What are the challenges of the food sector in terms of hygiene and safety?

The evolution of ISO standards applied in the food industry is real, all professionals must implement preventive measures to ensure the safety of food during the manufacturing and processing stages.

Sanitary safety is therefore becoming a major concern for all the actors of the agri-food value chain. The slightest mistake very quickly gives rise to a media frenzy, which is damaging for the sector and the industrialist involved.

The constraints are strong for this industry, especially with regard to quality control means that must be integrated into their environment and adapted to risk management processes.

If color change was a solution to improve food safety?

The idea is to "make the colors speak" to alert and inform of an anomaly. Indeed, the change of color of a coating, a sensor, a label is a phenomenon understandable by everyone. The operator or the camera on a production line can react to the slightest change in color of the "tracker"!

OliKrom has acquired unique expertise in this particular field, which combines "color" and "decision". We support many industrial players from start to finish, from the need to the deployment of prevention solutions, in an innovative approach by designing and producing adapted solutions, based on the intelligence of colors.

Our know-how is our ability to propose breakthrough materials, with color modulation in response to a physicochemical stimulus, in order to create communication channels with their environment.

Some application examples

Smart materials capable of changing color, like the chameleon, are real predictive aids for the control of food processes, in areas where it is complex, or even impossible, to install suitable metrological tools.

Creating a colored indicator to inform of a sudden pH variation

The first case is the use of a colored indicator for inform a sudden and anomalous pH variation in a tank of water, soft drink or alcoholic beverage. The challenge is take action as quickly as possible on the production line to limit the costs associated with waste treatment and production interruption. Innovative solutions is also an internal vector of continuous improvement. The company becomes a driving force by adapting its principles and daily business practices.

Signaling excessive humidity by a color change

Another example is to signal by color change the excessive presence of humidity, an uncontrolled temperature increase inside a grain silo. These measures of prevention and control of environments and premises can now be achieved by the deployment of color change indicators that combine technicality and ease of use.

Detecting the presence of bacteriological inputs

Another problem: the presence of bacteriological inputs on a production line (Salmonella strains ...). What do you think a bout integrate a colored tracer directly into the process to validate cleaning or disinfection work and thus guarantee a state of hygiene with the regulations in industry?