Food & Drink Processing & Packaging Issue 36 2021 | Page 52

How Product Inspection Facilitates the Flexibility and Product Safety that Co-packers Need to Deliver

Contract packagers have a highly demanding role in the food supply chain , needing to be both flexible and capable . Product inspection technology can help them meet these needs , writes Niall McRory , Global Key Account Manager , Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection Division .
So many of the trends that shape today ’ s food manufacturing industry demand a flexible approach to packaging . For contract packers this calls for huge flexibility in everything they do – from their culture to the equipment they invest in , including the product inspection technology they deploy . 52 FDPP - www . fdpp . co . uk
The growth in e-commerce has directly affected packaging formats and supply chain models , and contract packers have had to respond to that .
Another area where contract packers have needed to show flexibility and the ability to quickly respond is in compliance with increasing legislation around the world aimed at improving levels of product safety . Compliance with standards demand not just a flexible mind set , but equipment which can efficiently handle frequent changeovers between different legislative needs , as well as capture the information required to guarantee provenance .
Choosing the right product inspection technology will help them provide the flexibility and product safety standards they need . It can help co-packers to address other challenges too .
For example , according to 2020 report , Contract Packaging and Manufacturing Packaging Operations , Trends & Challenges , by the Association for Packaging & Processing Technologies , further key challenges are in the areas of labour and counterfeiting . With the former , a shortage of skilled labour , and the rising costs of employment in general , represent a significant issue to overcome for packers .