Miller Magazine Issue: 147 March 2022

68 COVER STORY MILLER / march 2022 Introduction Two constants have always dominated food produc- tion. Consumers want their food to be safe and of the highest possible quality. What has changed over the centuries is how this is achieved. Ultimately, the digita- lization of the food industry is just the latest tool with which to achieve these goals. While quality and safety still underpin all aspects of food processing, today’s challenges for food producers also revolve around the highly competitive and com- plex nature of the industry they operate in. They face ever-changing demands around profitability, sustainabil- ity, transparency, shifting consumer demand, food waste reduction and skilled labor shortages. Digitalization en- ables the food industry to meet these further challenges, some of which are being driven by climate change, de- mographic shifts and global population growth. Today digitalization is shifting towards ever-increasing plant automation. It also provides digital platforms, linked to the Internet of Things, capable of hosting digital ser- vices that are informed by complex algorithms to maxi- mize quality, safety, productivity and profitability. Digitalization of the food sector The digitalization of the food industry started with the development of cheap and sophisticated sensor technol- The future is digital to help the food sector face some of its most demand- ing challenges to date. A changing digital landscape How the food industry needs to adapt