Digital solutions launched for feed producers

The platform is developed by Bühler in cooperation with Microsoft and is called Bühler Insights: a single IoT platform that runs all of Bühler’s digital services and enables customers to access these services via a single portal.

Reducing energy costs and remove aflatoxins

The platform includes a number of digital services such as MoisturePro, a cloud-based digital service that drives significant improvements in yield, reduces energy costs and the environmental footprint of thermal processing in the food and feed industry. Harnessing the power of cloud connectivity, it can deliver a return on investment of US$ 300,000, translating to an annual energy savings of US$ 20,000. Another is LumoVision, which can identify and remove corn (maize) that has been contaminated with toxic aflatoxin. 2 additional image-processing Bühler Insights solutions are, GrainiGo™ for corn and TotalSense™ for rice. These solutions enable customers to assess raw material quality and trends, compare performance objectively and consistently, and store data for future analysis and traceability.

LumoVision can identify and remove corn (maize) that has been contaminated with toxic aflatoxin. Photo: Bühler

More to come: Blockchain for food safety

Bühler Insights, with its first set of digital services running on this platform, is just the start of this endeavour. Blockchain is an ideal way to record actions and transactions, because it’s very difficult to change or tamper with. Bühler and Microsoft are working together on the development of a blockchain solution that will increase food safety and transparency across the food value chain. Blockchain can help the food industry in many ways. Take food contamination for example, in the first eight months of this year, the US Food and Drug Administration recorded around 120 cases of food and feed contamination in the US. This included contamination from Salmonella, listeria monocytogenes, glass, metal, and rodent droppings. With blockchain, companies can quickly trace the source of contamination and try to prevent it from resulting in illness, lost food production, and damaged brand reputation. With blockchain, companies can also track quality and location.

Launched at Ignite conference

These innovations were discussed at the Microsoft conference Ignite, where In his Ignite keynote, Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, highlighted Bühler’s critical role in the world’s food supply and its work to use digital technology to ensure true food safety. Watch the video below.