SCIENCE HELPING TO ENSURE SAFER FOODS

When it comes to protecting the health and wellbeing of a population, few considerations can be more important than ensuring the safety of the food that people are eating. As a result, those operating within the food industry, from manufacturers and processors to foodservice providers, are under constant scrutiny as it relates to their levels of cleanliness and the safety of their products.

With this in mind, within the Spring issue of Canadian Food Business magazine, we focus our attention on the science behind food safety and some of the innovations being developed in order to support the efforts of those operating within the industry.

It’s no secret that any misrepresentation of food that’s found out by consumers will likely result in quite a bit of negative public response and backlash. In spite of this, opportunism along the supply chain remains a prevalent concern for many. We take a look at ways in which misrepresentation can impact businesses and consumers, and the need for tighter global supply chain practices to eradicate the problem.

As part of the scope of food safety, the cleanliness of restaurants and quick serve establishments are also of critical importance. And, at the core of restaurant cleanliness and food safety is handwashing—a significantly uncontrolled practice within any establishment. We feature CleanBands and its Founder and CEO, Dave Iwonkow, who’s developed a smart wearable device supported by digital sensor technology meant to aid in the assurance of handwashing compliance.

And, what could be more important to meat processors and their customers than understanding exactly what’s in the product that they’re providing. As such, we highlight P&P Optica—a developer and provider of proven automated solutions for meat processing plant inspections—and the ways in which its Smart Imaging System is helping to more accurately identify foreign objects in meat while also understanding its chemical composition in-stream, aiding meat processors’ efforts to ensure consistent safety and quality for their customers.

In an age that’s being defined for many industries, at least in part, by general instability and uncertainty, food purveyors and their partners are putting forth an incredible amount of effort to ensure that the food Canadians eat is safe. And, given continued advancements in science and technology, the support that the industry needs to satisfy these assurances is becoming increasingly available, laying the foundation for greater food safety and quality in the country.

In 2022,

Science

For further information, contact sbrowne@dvtail.com

Sean Tarry EDITOR

Technology

Food Business magazine