Sensing danger in food manufacturing

~ 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, semiconductor-based 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.

IC-based pressure sensors can be precisely calibrated to measure and monitor these high pressures, ensuring the process is carried out consistently and assuring the effectiveness of sterilisation. As one of the main challenges of HPP is achieving uniform pressure across the entire batch of food, the quick response time of IC pressure sensors help to detect changes almost instantaneously. Manufacturers can then act on this feedback, allowing them to ensure sustained pressure. This level of precision is crucial in reducing spoilage, product recalls and customer dissatisfaction due to compromised packaging.

Even after the food and beverage products have been processed, sensors still have an important role to play. For example, gas sensors are vital for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) applications, where manufacturers change the proportions of atmospheric gases to preserve minimally processed fresh goods such as meat and fish. Semiconductor-based gas sensors ensure the correct gas composition within each package, preventing spoilage and extending the product’s freshness.

Choosing custom

Unlike off-the-shelf ICs, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) can be tailored for the exact demands of individual applications. Consequently, opting for an ASIC is preferable for applications with high performance needs, improved system integration and cost effectiveness over time.

The fully optimised chip design of an ASIC means that any unnecessary components can be eliminated, allowing more power to be focused precisely on the features that matter most for the application. Beyond the performance gains, this streamlined design also reduces the bill of materials, lowering the cost per chip.

Within food and beverage processing applications, ASICs offer a wide range of advantages. For example, ASIC-based gas sensors customised for the unique requirements of MAP can monitor gas flow and composition at micro levels, flagging inconsistencies that may not otherwise be detected. Custom IC temperature sensors can be tailored to specific food storage, heating or cooling processes detecting even slight temperature variations. This targeted design makes ASICs ideal for specific industry demands where standard ICs might lack the necessary precision or range.

Tailoring sensors to fit exact needs reduces calibration time, increases system efficiency, and enhances quality control — making ASICs an ideal choice for food and beverage manufacturers looking to maintain high production standards and comply with industry standards.

Sensors are essential for keeping food and beverage production quality high and product recalls low. Opting for a custom IC solution ensures that sensors tasked with ensuring safety, quality and regulatory compliance achieve maximum performance and effectiveness.