How Automated Compliance Improves Food Safety
Food poisoning causes severe illness for millions every year, but most cases could be prevented - if preparation safety standards were adhered to.That's precisely what innovative Kiwi 'regulatory technology' company iMonitor is helping achieve. Because of the clear risk presented by contaminated food, stringent government regulations and standards are applied across the food chain.
The numbers relating to food-borne illnesses are staggering. Improperly stored, handled or otherwise contaminated food causes disease in an estimated 600 million people every year. The elderly and the very young are most at risk of serious consequences, with figures from the United States alone showing that up to 3000 people a year succumb to food-related infections.
By digitising an error-prone process which for too long relied on spreadsheets, clipboards and manual paperwork, iMonitor helps stay on top of the food chain – with total, accurate automation.
Because of the clear risk presented by contaminated food, stringent government regulations and standards are applied across the food chain. Tight rules specify safe methods for production and handling of food, across the entire chain; from farming, to processing plants, to warehousing and distribution, to point-of-sale and even - in the case of restaurants - point of consumption. But the trouble with any regulations, standards or laws is that they are only as good as they are applied. When people get sick through contaminated food, it generally isn't a failure in regulation. It is usually because a mistake was made, a procedure wasn't properly followed, or a rule wasn't applied.
Total traceability is not limited to raw materials, additives and packaging. It should encompass the entire production process.
Total traceability is not limited to raw materials, additives and packaging. It should encompass the entire production process. But the reality of regulatory compliance is that many of the tasks are tedious, time consuming and need to be completed manually. While production monitoring and traceability might seem difficult and boring, a slip-up can literally be a matter of life and death.
True traceability helps your organization track all information related to the unit of production. This is where regulatory technology, or regtech, steps in. Trace raw materials from entering your factory to the different processing stages and the final product, going back to the farm or forward to the plate. iMonitor has extended the meaning of traceability to include all aspects of products, processes, suppliers and – vitally – all human activity.
Rather than leaving regulatory compliance in the hands of fallible humans, iMonitor provides intelligent monitoring technologies which automate compliance processes - through "smart" probes, IoT devices which automatically update food safety processes and critical control points. If iMonitor detects an 'incident' anywhere in the process it will notify appropriate team members who are able to access the dashboard wherever they are, through a cloud-based app, and then take action .The advantages are numerous. By accurate monitoring, food can be produced to exact specifications for quality assurance and safety, and wastage is practically eliminated.
If you're managing compliance manually, you could be at risk. And you could be putting your consumers at risk.For an accurate, faster and easier way to help you track your food production process, consider iMonitor.
Source of original article: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/better-business/122153774/how-automated-compliance-improves-food-safety
