Artificial intelligence saves time and energy for food processing companies

The AI system, which precisely monitors levels of dirt on equipment to ensure it cleans them effectively, could save the UK industry £100m, its developers claim.

Existing technology used by the food and drink industry to clean processing equipment without disassembling it cannot measure exactly how dirty the vessels are inside, meaning companies can clean for up to five hours each day to prevent contamination.

As a result, cleaning can account for around 30 per cent of the industry’s energy and water use.

The AI system, being developed by Derbyshire-based cleaning technology specialist Martec of Whitwell, in collaboration with Nottingham and Loughborough Universities, will use ultrasonic sensing and optical fluorescence imaging to measure dirt levels inside equipment.

This could save between 20-50 per cent of the time companies spend cleaning, and thereby increase the amount of time equipment is available for production, according to Ian Sterritt, co-owner and director of Martec.