The quality standards and food safety of Spanish meat are among the most demanding in the world. During this recent COVID-19 pandemic, the Spanish meat sector has shown its best side by supplying markets normally and guaranteeing product safety.
The application of solid systems to control their productions, the promotion of intersectoral collaboration and the promotion of food safety from the field to the final consumer, are some of the advances in the meat chain. Thanks to them, and to scientific knowledge in matters of microbiological safety, hygiene and traceability, the maximum quality and safety of its products is guaranteed throughout the entire food chain for the subsequent enjoyment of consumers.
The technological innovation applied in the meat sector has had a strong impact in relation to the improvement of food safety, which is undergoing an accelerated technological revolution, to the point that the concept of food safety 4.0 is already beginning to be defined.
The technological transformation of the sector is already causing a paradigm shift. Every day there are more disruptive applications that improve processes, offering a large number of possibilities focused on facing the challenge of improving the quality and confidence in products intended for nutrition without compromising the sustainability of their production cycle.
The internet of things (loT), artificial intelligence, process automation, blockchain or Big Data are some of the disruptive technologies that, applied to food safety, are already providing important benefits:
- 100% online inspection of products
- Improved integrity of product information
- Traceability of food from the origin of its production to the final consumer
- Risks prevention
Below we delve into some technological advances that stand out in this industry:
- RFID technology
The application of RFID (Radio Frequency Indication) technology in labeling brings us closer to smart labels. This advance guarantees the traceability and automation of the meat sector, providing quality information on the status of the products in the packaging phase.
- Photonic technologies
Photonic technologies are those based on the use of light. Its application in the meat sector focuses on the detention of foreign matters, thanks to different spectral traces. This process allows possible defective units to be taken off the line.
- Big data
Through the analysis of a huge amount of data (Big Data), it is possible to identify early new food safety risks or emerging risks, in order to avoid them, prevent them and develop strategies to combat them.
- The blockchain
This disruptive technology is the great ally in reflecting the traceability of food from the origin of its production to the final consumer. Documents and validates the individual history of each animal, which generates high levels of trust. It allows to know precisely where he grew up, his diet, health care, who transferred him, the evolution of the entire upbringing, documented with multimedia files, certificates, and a quantity of information that is much more than the traceability itself. Its application improves food integrity and transparency in the field of traceability, fraud and food safety, authenticating the origin and distribution of products.
With all these technological advances, food safety in meat products faces its final objective of zero risk, at the same time that it generates levels of trust where consumers can access accessible and truthful information about the products and, in particular, know in detail their origin, provenance and the nature of the processing to which they were subjected.