 25 returnable plastic containers, 100 tanks, 200 lb);
• traceability product identifier and traceability product description for the food
• Location identifier, location description, and point of contact for the traceability lot code generator;
• reference record type(s) and reference record number(s) (e.g. “Invoice 750A,” “BOL 042520 XYX”) for the records relating to receipt of the food; and
• the name of the transporter who transported the food to the receiver.

First receiver

The proposed rule will introduce the first receiver designation, which carries additional information needs. A first receiver is the first person (other than a farm) who purchases and takes physical possession of a listed food. Only foods that are originated (i.e. grown, raised, caught, or, in the case of a non-produce commodity such as eggs, harvested) can have a first receiver. Listed foods that are created (such as a ready-to-eat deli salad that is not made from any listed ingredients) do not have a first receiver.

The purpose of the first receiver rule is to track movements of products within or between organizations before sale.

First receivers are required to maintain different KDEs depending on whether the food was obtained from a fishing vessel or not.

The proposed rule would require each first receiver of a food on the food traceability list (FTL) to establish and maintain records, in addition to the records of receipt of food (receiver KDEs), containing and linking the traceability lot code of the food received to the below information.

First receiver (except for seafood obtained from a fishing vessel)

• Traceability lot code (if not previously established, the first receiver would be required to establish the traceability lot code and maintain records linking the traceability lot code to the other KDEs)
• Location identifier and location description of the originator of the food
• Business name/phone number/ point of contact of harvester of the food and the date(s) and time(s) of harvesting
• Location identifier and location description of the place the food was cooled, and the date and time of cooling (if applicable)
• Location identifier and location description of the place where the food was packed, and the date and time of packing

First receiver of seafood obtained from a fishing vessel

• Traceability lot code (if not previously established, the first receiver would be required to establish the traceability lot code and maintain records linking the traceability lot code to the other KDEs).
• Harvest date range and locations (National Marine Fisheries Service Ocean Geographic Code or geographical co-ordinates) for the trip during which the seafood was caught.

Transformation

Changing a food on the food traceability list, its package and/or its label (regarding the traceability lot code or traceability product identifier), such as by combining ingredients or processing a food (e.g. by cutting, cooking, commingling, repacking, or repackaging). The transformer of the food would be required to establish and maintain records containing and linking the new traceability lot code of the food to the following information.

Transformation KDEs

• Traceability product identifier and traceability product description for the foods used in transformation
• The quantity of each traceability lot of the food used in transformation
• Location identifier and location description for where the food was transformed and the date the transformation was completed
• The new traceability product identifier and traceability product description for the food produced through transformation
• The quantity and unit of measure of the food produced through transformation (e.g. six cases, 25 returnable plastic containers, 100 tanks, 200 lb)
• Reference record type(s) and number(s) for records relating to transformation

Creation

Creating a product on the high-risk list, such as peanut butter, from items not on the list, such as peanuts. Whoever creates a listed food this way would be required to establish and maintain records containing and linking the traceability lot code of the food created to the following information:

• location identifier and location description of where the food was created, and the date creation was completed;
• the traceability product identifier and traceability product description for the food
• The quantity and unit of measure of the food; and
• reference record type(s) and reference record number(s) for records relating to creation.

Shipping

When food is transported from a defined location to another defined location at a different farm, a first receiver, or a subsequent receiver. The proposed rule would require persons who ship a listed food to establish and maintain records containing and linking the traceability lot code(s) for the food to the following information:

• entry number(s) assigned to the food (if imported);
• the quantity and unit of measure of the food;
• traceability product identifier and traceability product description for the food;
• location identifier, location description, and point of contact for the traceability lot code generator;
• location identifier and description of the immediate subsequent recipient of the food (other than a transporter);
• location identifier and location description for the location from which the food was shipped, and the date and time the food was shipped;
• reference record type(s) and reference record number(s) for documents relating to shipment; and
• transporter’s name who transported the food from the shipper.

In addition to keeping all of the above records, the shipper would need to send all of these records, with the exception of the reference record type and number and the transporter’s name, to the immediate subsequent recipient. If the shipper is a farm, they would also be required to send the following information (if applicable) to the immediate subsequent recipient:

• a statement that the shipper is a farm;
• location identifier and location description of the originator of the food (if not the shipper);
• the business name, point of contact, and phone number of the harvester of the food (if not the shipper), and the date(s) and time(s) of harvesting;
• location identifier and location description of the place where the food was cooled (if not by the shipper), and the date and time of cooling; and
• location identifier and location description of the place where the food was packed (if not by the shipper), and the date and time of packing.

At each of these events, KDE’s must include lot codes for traceability. Full details are on the FDA site. While FDA acknowledges this will force changes away from old-fashioned paper-and-pencil record keeping, financial benefits will far outweigh costs as traceback time is reduced by up to 84 per cent.

