How Technology is Winning the Fight Against Food-borne Illness

Robotic claw holding strawberry[/caption] Food recalls can cost a business millions in damages and that is besides the significant effect it has on its credibility and reputation. Besides this, foodborne illnesses make more than 45 million people sick in the US each year and it is also responsible for several fatalities. However, the good news is technological innovations are making responsible regulation a possibility thus reducing the intensity of this epidemic each year.

Why refrigeration doesn’t always work

Even though freezing or cooling food can prevent it from going bad, it only slows down pathogen growth. This includes bacteria that causes food to spoil. Some may even thrive in cold temperatures such as listeria which can also multiply in the fridge and contaminate other food items. Plus, even if contaminated food is refrigerated during transportation, it can still spoil other food it comes in contact with. In other words, even freezing food is not sufficient in impeding bacteria growth. In fact, even if you practice safe food handling procedures to prevent a supply chain from being contaminated, it may not be enough. A single mistake can lead to large-scale foodborne disease outbreak such as E-coli which can result in massive recalls.

How UV technology can help

UV technology has been discovered to be effective where refrigeration fails. The solution not only kills bacteria, it also eliminates mold, fungi and viruses that may emerge in the supply chain. Click To Tweet

Tech that uses powerful pulsed Xenon light and violet-blue light can eliminate harmful pathogens that can cause deadly foodborne diseases such as Salmonella and the Norovirus. What is even better is that the solution can be implemented at any point in the supply chain thus providing and additional layer of support against deadly foodborne conditions.

Benefits of Blockchain Technology

There is a reason why blockchain technology has almost reached the $7 billion mark and is still climbing. The solution allows businesses to record and secure different types of data irrespective of how arbitrary it seems. This includes medical records, transaction methods and identity management as well as banking. However, it is in food safety that this data management technology has made a significant place for itself. Big brands such as WalMart are using it to monitor food supply chains and mobilize as quickly as possible in case they find something wrong. Blockchain allows this by making the supply chain completely transparent and by becoming more connected across different sectors in the chain. This has allowed food brands to improve traceability by allowing them to determine specific locations and time during which a problem occurs. As a result, food managers are able to isolate contaminated products quickly and way before they hit store shelves or make consumers seriously ill. The isolated products can then be recalled quickly thus preventing cross contamination. In other words by enhancing traceability, blockchain technology increases traceability of contaminated food. It does this by securing and sharing tracking data across organizations and even across borders and sometimes from farms to processing plants and to stores before they shelve products. This way spoiled products remain isolated from consumers who have no idea that they were just saved from a serious case of food poisoning or worse. In addition, the data gathered by the organization serves as a valuable record for future food handling processes which is only good for business. It also allows unprecedented insight into what exactly happens in a supply chain which opens up opportunities for improvements before it is too late. The food industry involves manufacturers, farmers, retailers, suppliers, business owners and even geneticists. Farm to table food has to be done carefully because it can get contaminated at any point in the chain. This is a possibility if the massive amounts of data supply chain managers have is studied and utilized.

Learn2Serve Food Safety Manager Principles Training + Texas Food Safety Manager Exam

As a Food Manager in Texas you have the pull and authority to make use of the abovementioned technology and become a real asset to your organization. Before that you need to pass the Food Manager Principles course and the food safety exam. Learn2Serve offers both in one single and handy package that can be taken completely online. The package covers all important food safety issues, techniques, rules and other information you need to become a competent Food Manager in Texas. Sign up today.