With traceability and quality standards in the food industry constantly rising, meat processors are under increasing pressure from customers and regulatory bodies to trace every batch back through the supply chain. Traceability requirements in the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) require companies to act quickly in the event of a recall. The FDA further added the New Era for Smarter Food Safety Blueprint, consisting of four main pillars centered around traceability, tools for outbreak prevention, retail modernization, and food safety culture. The influx of automation along with expanding Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology can prevent unsafe meat and poultry from making it out of plants and onto grocery and retail shelves.
As traditional manufacturing evolves, the implementation of industry 4.0 will be a vital solution that helps meat processors attain these goals. The foundational concepts of industry 4.0 are data, connectivity, continuous monitoring, and process optimization. A comprehensive deployment of an Industry 4.0 strategy requires a high level of operational integration, according to the Automation Timeline: The Drive Toward 4.0 Connectivity in Packaging and Processing white paper produced by PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. If properly implemented and applied, however, IIoT can address food safety issues and ensure equipment runs effectively and safely.