Simba from Dynamic Systems is one of the companies offering solutions to manage your production, inventory and shipping traceability needs.

David Camp is president of Camp Creative, LLC.

The labour situation in the Canadian hospitality sector will be chronic in large part due to demographic trends. According to a recent research conducted by Restaurants Canada’s senior economist, Chris Elliott, numbers from Statistics Canada were signalling the trend for years. The research noted that young people generally account for about 40 per cent of all food service workers. In the late 70s and early 80s, 15- to 24-year-olds accounted for about 20 per cent of the overall population in Canada. That number has declined to just 12 per cent.

Similarly, according to a survey 2022 State of the Restaurant Industry, released in the U.S. by the National Restaurant Association last month, the hard truth is that roughly half of restaurant operators expect that recruiting and retaining workers will be their biggest challenge this year and a full seven out of 10 operators reported not having enough employees to support demand at their restaurants. They do not expect that situation to improve. Restaurant operators are also looking to shrink food waste, amidst higher-than-usual food costs.

While there is no way of knowing what the future holds for labour availability, there is one certainty: digitalization and automation can diminish the impact of chronic labour shortages.

How digitization and automation address labour challenges

The two main components of running any successful food business are labour and inventory. Unfortunately, at under-staffed food businesses, operators are often basing their labour model and inventory on bad data. Therefore, data accuracy is step one. Having accurate data offers a flywheel to become more surgical about labour to ensure food safety, take buffers out of inventory and reduce waste.

There are five pillars of data accuracy achieved through digitization and automation. Data accuracy provides bottom line impacts on the allocation of human resources, while also ensuring food safety, inspiring customer trust, and reducing waste amidst ongoing labour shortages, specifically addressing:

• Availability: Items are available, without substitution, on the advertised menu.
• Quality and Freshness: With best-in-class product specifications and the longest possible in-storage freshness.
• Safety: Food safety is a paramount consideration for the customer, who is weary of news of recalls and of food outside the home.
• Value: While price is obviously a major consideration, FSR guests are enticed by food quality and freshness.
• Sustainability: Customers want the brands they patronize to be stewards of the environment and make business decisions that reduce waste and support sustainability.

These pillars are a heavy lift even in fully staffed businesses. With persistent labour shortages, the way to succeed is by deploying data-driven solutions.

How to ensure food safety without a workforce

A data-driven profile of food items offers the food business operator reliable information that ensures food safety. A solution combining hardware, software, and barcode or RFID technology provides insight into the food ingredients each location is receiving, storing, serving, and importantly where margins are tight, identifying where there might be waste. In fact, automated, accurate data capture for every item provides new visibility to maximize the promise of freshness.

Consider information gathered along the food supply chain that ladders up to a freshness guarantee:

• origin information;
• harvest date;
• safety details;
• condition details;
• days fresh; and
• brand information.

Any or all that information can be contained on a label, depending on how far upstream the label is created. The data on the label can be simply and quickly scanned by an associate with minimal additional training, enabling software to manage the inventory. By automating accuracy, restaurants and groceries do more with less back-of-the-house human resources, who can be allocated to consumer-facing front-of-the-house duties. Freshness due diligence can be purposed as the customer-facing brand attribute of “freshness you can trust.”

The sustainability effect

While ensuring freshness is essential, the issue of sustainability is also important. According to a post-pandemic study conducted by Deloitte, “Sustainability remains a key consideration for consumers in 2021 with 32 per cent of consumers highly engaged with adopting a more sustainable lifestyle.” That means restaurant operators should find ways to make their business processes more sustainable and be accountable to their guests.

Beyond consumer trends, sustainability makes good sense for cost control. The amount of food waste in food businesses is significant and expensive. Accurate data on ingredient expiry dates means items can be rotated properly to ensure they are used. For example, accurate data enables the operator to utilize ingredients that are nearing their expiry instead of having to discard them. Utilizing this data, they can establish an inventory system that forecasts and tracks food product use so that it can be offered to guests safely, and not end up as waste. That’s a win-win for both brand reputation and operations.

Chronic labour shortages will continue to have an impact on food businesses. However, technology is the key to a successful future, no matter what that future holds.  Digitalization and automation provide data-driven solutions that lead the way to a brighter day.

Adam Anderson is vice-president, Food, Avery Dennison Identification Solutions. He is responsible for the creation and execution of the company’s global strategies for the food segment which incorporate data-driven digital solutions encompassing hardware, software, and labels.

While a $5 million cost-sharing grant could be transformative for many businesses, the grand scale of robotic process automation means that the impact in terms of equipment will likely be modest. Robotics equipment easily runs up costs in the six figures and higher and remains out of reach for most food processors, at least for now. Subscription or rent-to-own programs and similar solutions can mitigate the expense, but what about companies that can’t wait for the long-term benefits of such a significant investment?

