Safety conference to focus on latest industry tech

In this exclusive video interview, the conference’s speaker and Campden BRI technology director Richard Akkermans said there is a number of new food manufacturing technologies that the sector is likely to see over the next few years.

Speaking ahead of his keynote address at the Food Manufacture Group’s one-day food safety conference​ in June, Akkermans explained: “I’ll be focusing more generally on the amount of ‘connected devices’ in the food industry. I think there’s something like 3bn connected devices in the UK projected by 2020 – so that’s devices that can be online and sharing data and connecting with each other, and that has exciting but also potentially scary implications in terms of impact on food safety.​

‘Exciting but also potentially scary’​

“So, whether that’s pulsed electric field or high pressure processing, some of them are at the mature stage of implementation, and some are just at the beginning of the technology ‘S’ cruve, as we call it. Seeing how those are likely to play out over the next few years is what I will hopefully arm the audience with, on June 22.”​

Also in this video interview, Akkermans said consumer mistrust of the food industry was unfair.

“Consumers are expecting more and more scrutiny, and transparency about their food and drink,”​ said Akkermans.

‘A low-level of trust’​

“There’s generally a low-level of trust with consumers about the food industry, which a lot of it, of course is unfair, because the food industry is highly regulated and UK food and drink is incredibly safe.”​

Akkermans is one of 12 speakers at this year’s food safety conference. The conference will take place at Woodland Grange, Leamington Spa on Thursday June 22.

This year’s conference will be chaired by Campden BRI director general Professor Steven Walker. The sponsors of this year’s event include: Checkit, which manages food safety with smart cloud-based systems, Dycem, the contamination control flooring specialist, Pal International, hygienic product specialist and the Westgate Group, a specialist in factory dividers.