The food manufacturing industry has many rules and regulations that ensure quality products are being sold with minimal risk to the public. One part of food manufacturing is color sorting. In addition to sorting food into different colors, this process also involves checking for discoloration or changes in the food which could indicate disease or expiry. In this article, we’ll take a look at color sorting and what its role is in the food manufacturing industry.
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Why Is Color Important in Food Products?
Consumers associate certain colors and vibrancies with ripeness, quality, and freshness. If the color of certain foods is dull or has changed, consumers are aware the food may not be fit to eat. In 2022, the US food manufacturing industry generated over $764.5 billion in revenue through consumer purchases.
Colors also signal seasonal food trends. Some foods may be vibrant in summer, but their color may change by the time fall arrives. Knowing these market trends, supermarkets are able to provide consumers with products during the peak seasonal growth times. This helps to keep the food fresh for consumers.
Color can also have an impact on a brand’s identity. A popular brand label which prints poor colored labels, may find sales could drop. Consumers feel safe knowing their favorite food brand is consistent not only in visual branding, but in quality as well.
The Role of Color Sorting
Color sorting has a few different roles in the food manufacturing industry. While some smaller businesses may sort by hand, other larger businesses usually use color sorting machines like those from TDI Packsys. Color sorting helps with the following:
- Waste reduction: Sorting by color can help reduce waste during manufacturing. By identifying low-quality foods, manufacturers have the ability to remove them before they’re shipped.
- Quality control: Color sorting helps to minimize the risk of consumers buying discolored food. Poor quality food can affect a brand’s reputation, and could cause consumer complaints or health issues.
- Compliance and safety: Manufacturers are held accountable under set food regulations. Color sorting helps manufacturers to abide by these rules, including preventing the sale of contaminated products.
The Future of Color Sorting
With food and beverage establishments employing over 1.7 million workers in 2021, the demand on manufacturers to deliver higher quality food is increasing. Due to this, new trends in color sorting are starting to evolve. One is the increase in automation to help improve accuracy and efficiency of the sorting. The integration of machine learning and AI is leading to more sophisticated sorting algorithms.
Another is pushing more focus on sustainability, and how the sorting process may help to improve sustainability of food products by picking up more refined color changes at a deeper level. This means food that is starting to expire can be detected earlier.
Endnote
Color sorting is a vital component of the food manufacturing industry. It not only impacts the quality of the food, but also helps to reduce waste at the same time. With consumers wanting better products, color sorting is one part of the equation which will be important for years to come.
