The food industry in Spain plays a very important role in the industrial sector, which is why we must carefully analyse the challenges for the food industry in 2024; this way we can know what to face and prepare for them with the best solutions.

In Spain, the food and beverage industry is the leading manufacturing branch of the industrial sector, according to the latest INE Structural Company Statistics data, with a turnover of 142,073.3 M€, which represents 24.2% of the manufacturing sector.*

This means that the sector faces technological challenges to which solutions must be sought in order to improve competitiveness. In fact, during this year’s FOODTECH, we were able to witness the number of technological solutions that have become an indispensable part of the sector to improve productivity and generate better results.

FOODTECH 2023
Our participation in FOODTECH 2023

Mira todas las soluciones industriales que ofrece Innova IT

While the challenges for the food industry in 2024 are many, we have chosen to focus on these 4:

Food security:

According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) in its report ‘The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021’, the food security situation has worsened in the wake of the pandemic. There is a need for companies in the sector to engage in promoting food safety and quality through targeted solutions.

Solutions focused on food safety:

  • Reducing the risk of pollution
  • Elimination of unhealthy conditions
  • Access to monitoring systems to ensure processes.
  • Measurement of production patterns
  • Alerts to detect problems
  • Analysis of risks or critical points in production
  • Assess consumer health fraud.

Supply shortages:

It is no secret that the world situation is complicating access to various foodstuffs and supplies. Spain has more and more products with lower availability rates and this directly affects the whole sector and above all consumers.
Regardless of the supply, suppliers have been struggling to deliver a final product that meets the established quality standards; and in the midst of the global crisis we are facing, it is necessary for companies to be able to meet this challenge.

Solutions focused on supply shortages:

  • Improved efficiency and profitability at all stages of production.
  • Information on demand forecasting,
  • Optimisation of processes
  • Cost reduction
  • Intelligent inventory management in real time.

Increase in waste

According to FAO data, approximately 1.7 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year. It is clear that food waste is a global problem. And this is not just the responsibility of the end consumer. Companies in the sector also have a duty to manage their waste properly in order to try to reduce it as much as possible.

Solutions focused on increasing waste:

  • Accurate tracking of processes.
  • Data collection for situation analysis.
  • Analysis of parameters that may contribute to the situation (climate, freshness of food, storage, etc.).
  • Demand forecasts.

Price increases

During 2023, the world order of food trade, production and consumption has been altered; this has had a direct impact on prices and general costs both for companies in the sector and for the end consumer.
This situation is of special concern to companies because it is necessary for them to face this challenge, taking into account that price increases directly affect the global development of the population.

Solutions focused on raising prices:

  • Dynamic pricing of perishable products.
  • Definition of shelf life.
  • Systems for detecting product condition.
  • Deterioration and quality predictions

What is the best solution to meet the challenges for the food industry in 2024?

You can discover it in our eBook – THE BEST SOLUTIONS TO MEET THE CHALLENGES FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY

*ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SPANISH FOOD INDUSTRY PERIOD 2022 – 2023 (10/20/2023).

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