How Technological Breakthroughs are Redefining Food Safety Landscape

Aarthi Janakiraman, Research Director, Advanced SciTech

Foodborne diseases have a significant impact on global health and are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality each year. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 600 million people fall ill due to contaminated food annually, leading to around 420,000 deaths, notably amongst them are children below five years old. In Southeast Asia and India, the economic burden caused by these diseases is profound. This region accounts for almost 40 to 50 per cent of foodborne illnesses and more than half of associated mortalities. The implications of foodborne illnesses extend beyond health and economic impact. It reduces workforce productivity, strains healthcare ecosystems, and even affects food supply due to decreased availability.

It is estimated that the total productivity loss associated with foodborne diseases is around $95.2 billion per year, excluding treatment costs, with an additional $15 billion spent annually on treatment costs. Ensuring food security is integral to every country’s national agenda, underscoring its importance. Urbanisation, evolving consumer habits, and globalisation have resulted in changes in consumer preferences, while climate change also has a considerable influence on food safety, especially during transport and storage. These factors put more onus on food producers, handlers, and manufacturers to ensure food safety from farm to fork.

Role of technologies in ensuring food safety

Technology plays a vital role in ensuring food safety and safeguarding public health. Technological advances have revolutionised the way food is produced, processed, and consumed; it has also helped food companies proactively identify and mitigate potential risks more effectively by offering significant developments towards monitoring, detecting, and analysing food production systems. It has also improved food processing and preservation processes that prevent contamination and spoilage while preserving nutritional and organoleptic characteristics, and packaging innovations have extended its use beyond protection. The role of technology in improving communication and collaboration across food systems and stakeholders is already established.

Traditional food safety methods, such as manual inspection, standardised hygiene practices, and quality control measures, are adequate to a certain degree but often lag in quickly identifying potential risks, which is crucial for preventing foodborne illnesses and contamination. This lag might lead to outbreaks that can endanger public health and reduce consumer trust in food companies and brands. Current practices also showcase the vulnerabilities in food safety systems and supply chains, emphasising the need for more proactive, resilient, and integrated solutions. In response, companies and research institutes have risen to the challenge of developing technologies that can improve pathogen detection, traceability, and monitoring during food production and retail to enhance food safety across the supply chain.

Detecting pathogens and microbial contamination

The food industry is known for implementing technologies that accurately identify pathogens and microbial presence in various food products. However, conventional culture-based methods are still widely used; while they offer reliable results, they are time-consuming and can lead to critical time loss and delays in risk mitigation. As the industry moves from a reactive to a proactive approach to food safety, companies are increasingly testing molecular techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) that give accurate and rapid test results. Apart from these, various biosensors offering real-time monitoring are being integrated into food processing, production lines, and packaging. Paper-based biosensors that can detect bacterial contamination are used for on-site testing, while nanosensors focus on continuous monitoring. Companies like Tetra Pak, Nissin Foods, and CP Foods use advanced biosensors to monitor food safety and improve their protocols. Microfluidic devices are developed to identify specific species in food and water samples, such as Salmonella and E. coli. Paper-based microfluidic devices, especially, are portable and often cost-effective compared to traditional protocols.

An interesting development is ongoing research towards edible microlasers manufactured using food-grade materials that can be embedded directly into various food products. These microlasers can serve as sensors to help monitor changes in various environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, pH, and bacterial presence. Another interesting development being investigated for quality control procedures is impedance microbiological techniques that can measure changes in the electrical impedance of a growth medium caused by microbial metabolites, thereby allowing for rapid detection of bacterial growth.

Data analytics, AI, and ML algorithms integrated with biosensors are gaining traction to offer real-time monitoring and risk assessment. Start-ups like Qzense Labs, India, offer IoT-integrated sensors and analytics for food safety and quality monitoring, while Intello Labs offer AI-based solutions that detect defects and contaminants in produce for monitoring food quality.

Tech interventions for allergen detection

Often overlooked, food allergens are a significant cause of concern. With consumer interest gaining momentum in clean, allergen-free food products, technologies that can accurately detect food allergens are gaining momentum. Emerging innovations with enhanced sensitivity, specificity, and speed are in focus. Food companies in India and APAC actively integrate allergen testing methods in their QA processes to ensure product safety and satisfy consumer demands. Companies widely use ELISA and PCR assays to test for specific proteins and allergen-specific DNA sequences. Companies like Eurofins India and Mérieux NutriSciences Asia offer various allergen testing protocols to help companies comply with local regulations and ensure food quality, considering the diverse dietary habits of the Indian and Asian populations.