In reality, the benefits of automation don’t require an all-or-nothing approach. The beginning of automation lies in the process itself, and the hardware is incorporated as you go. At the core is the software that builds out the process structure and connects all the dots. For food processors specifically, this software needs a regulatory framework and a supply chain framework to deliver scalable, growth-oriented results for your business.

Ace regulatory requirements with automation technology

In order to achieve regulatory compliance and quality control, food businesses must collect and manage large amounts of data points. What does automation mean for food safety and quality? Say you want to automate the collection of temperature in your facility. Previously someone may have gone to check the temperature of a freezer periodically and written it down on paper, or they might have inputted into a digital system. Automated, this process is captured by sensors that feed the data directly into the digital system.

The next level of automation comes when something goes out of range: using the automatically inputted data, an automated food safety management system would also trigger alerts for the relevant departments and individuals so that you can respond to nonconformities and deviations in real time. In the event of an issue during production or a recall related to the cold chain (for example, spoilage), you can refer to your temperature log to determine liability.

Of course, real-time data isn’t only useful when you have a problem. With all your temperature data logged in the system, you can use that information to optimize your processes and facilities. Trend temperature logs for different freezers to optimize maintenance work, energy use, and other equipment issues. Investigate quality assurance issues and customer complaints easily and with accurate, specific data. All of that data should be available in a secure, cloud-based software that can be accessed from a mobile device or laptop.

Temperature is just one data set that you need to collect for regulatory compliance. For food safety to be automated in total, you need all the data from all the critical control points throughout a facility. In addition to all of the controls and process optimization, with automated food safety, you end up with a complete audit log, ready for an inspection or audit at any time with minimal prep. The same goes for quality assurance and third-party certifications: with all of your data in a centralized, automation software, you can easily adapt your mandated food safety program to comply with other programs, like SQF, organic, allergen-free, and more that can open new markets.

Expand your business advantages with traceability automation

The second area where automation can truly revolutionize a food business is in traceability. Especially in an increasingly complex global supply chain, it is more important than ever to be able to track ingredients, materials, and products one step forward and one step back. This requirement now comes from government regulators and retailers alike.

Automating traceability begins again with the data input. You can integrate GS1 barcodes, which contain all the necessary information including lot codes, to seamlessly manage the flow of data into your automated system. With all of your data standardized through the internationally recognized GS1 system, you can use scanners and mobile devices to locate and manage inventory even across multiple locations or facilities. In a centralized system, this means you can also conduct mass balance calculations and mock recalls in minutes, at any time.

It also means that you can track the flow of inventory throughout your entire facility from receiving to shipping, making your traceability system do double duty as a warehouse management solution. That lot code that was scanned at receiving can then be sent anywhere else in the facility and then throughout the rest of the supply chain to the final consumer. Although automation makes it less likely, in the event of a recall, an automated traceability system can then identify the lots that need to be recalled with pinpoint precision so you can respond quickly and limit the scope of the recall.

The information attached to that lot code includes quality and safety information like best-before dates; an automated and enhanced traceability system (integrated with other systems) can manage the flow of inventory to maximize shelf life of final products and reduce waste (expiration management) and monitor inventory levels to ensure you can meet production targets (production management). All of these benefits can be attained without the need for expensive equipment.

Automation opportunities for food processors

Automation technology doesn’t just mean robots. At the core is your data and the software system that manages it, and automation equipment from IoT technology to robotics is a layer in this paradigm shift.

The business sense of adopting automation technology is immediately apparent when you consider the impact on costing. Most food businesses use standard costing to assess and predict the cost of their products and operations. With real-time data based in automated traceability and food safety programs, automation technology can boost your accounting capabilities from standard costing to dynamic costing (or real costing). Volatile supply chains and costs are likely to become the norm and you need to make data-driven decisions to weather storms, not rely on approximations that could be crucially off base.

Governments are recognizing how essential automation technology is for food businesses to gain and maintain a competitive edge in the global marketplace. The Supply Management Processing Investment Fund is just one example of a government program to support companies through this transition. The Canada Digital Adoption Program, the Boost Your Business Technology Grant, and the Canadian Food Innovation Network’s Innovation Booster have funding available for the adoption of automation technologies. There are many more programs on the provincial and territorial levels. While these funds might not cover the cost of entry to a robotics revolution, they can pave the way to scalable growth with an immediate return on investment.

Steven Burton is CEO & founder, Icicle Technologies, Inc. Burton is an innovative software architect and the creator Icicle, an award-winning ERP for food manufacturers.

“Our team is pleased to unveil this opportunity to support the country’s red meat processing sector,” said Kerry Wright, CEO, CAAIN. “The pandemic has exacerbated ongoing difficulties associated with labour shortages, worker safety and productivity, and supply chain disruptions. Plant closures further impact producers whose hogs and cattle must be processed in a timely manner. We have diligently engaged beef and pork industry stakeholders in broad-based consultations and one-on-one discussions to better determine key priorities. The results were unequivocal. We must act now to help advance processors who want to implement emerging technology that will enhance their competitiveness and profitability.”

