The food processing market size grows at a CAGR of 4.3% to reach 4.1 trillion in 2024. The rapid growth of bringing the food from the field to feed the 8 billion people efficiently is undergoing fundamental changes.   The most important one is the help of robots in food processors that speeds up the processors and keep the food safe from contamination.  

Robotized handling and manufacturing installation get more preference as many now consider reliance on manual labor is a classical concept .  In this worst COVID-19 pandemic, the need for the help of robots is increasing to handle many food processing tasks. Because of the lockdown, there is not much labor available and to process the food hygienically free from viruses and other antibodies that cause health hazards. Check out the many ways robots help processors during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the reliance on manual labor is a classical concept now, more preference is for robotized handling/manufacturing installation.

The rising demand for robots in processors during COVID-19 Pandemic

The rapid rise in food processing is because of the changing consumer lifestyles and the technological capabilities leaping forward to transform the sector.  The re-surging technology like artificial intelligence and others is making food processors smart, safe and productive.  Also, many studies are proposing four steps within the FIMR or food industrial robot methodology for choosing the ideal industrial robots for processors .  

And it is the robots handling many tasks in food processing that helps to keep the food safe and free of any contamination.  Its demand is more on the rise because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its lockdown and fear of the virus. There are many ways that robots help processors during the COVID-19 pandemic for the people to be safe from any health hazards because of food contamination.

The best ways that robot helps processors during COVID 19 pandemic

 This COVID-19 pandemic is worse than the others to spread the infection fast to over 177 million and kill nearly 4 million people.  It is not in control in many countries like India, one of the gigantic markets for processed food.  The second wave now and the expected third wave have brought many changes in the food processing industry, including robots.  The following are the ways robots play a crucial role in processors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 ·Since there is a strict need for social distancing, only the robots help pick up and load stacks in many food processing plants.

 ·Because of the acute infection nature of coronavirus, robots are the best alternatives for contact-free processing activities.

 ·Robots handle case packing systems for feeding efficiently and fast to reduce operators' workload, spend 80% of their time, and get musculoskeletal disorders.

 ·There are specialized robots for picking and placing delicate food produce without damaging the skin and not contaminating it.

 ·Many food processing workers are sick because of the pandemic or unable to come to the plant because of the lockdown, and it is only the robots that can do their work effectively.

 ·Robots help in the processors is getting better and better every day for many reasons like

 ·The ability to withstand high or low temperatures and even harsh cleaning chemicals that may cause health hazards to humans

 ·With improved vision capabilities and hygienic designs can improve the processors for effective and fast productivity.

 ·Have sensitive and strong grippers like the human hands for safe and effective handling of the processors

 ·With the flexibility for adapting to changing applications,  throughput and recipes, robots work safely among workers.

 ·Along with artificial intelligence, the specialized robots can do repetitive and complex tasks like pork carcass cutting/trimming and other dedicated cell functions.

 ·The COVOD 19 pandemic has increased the numbers of products, SKUs, distribution channels, and the need for shorter delivery production with frequent changeovers, which requires more the help of robots.

 ·The robots with periodic sterilization minimize contamination, which is the fundamental need for products during this COVID 19 pandemic, and they also provide a clean and sanitized productive environment.

 ·The robots integrated with vision and artificial intelligence can grasp any object based on its 2D or 3D shape or detect products out of the norm, like a missing pepperoni on a burger.

 Conclusion:

The above ways of the help of robots for processors during the COVID 19 pandemic is only to continue in the future for their many benefits.  And with the specialization using AI, robots will be the game-changers for groundbreaking innovative ways of food processing for providing safe and healthy food.