Emerging approaches such as nano biosensors, AI, and ML-integrated sensors can result in quicker, automated, and more accurate allergen detection systems with added features such as cross-contamination prevention and real-time analysis. AI-based solutions can also help in proactive allergen management. They facilitate real-time tracking, help analyse ingredient data and predict potential risks. They can be especially beneficial for the diverse Asian and Indian food landscape.

Research efforts are also moving towards developing portable devices that can offer on-spot testing. Consumers and companies can use devices developed by Allergy Amulet, Nima Sensors, and smartphone-based biosensors to test food for specific allergens on the go.

Microbial decontamination during food processing

Technological interventions such as non-thermal food processing primarily aim to inactivate pathogens while preserving food’s nutritional and sensory qualities. The high-pressure processing (HPP) technique uses high pressure to eliminate microorganisms, negating the need for high temperature; cold plasma treatment utilises ionised gases at low temperatures to disrupt microbial cells on food surfaces. Institutes such as the Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) and Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), India, have ongoing research activities on various non-thermal technologies, including cold plasma, intended for microbial decontamination. Pulsed light technology (PL) and Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) are other technologies gaining momentum. Non-thermal processing technologies have become popular with companies like Amul, Nestle India, and ITC Limited, which are exploring various methods in their production lines.

Digital technologies for improved trackability and traceability

Technological innovations have significantly improved the traceability and trackability of the food supply chain systems, showcasing a more transparent and accountable value chain. Integration of digital twins, IoT solutions, and mobile apps offer predictive risk management and seamless communication amongst stakeholders and pave the way to ensure a binding transparent record of a product’s journey from farm to fork, which ensures authenticity and helps quick identification of potential contamination sources, ensuring authenticity and enabling quick identification of contamination sources. AI-based sensors provide an added advantage of continuous monitoring for external factors and microbial contamination; integrated with AI and data analytic solutions can help in predictive and proactive risk management.

Nestle India, ITC Limited, and Olam International are among many stakeholders who have implemented blockchain solutions to trace the journey of food products from source to table. Machine Vision systems integrated with deep learning capabilities can provide a real-time quality inspection that is particularly helpful in food processing and production. Companies like Lotte Confectionary have deployed machine vision systems for quality control in their production processes, while players like DiMuto provide end-to-end supply chain traceability systems using blockchain and IoT integration.

In-line monitoring of food production and processing lines

Another concept gaining focus is the in-line monitoring for quality, contamination, and other factors during food processing and production. Technologies such as AR/ VR (augmented reality/ virtual reality) systems, hyperspectral imaging (HSI), and others can reduce the time taken for testing and introduce real-time and continuous quality checks.

Recent advances in HSI offer more precise detection of contaminants and food quality assessment, as well as monitoring even minute compositional changes in food products. His technologies developed by companies such as Spectral Insights and Hacarus are successfully used for agricultural operations. They can be extended to food processing and production for uninterrupted contamination monitoring and quality control.

AR/VR has transitioned from a novelty concept for consumer engagement and training aid to a technology vital to food safety. Quality personnel use AR systems for real-time visual inspection and hazard detection. IoT-enabled AR devices continuously monitor food processing units and detect even minute temperature fluctuations, humidity changes, or contamination risks.

Addressing Shortcomings

The integration of technology into food safety practices provides continuous improvement and vigilance. Despite these technological developments’ increasing focus and significant promise, implementation and widespread use of innovations are still on the lower end of the spectrum in India and Asia often limited to Tier 1 companies and global brands. Ensuring data privacy and security when AI, IoT, and blockchain are being deployed is critical. It is necessary to establish standard protocols and interoperability between various systems for its widespread use. It is also undeniable that the cost of implementing newer technologies is often prohibitive, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. The availability of subsidies, grants, or low-interest loans to support these stakeholders can significantly increase technology adoption. Increasing access to skill training in handling and deploying new technological advances can also boost adoption prospects. Continuous collaborative innovation and developmental efforts by industry stakeholders and academia are needed to constantly improve technology prospects and realise the potential of technology in ensuring food safety.

While the role of technology is undeniable, it alone is insufficient to ensure food safety and security. It needs a collaborative approach from all stakeholders in the food industry. As food safety is the highest priority, their role in developing standardised regulatory frameworks and establishing evidence-based policies and risk-based protocols is critical. Food handlers across the value chain need to be trained to safely handle food and watch for signs of potential risks and contamination. There is a need for more efforts, such as the WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety 2022-2030, that help build a stronger food safety system while promoting global cooperation. Ensuring food safety needs a multisectoral approach that extends beyond borders and requires cross-country collaboration to ensure safe food accessible to all walks of society.