“The Government of Canada is investing in CAAIN’s platform for innovative solutions to help improve efficiencies in the agriculture sector that support competitiveness and growth. This initiative will provide the red meat industry with cutting-edge, transformative technology that will help beef and pork processors address supply chain and labour issues, while ensuring they can continue to deliver high-quality food across the country,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, agriculture and agri-food minister.

The IRCAI, which exists under the auspices of UNESCO, issued a call for solutions with global relevance last year, resulting in an overwhelming number of submissions. A list of the top 100 projects was chosen by programme committees and the organization’s editorial board, 10 of which were deemed ‘outstanding’ and will be highlighted at IRACI’s press conference in New York on February 14.

The Aspire/DarwinAI project – “Novel Application of Advanced Manufacturing Approaches to High Quality Protein” – was one of two outstanding solutions in North America. The other was submitted by NASA.

Aspire commercially produces and processes crickets into nutritional ingredients for people, pets, and plants. DarwinAI produces visual quality inspection solutions using their proprietary Explainable AI (XAI) technology for a wide range of global industries, including advanced manufacturing and industrial automation.

The DarwinAI solution combines automated visual inspection and XAI with IoT sensor data analysis to optimize yield and provide real-time insight into plant conditions and operations. The technology will debut at the opening of Aspire’s new commercial facility in London, Ont., later this year.

Aspire and DarwinAI thank Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) and Sustainable Development Technology Canada in facilitating their fruitful collaboration.

“A growing population and increasing demand for food and material requires sustainable, scalable solutions,” said Mohammed Ashour, CEO, Aspire. “We are honoured IRCAI saw the value in an AI solution, which will accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable ingredients and materials through insect technology.”

“Since day one, our mission has been to transform industries by instilling trust in AI,” added Sheldon Fernandez, CEO, DarwinAI. “This important distinction speaks to the breadth of Aspire’s vision and the transformative potential of artificial intelligence. It is a privilege to apply our technology to such a forward-looking initiative.”

Memosens 2.0 technology is suitable for all industries where liquid analysis is required. It is backwards-compatible and can be integrated into existing systems.

Memosens 2.0 sensors store numerous data such as operating hours, minimum and maximum temperatures and measured values, calibration histories and load matrices. This data can be used and processed for comprehensive analysis and more precise process management.

Memosens 2.0 also offers error-free flexibility for measuring points in hazardous areas, since all Ex-rated sensors can be connected to all Endress+Hauser transmitters with the respective approval.

The need for boat-to-plate traceability

Seafood fraud is common all around the world, and the Canadian seafood market is no exception. A 2019 report by Oceana Canada spurred the government to address the problem once the scale of it was made public. The report found that mislabelling was rampant across the country and called for a major overhaul to seafood traceability systems (or lack thereof).

In December 2019, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau published a mandate to the Canadian Minister of Health called the “boat-to-plate traceability mandate commitment.” To date, federal agencies working under the mandate published various initiatives and goals for food labelling, transparency, and traceability. The mandate is still in a public consultation period. Many activists and organizations are concerned that there is still no timeline to implement the proposed changes.

Implementation will indeed be complex. Seafood in Canada is regulated under three different bodies: the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is in charge of regulating fish and seafood processing, mainly focusing on licensing, food safety, and tracing, while the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) protects Canadian waters and enforces conservation. On top of that, the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) implements training and best practices with the seafood industry and focuses on food fraud, labelling, and waste.

With conflicting information and a massive bureaucratic challenge ahead, seafood industry leaders cannot wait for regulations to implement boat-to-plate traceability. What is already available—increased inspections, sample collections, and more testing—do not address the problem at its root. The good news is that the tools to address rampant seafood fraud do exist, and improvements to operational excellence benefits any business in the short- and long term.

A path forward

Instead of waiting for the government to act, the Canadian seafood industry should bridge the gap by embracing operational excellence and addressing a number of industry best practices.

Firstly, the seafood industry needs to better manage the accuracy of species information on labels, which requires comprehensive data collection across the entire supply chain. Without complete and accurate data, which is one of the key problems flagged by watchdog groups and advocates, CFIA must rely on vague labelling practices in their reporting and analysis. Standardizing data and terms would help to close the gap on different information sets and help government and private entities work off the same base data.

Secondly, the Canadian seafood industry should practice continuous improvement. While there are incredible pressures to cut costs, fix supply chain constraints, and grapple with the ongoing impact of the pandemic, companies need to build out their operations to ensure accurate labelling, complete traceability, reliable data on seafood catches, and developing deviation procedures to manage mislabelling events. Such improvements will go a long way toward restoring consumer trust, help identify bad actors, and catch seafood fraud early in the manufacturing process.

