IFS food certification thanks to IoT without worries
The Internet of Things (IoT) is an increasingly important tool in the management of food production processes and food safety.
Demands on the quality of production and safety of food storage are becoming increasingly strict, and human resources are no longer able to sufficiently cover them.
When preparing for IFS food certification, IoT can provide a number of tools and systems that facilitate monitoring, management and optimization of processes precisely to ensure food quality and safety.
The food industry is one of the traditional industries and some companies may have the impression that it has always been without IT, so there is no need to involve it now. But such an attitude can result in inefficiency at best and legal problems at worst.
Therefore, we will now look at the areas of the food industry in which it is possible to effectively use IoT to manage IFS food certification.
Process monitoring automation
IoT sensors enable automatic monitoring of production processes, as they can record and transmit to the central system information on temperature, humidity, cleanliness, the presence of allergens and other parameters that must be reported as part of the IFS audits.
These data help to ensure that all processes are in line with IFS standards. In addition, they are also recorded in the necessary documents for the IFS audits without the stress of forgetting something.
Real-time data and alerts
IoT systems collect data from sensors in real time. One advantage is that you can check the conditions of production, storage and transport at any time.
But perhaps an even greater benefit is the possibility of receiving notifications about non-standard conditions thanks to this immediate transmission of data. As IFS is committed to the highest quality, it is absolutely parammount that anything that could compromise it is detected and resolved as soon as possible.
In the case of human monitoring, the response can be fast, but with IoT, it is immediate. And that’s too much of a difference.
Improved traceability
Although food companies do everything for the quality and safety, it can still happen that something goes wrong. Even in such a case, however, a faster response is always better.
Therefore, if there is a need to recall specific products, an IoT system for tracking the movement of products across the supply chain will help to quickly resolve the problematic situation.
Predictive Maintenance
We have already devoted enough attention to the quality and safety of food, but the health of the machines used in production is also an important part of the entire process. IoT is a universal tool in this regard as well.
It helps to contribute to predictive maintenance through continuous analysis of conditions – for example, to the timely replacement of parts. Thanks to this approach, unexpected outages and the need to stop production are minimized.
Optimization of energy consumption
High-quality food production does not only include the final quality of the products. This includes, for example, production efficiency, including consumption.
IoT sensors can be installed on electrical devices and measure their consumption – according to individual appliances and at any moment. Thanks to this detailed approach, it is possible to optimize operating costs and meet the requirements for efficient operation.
Digital documentation
One of the clearest reasons for the implementation of IoT technologies in the food industry is the automated preparation of various types of reports. From recording incidents and their resolution, including a timeline, to clear graphs for optimizing functioning and ensuring security.
One big advantage is the minimization of human error, so that there is no failure in complying with IFS audits due to forgotten information. And of course, proper automation also saves time.
We are going to IoT
Of course, we would find other areas as well, but I have chosen these 6 because the benefit to the food industry can be seen very clearly.
If you are interested in IoT for an IFS solution in your company, please contact me. Together we will find the right solution for you.
