Discover how automation and robotics revolutionize food processing, reducing errors, enhancing quality, and slashing waste. Explore the untapped potential and key challenges in leveraging this technology for maximum efficiency.
Automation and robotics present immense potential in minimizing food waste by mitigating errors inherent in manual processes within the food processing industry. However, there exists a clear need for further knowledge and guidance to fully explore and leverage these possibilities.
Robotics technology has long been celebrated for its capacity to automate manual tasks, thereby enhancing productivity. Yet, an often overlooked advantage lies in its ability to enhance product quality, diminish errors stemming from manual operations, and consequently reduce food waste.
Within the food sector, this holds particular significance. Annually, approximately 1.6 billion tons of food, roughly one-third of global production, are lost or wasted according to estimates by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Automation and robot technology offer a solution to this challenge by minimizing waste resulting from inefficient or error-prone processes across the food supply chain. This not only aids in waste reduction but also positively impacts the climate, as food waste contributes to around 8% of total global greenhouse gas emissions as per the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. By curbing food waste, the associated carbon footprint is likewise diminished.
So, what is the magnitude of this potential, and how can robotics technology facilitate it?
Food waste occurs at every stage of the supply chain, from farm to consumer. BCG estimates that approximately one-third of food waste arises during handling, storage, processing, and packaging. Errors in these stages often result in discarded products, with more advanced stages of the supply chain contributing to higher carbon emissions. Thus, minimizing food waste during processing helps mitigate emissions generated earlier in production, such as at the farm.
An analysis conducted by HowToRobot indicates that, on average, at least 50% of process-related food waste in manufacturing facilities stems from human error attributable to manual involvement. Moreover, approximately 50% of these manual processes are automatable using existing proven technology, posing relatively low risk. This suggests a 25% potential reduction in food waste from error-prone processes through automation implementation. Processes amenable to automation range from ingredient mixing to product handling, packaging, palletizing, and warehousing.
This broader perspective underscores automation's role for food manufacturers. Beyond merely enhancing productivity and addressing labor shortages, automation significantly contributes to waste reduction.
Although the food and beverage industry has commenced automation efforts, accounting for 3% of global robot installations in 2022 according to the International Federation of Robotics, considerable potential for growth remains. HowToRobot's analysis of several hundred manufacturing sites reveals that, on average, manufacturers have only explored about 5% of their potential for automation using proven technology. To enhance automation levels in the industry, barriers to technology adoption must be addressed.
Conversations with production managers worldwide conducted by HowToRobot emphasize that while the need for automation and the importance of waste reduction are recognized, daily operational demands often take precedence.
Many food manufacturers, particularly smaller and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), are still novices in robotics and automation. Limited expertise and knowledge about these technologies, including their role in waste reduction, pose challenges to initiation. Guidance and support from trusted sources are often essential initial steps. Notably, impartial advisors play a crucial role in facilitating robot adoption and identifying optimal opportunities for waste reduction through automation.
Costs emerge as a prominent barrier to automation, as highlighted in surveys. Seeking funding support, including national programs aimed at offsetting investments in environmentally impactful technologies, can alleviate this challenge. However, to leverage these opportunities, businesses require specific knowledge regarding how automation technologies can reduce food waste within their operations. This entails gaining an overview of potential areas for improvement, analyzing them, and crafting viable business cases.
In conclusion, automation harbors substantial potential to reduce food waste, yet further knowledge and guidance are imperative to ensure its optimal utilization for maximal benefit.