Lastly, automated technologies for tracking and tracing should be implemented as soon as possible. Although well hyped by the media, blockchain-based solutions are not practical due to the inherent problems of this technology around energy use and privacy, as well as connectivity constraints of processing facilities, which are often located in remote locations. While blockchain may be out of reach, automated traceability can provide a more rigorous and robust solution than what is currently available.

Each establishment can automate its own traceability information to improve their response time and accuracy when responding to specific queries on-demand and at a lot level. Such automation is the best way to reduce fraud in the seafood industry, as it enables regulators to quickly construct a complete picture of the traceability chain when necessary. It also provides the added benefit of reducing the regulatory burden on establishments with respect to complying with traceability requirements.

Canada’s seafood fraud problem is solvable

The trust in the entire Canadian seafood supply chain—from fishing to restaurants—has been eroded. Canada was a leader in seafood exports in the early 1990s, but the growth of fish production in Asian countries pushed Canada and the United States out of the top export spots. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Canada’s export value is three per cent as of 2018; with China and Norway leading export values at 14 and seven per cent respectively.

The Canadian seafood industry is still a massive part of the economy. The latest data from the Canadian government values the industry at $7.44 billion. Seafood fraud isn’t a Canadian problem, but operational excellence can make Canadian fishers, packers, processors, and distributors leaders in the race to combat widespread seafood fraud.

Steven Burton is CEO & founder, Icicle Technologies, Inc. Burton is an innovative software architect and the creator Icicle, an award-winning ERP for food manufacturers.

Precision optical counting guarantees 100 per cent accuracy—an exacting portion control leads to satisfied consumers and an upward trending ROI. Let’s explore a trifecta of ways counting improve profit margins, point-of-purchase marketing and production operations.

The value of an exact count

For food companies that sell large-container quantities, fast and accurate sorting, quantity apportionment and packing methods are essential for efficiency and quality control. From an end-of-line standpoint, among the most important decisions is whether to pack by weight or product count.

While some production lines utilize weighers to pack pieces by individual weight, problems can arise when using this technique. Typically, inaccurate quantities can result from products not being exactly the same weight. For example, frozen chicken nuggets. With these and similar items (fish sticks, etc.), there are generally small weight variances from piece to piece. Packing according to a total weight with products that have weight variations frequently leads to over or undercounts. While the effect is minimal in small quantities, such individually minor discrepancies become major when multiplied by thousands or even millions.

The resulting sizeable miscalculation can cause profitability issues. Undercounting shortchanges customers and causes dissatisfaction, decreasing sales by diminishing brand loyalty. Overcounting simply gives product away for nothing. The former impacts sales, the latter sell-ability, since you can’t sell something you’re handing out as a freebie. For products with slightly varying weights, packaging apportionment on a per-piece basis is the most efficient, cost-effective method. Optical counting guarantees the contents count is 100 per cent accurate for both wholesale and retail packages, preventing product loss and avoiding wastage via over- or under-filling.

Eliminating product giveaway is the most cost-saving notch on a counting machine’s belt. It’s not uncommon for packs of 20 products—frozen meatballs, for example—to have an extra in nearly every package. This is because food companies err on the side of too much versus too little, to avoid customer blowback from packages that have, say, 19 meatballs instead of 21. In food, more is less—less complaints, anyway.

However, more is also more: as more money is lost to overcounts. Multiply a five per cent attrition rate, and revenue lost to overage adds up fast. So, while replacing a traditional weighing system with precision counting equipment might seem like an onerous expense, money saved by eliminating product waste results in a quickly recouped infrastructure investment. Simply put, counters pay for themselves quickly, then keep making money for every extra product they don’t give away gratis.

As for undercounts, the advantage counting brings is obvious: no more complaints from customers who purchased a 20-count package with 19 items. Considering each official complaint represents exponentially more disappointed customers—most don’t bother to complain, they simply stop buying the product—the salvaged brand reputation and customer loyalty translates directly to bolstered profitability.

An informed consumer is a likelier customer

Counting also helps customers envision exactly what is in the package before making a purchase.

Let’s say someone is planning a party, and buying everyone’s favourite festive food: chicken wings. They know approximately how many people will attend the event, and about how many wings the average guest will eat.

Our party planner gets to the chicken wing freezer and sees three brands. Two bags are labeled “10 lb,” and the other “50 pieces.”

Now, unless the party planner knows how much the average chicken wing weighs, this shopping experience (and many others like it) plays out in numbers, not weight. The combined weight of the package’s contents is far less useful than knowing exactly how many products the package contains. This is especially relevant when a package is on the larger side—the bigger the package, the more nebulous total weight becomes.

