The food and beverage industry is one of the most heavily regulated markets. It’s governed by strict standards and regulations for an important reason – to ensure public health and safety.
The rigorous environment compels companies to continuously monitor and improve their processes, which isn’t an easy task.
Enter food and beverage process engineering.
Food and beverage process engineering plays a vital role in the industry from safety and hygiene practices to developing sustainable production methods, even when scaling production.
It’s no secret that process engineering is an essential part of the food and beverage industry. There are 7 critical roles that process engineering plays in this market.
The food and beverage industry is under strict regulations through the FDA and other organizations to maintain good public health. Process engineers use several strategies to ensure safety and hygiene standards are met:
Quality control is an essential part of operations in any industry but is necessary for safety in the food and beverage industry. Process engineers implement quality control systems for each stage of production to monitor and test food products. This can include inspecting for any contamination, verifying shelf life, and checking products for specified safety criteria.
With any production, efficiency, and productivity are essential. Process engineering streamlines the production process which leads to more efficient operations. This can result in higher productivity, reduced waste, and lower production costs.
In the food and beverage industry, the latest technology or innovation is always right around the corner. Process engineers stay up to date on the latest methods, which leads to the creation of new products, improvements of existing ones, and exploration of new ways to enhance food preservation and shelf life.
Today, maintaining a positive environmental impact is a goal in nearly every industry. In the food and beverage sector specifically, it can leave a significant environmental footprint.
Process engineers work to develop more sustainable and eco-friendly production methods as well as ways to lower waste, energy consumption, and emissions.
Since the food and beverage industry has many standards to follow, someone needs to make sure production is following regulations. Process engineering helps ensure compliance with regulations regarding food safety, labeling, and environmental impact. By working with a process engineer, you can avoid legal issues and maintain a good reputation.
As your business and consumer preferences evolve, it can be difficult to keep up with the latest trends. Process engineering allows the food and beverage industry to quickly adapt to changes, whether it’s a shift towards plant-based alternatives, organic needs, or even a large influx of business.
Mixers and blenders – used to blend, emulsify, and disperse ingredients. They come in various types, such as high-shear and low-shear mixers, each suitable for different mixing requirements.
Pumps and valves – essential when heating or cooling products during processing. Pumps and valves come in a variety of shapes and sizes, depending on your specific heat transfer requirements.
Tanks and vessels – store raw materials, mixing ingredients, and other products. These can be designed for specific temperatures, limited contamination, and pressure.
Homogenizers – blend immiscible liquids into an emulsion, frequently found in dairy and beverage production.
Automation and monitoring software – These include HMI's (human-machine interfaces), PLC's (programmable logic controllers), flow meters, and sensor equipment to monitor flow rates, and temperature throughout the process. All of these give operators a higher level of control and management of their processes.
Process engineering allows you to scale your food and beverage industry business through a strategic approach, balancing efficiency, quality, and capacity. Typically, process engineers follow these steps to scale your production:
Before thinking about expanding, you want to make sure your current processes are as efficient as possible. Process engineers will first optimize these processes, work to reduce waste, and increase productivity to lay a solid foundation for scaling success.
To determine the maximum production capacity, process engineers conduct a capacity analysis. This determines where facilities may need to expand, upgrade equipment, automate processes, or redesign workflow.
By automating your processes and integrating new technology, your production capacity will increase. Automation reduces the need for manual labor, improves precision, and can operate continuously – even after hours. Process engineers assist with this essential part of scaling your production.
It’s a fine line between increasing production and maintaining high product quality – process engineers make this much easier. Process engineering ensures that quality control systems are robust enough to handle increased production, without compromising quality.
When you scale production, you’ll need a more complex supply chain. Process engineers optimize supply chain logistics from raw material procurement to product distribution. Remember, without a functional supply chain, your production will come to a halt.
From safety and hygiene practices to developing sustainable methods, process engineering is the solution, especially in the food and beverage industry.
If you’re looking to ramp up your production and expand without decreasing product quality, reach out to one of our process engineering consultants to get started.