AIB International

Since the turn of the millennium, every manufacturing industry has embraced digital transformation to enhance operational efficiency, control costs, and minimize waste. This sweeping technological shift extends beyond industrial manufacturing and encompasses the food and beverage sector. Across the board, companies are integrating advanced technologies such as automation, data analytics, and IoT devices to streamline their processes. This digital revolution is fundamentally transforming the operational landscape for manufacturers, prompting many to transition into “paperless factories.”  …

In recent years, the food and beverage industry has witnessed an unprecedented surge in private equity acquisitions, signaling a transformation in the industry landscape poised to leave a lasting impact for years to come. In 2021 alone, private equity purchased a record-breaking 786 food and beverage manufacturers, with transactions collectively valued at an astonishing $32 billion. This uptick in private equity investments is already reshaping the industry landscape, bringing forth new dynamics, strategies, and challenges to explore — including food safety issues. …

Newer tools like sensors, environment control systems, robotics, and AI are changing everything from food and beverage processing facilities to transport vehicles, augmenting the work done by frontline employees. As these new technologies become more commonplace, they will have a lasting and permanent impact on operations and the way employees perform their duties.  …

On the journey from farm to table, food and beverage products pass through many links in the supply chain, and each one presents unique vulnerabilities for contamination, adulteration, and other dangers. Each organization in the supply chain has unique responsibilities to uphold standards and maintain food safety — but this ultimately depends on the training and diligence of their frontline workers and food safety managers.  …

Between high turnover, labor shortages, and issues stemming from supply chain disruption, food and beverage companies have faced major challenges over the past few years. Chief among them has been the growing volume of product recalls, which threaten supply and the normal flow of business. …