Listing product count also gives customers information on how frequently to purchase that product, providing easier-to-track insight as to when they may be “running low.” No one ever says, “I only have three ounces of breakfast sausages left.”

Floor space

Counting systems also offer direct benefits for production facilities. Counting allows for elevated control over inventory, and provides ample production data to compare between different stages of the line. For example, a company would be able to ensure the number of pieces filled matches the number of pallets in the truck. This allows the supply chain process to be as precise as possible from the point of origin to the warehouse.

Counting machines have additional features that make them an attractive option for company’s prioritizing efficiency and conserving floor space. They are:

Smaller footprint, same output: More compact than weighing equipment, counters save floor space especially for longer production lines.

Reduced system height: Counting machines are shorter, reducing overall system heights, which is ideal for low-ceiling spaces where there is often no room to position a weigher directly over a packing machine.

Lower drop heights: With counters being shorter than weighers, they offer the benefit of lower drop heights. The farther up products are dropped, the more room there is for error, less accurate counts and possible damage from increased-velocity impact.

Less mechanics to clean/maintain: Counters have lower maintenance with less parts to clean and maintain. They have clean lanes and product separation, meaning less possibilities for product to become wedged in tight spaces. Here, adverse hygiene issues can come into play.

This article was originally published in the July/August 2021 issue of Food in Canada.

“We have experienced continuous demand from our customers for increased capacity, and so a new building was inevitable,” said Michel Robert, President & CEO, Groupe Robert. “With Dematic we were able to plan ahead to forecast growth expectations, save on costs and support our strong environmental sustainability initiatives.”

The AS/RS will feature storage capacity for 60,000 pallets — 30,000 in fresh temperatures and 30,000 in frozen (down to -28 degrees C). A high-performance carbon dioxide system will provide refrigeration. Additionally, a low oxygen system will mitigate fire hazards.

The facility will be equipped with a heat recovery system allowing it to use heat generated by the refrigeration equipment to warm the inside of the facility as well as to melt snow outside the loading docks. The system has the capacity to heat the equivalent of 100 single-family homes. Solar panels to augment energy efficiency and a rainwater collection system for washing trailers also contribute to sustainability.

“The Groupe Robert team made clear their priorities for this facility,” said Vera Friedrich, managing director, Dematic Canada. “The solution will deliver on those priorities — increased capacity, lower operation costs and improved sustainability. And building ‘tall’ instead of ‘wide’ will not only save real estate expense, but reduce energy consumption as well. We are extremely proud to partner with such a forward-looking company.”

The new bundle comprises four kits: MaxSignal HTS Zearalenone ELISA Kit, MaxSignal HTS Fumonisin ELISA Kit, MaxSignal HTS Ochratoxin A ELISA Kit and MaxSignal HTS T2/HT2 ELISA Kit. The bundle joins the Deoxynivalenol (DON) and Total Aflatoxin automation kits released by the company last year.

PerkinElmer’s portfolio covers both phases of mycotoxin testing: screening and confirmation. This offering includes complete workflows from screening to analytical confirmation, integration software and application support to develop new methods and improve existing method performance.

“Mycotoxin testing has always been a critical facet of the workflow for high volume food processors and has traditionally required significant investments in time and labour,” said Greg Sears, vice-president and general manager, food segment and organic mass spectrometry. “With our new MaxSignal Mycotoxin Automation Bundle, we are combining better and faster solutions with lower total cost per sample for intricate food matrices. This innovation creates faster times to result, absorbing spikes in regional demand and helping customers realize higher lab productivity.”

Offered as an option, the mobile Batch-Weigh system was developed to enable powder processors to safely and easily roll the screw conveying system from one tank, vessel, mixer, hopper, or other location to another, or from one processing line to another, without investing in multiple powder conveying systems. The clever conveyor may be used to automatically transfer, weigh and dispense precise amounts of powders, pellets, flakes and other bulk materials, and then quickly cleaned and rolled to the next location.

Suitable for movement and operation in any sanitary, hazardous and non-hazardous production environment, the mobile Batch-Weigh system sets the company’s fully automated weighing and batching system on a rugged, steel frame atop non-marking casters. The self-contained powder conveyor integrates the company’s screw conveyor with companion in-feed hopper, weigh hopper, load cells, pneumatic slide gate, proprietary drive, and PLC-based controls.

Automating data collation and testing procedures, Fortress Technology’s communication adapter technologies can help reduce the margin for human error.

For food producers with existing data extraction and factory management software, the adapter platforms provide a “seamless connection and communication aligned to industry standard protocols.”

Presenting information extracted from Fortress Stealth and Interceptor metal detectors, both adapter tools pull real-time granular data into each customer’s internal reporting system.

“The Industrial Internet of Things is a reality in the food processing industry. Key Discovery represents the next-generation of our information analytics software solutions. With it, food processors can turn their digital sorters into advanced product and process information centres,” said Dave Crewe, senior vice-president of AIS Engineering at Key Technology.

