How custom IC sensors enhance safety and quality
EDITOR ’ S CHOICE SENSING DANGER IN FOOD MANUFACTURING
SWINDON
How custom IC sensors enhance safety and quality
According to data from product risk consultancy RQA , the UK ’ s food product recall figures in 2023 were the lowest for over six years . Sensors are crucial in improving safety and regulatory compliance , but not all sensors offer equal levels of performance . Here , Ross Turnbull , Director of Business Development and Product Engineering at ASIC design and supply specialist , Swindon Silicon Systems , explores the advantages of opting for a custom integrated circuit ( IC ) solution for food and beverage processing sensors .
Product recalls are a hugely costly occurrence for food and beverage manufacturers . Not only can recalls take a financial toll due to the costs associated with identifying , collecting and disposing of faulty products , but they can also cause huge reputational damage and prolonged periods of production downtime .
RQA ’ s data reveals that , after allergen-related labelling errors , some of the main causes of 2024 product recalls by the UK ’ s Food Standards Agency ( FSA ) included microbial contaminants such as listeria and e-coli .
Sensor technology has an important role to play in preventing these issues during processing and packaging , by helping to precisely monitor parameters such as temperature and pressure . Given the highly regulated nature of the industry , implementing sensors also ensures that food and beverage manufacturers comply with exacting safety standards .
ICs in action Introducing IC-based sensors into the production process is beneficial as there is no need for data linearisation , which helps to decrease measurement uncertainty .
This is especially useful when it comes to temperature monitoring , as many foodborne pathogens thrive within certain temperature ranges . Take for example listeria , which was responsible for around ten per cent of the food recalls recorded in RQA ’ s data and often affects dairy products such as milk . To avoid this , milk should be pasteurised , which means heating it to 72 ° C for between 15 and 25 seconds . The specific temperature and time period make accurate measurement vital .
IC-based temperature transducers produce outputs as a current or voltage value proportional to absolute temperature , facilitating calibration and improving accuracy . Additionally , semiconductorbased sensors respond quickly to temperature changes , which is essential in time-limited applications such as pasteurisation .
Chip-based sensing technologies are also beneficial when performing alternatives to pasteurisation , such as high-pressure processing ( HPP ). As a cold processing method best suited to ensuring the safety and extending the shelf life of meat and juice products , HPP utilises sustained , high pressures of up to 87,000 pound per square inch ( psi ) to neutralise pathogens .
34 PECM Issue 72