INNOVATION
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY
INTO FOOD AND
BEVERAGE INNOVATION
Food and beverage companies
have a sense of the importance
of new digital technologies
to food safety, but lack the
understanding of how to apply
solutions like blockchain for
this purpose – that’s according
to a global survey of more than
1600 industry experts.
The survey carried out by DNV
GL and GFSI found that only 1
in 10 companies are currently
using new technology to
ensure food safety but firms responded
more positively in the longer term, with
that number rising to almost 4 in 10.
Of the new wave of digital technologies,
sensors and beacons (44% today, 56%
in three years) are the most widely used
solution followed by blockchain (15%
today, 40% in three years). However,
the lack of clarity is impacting investment
decisions with more than a quarter of
companies saying they do not know how
much they will invest in digital solutions
in the next 12 to 18 months and 14%
answered that they will not spend in this
area at all. Asian companies in particular
see value in blockchain, with 57%
expecting to use the technology in three
years, which is significantly higher than
other regions.
“Digital technologies such as blockchain
will transform many industries, especially
those in the retail sector, but this
survey indicates that to many food and
beverage companies these technologies
have yet to transition from buzzwords to
real applications,” says Luca Crisciotti,
ceo – business assurance, DNV GL.
“At DNV GL we introduced blockchain
to raise transparency in the certification
process and to help brands bridge the
trust gap between their efforts and
consumers’ concerns, but it is clear we
must work together as an industry to
fully utilise the potential of new digital
technologies to improve food safety.”
Elsewhere in the survey, safeguarding
the health of consumers (88%) was
shown to be the main driver of food
safety, followed by laws and regulation
(69%) and needs/requests from
customers (60%). Commercial benefits
(30%) rank low, indicating that ensuring
food safety is seen as a prerequisite.
Operational risk (76%), such as
contamination, is perceived to be the
standout threat whilst a lack of food
safety culture (30%) and compliance
to regulations (28%) are the next two
biggest risks. The fear of operational
risks is especially strong in Europe (82%)
compared to other regions.
A clear majority of companies view
certification as a necessity of doing
business (79%) whilst more than half
(53%) see it as a way of improving food
safety.
FOOD AND
BEVERAGE
INDUSTRY
STILL SEEKING
PRACTICAL
APPLICATIONS
OF DIGITAL
SOLUTIONS
TO IMPROVE
FOOD SAFETY
• 27% of firms say
they do not know
how much they will
in invest in digital
technologies for
food safety in the
next 12-18 months
• Only 8% of
respondents
say new digital
technology is
playing a role to
a “great extent”
in food safety,
compared to 13%
who say “not at all”
• Safeguarding
the health of
consumers is the
main driver of food
safety
• Operational
risk, such as
contamination, and
the lack of food
safety culture are
the overwhelming
food safety threats
for firms
• 1600+ industry
experts surveyed
across the globe as
part of DNV GL and
GFSI survey “Food
safety: what’s
next to assure its
future?”
Depth, MF, UF and RO Filters QA, R&D Laboratory Filters Ultrapure Water Systems
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