Key Discovery is available for all Key Technology sorting equipment including Veryx digital sorters and ADR Exos automatic defect removal systems, as well as other Key sorting platforms. It offers connectivity to a processor’s enterprise, whether to an MES or SCADA system, shop floor management software or PLC network, via a secure infrastructure.

R-CAM 2 is a robotic sleeve magazine that consists of two parts: a pallet magazine and an unpacking station, with the former offering space for two industrial pallets. SIG’s latest sleeve magazine is designed to automatically remove shipping boxes from the pallet, open them, and then load the filling machine with carton sleeves. This allows customers to operate an end-to-end filling line with one operator.

Stefan Mergel, senior product manager-equipment at SIG said, “With this next-generation sleeve magazine, SIG created a highly robust, stable and reliable solution that is designed to cater to all filling machines in our current machine portfolio, making it a key component in building the fully automated filling lines of the future – and helping manufacturers save time and costs in the process.”

R-CAM 2 is also loaded with other time-saving features: from being able to run continuously for up to 2.5 hours without the need to change a pallet to an ability to compress and pack empty shipping boxes.

Water Flow Intelligence enables food and beverage producers to identify opportunities that help improve water management across their operations, deliver on sustainability goals and reduce operational costs by combining smart water meters and sensors with advanced water flow measurement and monitoring, asset performance insights and machine learning.

“Water Flow Intelligence uses cutting-edge digital technologies to enable real-time insights and response,” said Pedro Sancha, general manager of Ecolab’s Industrial Digital business. “By gaining visibility to water use across their organizations, companies can optimize their operations and make real progress on their water-related sustainability goals, from the enterprise level to individual facilities.”

With the Interceptor metal detector, ARM processing enables a machine to run real-time analysis of a low-frequency and a high-frequency signal in parallel. This allows food producers to inspect wet or conductive products and identify the product effect.

Fortress is also utilizing the microchip power to improve the detection of thin flat metal flakes in high-value, low-profile foods. Using multiple coil sets to instantaneously drive the electromagnetic fields in different directions, the Interceptor DF scans and looks for signals over a broad spectrum. The stronger disturbance from one field compensates for the weaker signal from another.

Battle of the Middle Mile

Loblaw is partnering with Gatik, an autonomous vehicle provider from the U.S., to launch the first autonomous food delivery fleet. This is a solution for the “middle mile,” which will assure links between distribution centers and stores. Consumers will not see autonomous vehicles driving up to their homes yet, but that day will surely come soon.

These cold-chain capable, boxed vehicles which are not very large, have already been roaming the Toronto’s streets for some time, for another grocer. They even experienced last year’s winter, so Gatik is aware of potential perilous road conditions when operating its fleet. Captured data by Gatik will give the company the experience needed to make the supply chain more efficient.

What is driving this decision is clearly e-commerce. The “middle mile” is where gains can be exponential even though the last mile may be the costliest. This is the obscure part of the supply chain consumers do not see but are severely affected by. Food prices are more manageable when costs are under control. With this partnership, Loblaw will be able to move food from automated picking facilities multiple times a day to support their PC Express online grocery service in the Greater Toronto Area. The fleet will likely be expanded as this partnership is being presented as a long-term work-in-progress, if you will.

Online sales by grocers have increased almost 90% since October of 2019. For Loblaw, online sales growth is almost at 200% compared to last year. In food retail, online sales represent close to 3.3% of all sales compared to 1.7% last year, according to Nielsen. This is just incredible growth. With such a market shift, some supply chain adjustments are required. Unlike Sobeys, which is creating a unique and independent infrastructure to develop Voilà by Sobeys, Loblaw is opting to make its supply chain more cyber-friendly. Both approaches can work. With these initiatives, grocers gain the ability to make more money online, something they have hesitated to do for years. For a few years, grocers were dithering with the concept. With COVID-19, grocers are fully committed now. Moving forward, they will want us to buy more food online, and will get better at providing this service.

Vehicles operated by Gatik will not be entirely autonomous, however. All vehicles will have a safety driver as a co-pilot for now. Since consumers are connecting with these vehicles, the approval process will probably be faster, but neither Gatik nor Loblaw could say when the autonomous fleet would be driving around without any humans at all. It is essentially just a matter of time.

Eliminating humans from the food supply chain is an option which has gained currency throughout the pandemic. For one, jurisdictions around the globe managing routes have struggled and have had to think about restaurants, rest areas and how to keep truckers and staff safe while keeping the region food secure. Humans, as vectors for transmitting the virus, or any disease for that matter, are seen as a liability when a public health crisis occurs. Supply chains are increasingly becoming more automated, so Loblaw’s move with Gatik is anything but surprising.

This human-less food supply chain is an ideal for now, but Loblaw’s call is significant enough to allow most of us to dream. Given the economics of food distribution in Canada though, this innovation is unavoidable, and Loblaw appears to be out of the gate first, embracing what lies ahead. Digitizing the supply chain can only help grocers better serve the Canadian market. With such a vast country, with few people living in it, making the middle mile more efficient is key. It does not necessarily mean that Loblaw’s, or any other grocer’s intent is to eliminate all human involvement in the handling of food throughout its operations. It will however seek different skills and knowledge to support its online ambitions. The sector needs strong employees, and always will. But as the sector morphs into an omnichannel beat of sort, employees will be expected to play different roles, and most of the work will have to be about data management, not handling food per se.

The last mile is an autonomous fleet’s next frontier, the most exciting one for the industry, and likely for us as well. Canadians may not be there yet, but grocers like Loblaw are signaling to the Canadian public that the horse has left the virtual barn.

However, rather than running a booth at a virtual conference over a few days, the company has decided to set up a new virtual exhibit booth that’s available 24/7 throughout the winter, so customers can visit at their leisure.

The 3D virtual trade fair booth brings them closer to a comprehensive array of the company’s newest, ground-breaking products, solutions and services in a flexible and informative way. As in the real world, visitors to the virtual exhibit booth can move from station to station to see products, solutions and services presented, or jump right to the ones that interest them the most. Links lead to further information such as videos, 360-degree views and downloads.

The virtual booth highlights several innovative products that are ready for the IIoT, helping companies move forward with their digital transformation. This includes the Cerabar and Deltabar pressure instruments featuring advanced connectivity and Heartbeat Technology, as well as the thermal flowmeters t-mass 300/500, which offer several new features such as bidirectional measurements.

Click this link to directly experience the online event  (and if you click on ‘Canada,’ you will get a personal welcome from Anthony Varga, General Manager of Endress+Hauser Canada Ltd.)

Additionally, on Dec. 1, Endress+Hauser Canada experts will hold a live, three-hour online event (11 am-2pm EST) entitled Empower the Field Through Innovation that complements the online booth. This special digital event for Canada will explore the Endress+Hauser products, maintenance and digitalization through the Process Automation Industry. It will provide visitors with an update regarding the changing industry during the Covid-19 pandemic and show how Endress+Hauser continues to fully support its wide customer base. A registration form for the Dec 1 event is available here.  

Hannover Messe – “The annual Hannover Messe – one of the world largest industrial trade shows – is a major event for
Endress+Hauser,” says Anthony Varga, General Manager of Endress+Hauser Canada Ltd. “We’re anticipating that our virtual fair experience will be close to the traditional Hannover booth. Together with our Dec 1 Canada event, we’re covering the key topics that can help our customers optimize their business.”

About Endress+Hauser
Endress+Hauser is a global leader in measurement instrumentation, services and solutions for industrial process engineering. Our products – sensors, instruments, systems and services for level, flow, pressure and temperature measurement as well as analytics and data acquisition – set standards in quality and technology. The company further supports its customers with automation engineering, logistics and IT services and solutions.

“We’re quite excited about what we’ve built and the applicability it has to agriculture and food globally,” said Chris Terris, vice-president for global strategy for Telus Agriculture. “Telus is really interested in utilizing the data from across the agriculture and food ecosystems to fulfil that promise.”

The new wing of the Telus telecom company will merge the operations of a number of other companies, some bought previously by Telus and others just-announced as acquisitions. They include sales and distribution company AFS Technologies, SaaS farm management platform Agrian, the precision agronomy service Decisive Farming and the grain management and marketing app Farm at Hand.

Farm at Hand was Telus’s first step in creating Telus Agriculture. It will now operate in a number of the world’s major agricultural powers, including the United States and Brazil. Farm at Hand began life as a tiny provider of bin management data on a Saskatchewan farm, then became part of Winnipeg’s FarmLink, then was acquired by Telus in a purchase that raised many eyebrows over what the phone company was up to.

“It’s a brilliant app,” said Terris of Farm at Hand. “It’s all about the digitization of things that are on the farm.”

That’s the underlying approach of the new Telus operation. Multiple machines and systems on the farm need to interact with each other and with off-farm service providers, something that has been a problem for many farmers. “We’re not here to disrupt the industry. We’re here to enable it,” said Terris.

A telecom moving into agriculture and food management might surprise some, but Telus has already made a similar move in medical management. It took a similar approach, merging a number of health management data management systems to create Telus Health, which it describes as “Canada’s largest healthy (information technology) provider.”

Telus Agriculture will bring together service providers that operate across 100 million acres in Canada and in many key agriculture nations worldwide. Terris said Telus Agriculture’s Canadian origin helps its reputation in the market. “Canada clearly has a lot of credibility from an agriculture standpoint,” he said. “We’re not shying away from our roots in Canada.”