With climate change and food security concerns, "Food Safety" is more important than ever. At Bühler, we recognize the value of every grain for our customers. For millers and stakeholders across the entire grain supply chain, ensuring crop safety and quality is paramount. Let's look at the challenges and opportunities in food safety, and how synergies in harvesting, cleaning, and storage can reduce risks.
Hidden Dangers in Grains
Our humble grains can contain many contaminants if not handled correctly. Grain safety is crucial for the health of billions, including our customers. It's important to implement food safety measures throughout the supply chain to manage chemical residues from pesticides, heavy metals from polluted soils, harmful mycotoxins, and physical contaminants such as foreign materials like stones. Proper safety measures throughout the supply chain can prevent foodborne illnesses.
Imagine enjoying your favourite dish made from grains, only to suffer from illness. Contaminants can cause serious health problems, underscoring why grain safety is vital for our customers. Reducing waste also helps maintain food security and prevents shortages.
Economic Impact
Problems with food safety cause financial losses that extend beyond farms and affect our customers. Disposing of contaminated grains costs farmers, processors, and retailers. Product recalls can tarnish even the most trusted brands. Protecting grains saves money, secures jobs, and keeps brands strong for our customers.
Field to Fork – Bühler’s Complete Approach
The journey of grains from field to fork is complex and demands stringent safety measures along the way. Bühler ensures grain safety throughout the value chain. During transportation, safe practices prevent cross-contamination. In storage, proper conditioning and monitoring (of temperature, moisture, CO₂, and inventory) mitigate mycotoxins and pests. Processing steps like cleaning and optical sorting eliminate physical contaminants, while good hygiene practices ensure grains remain safe up to the point of purchase.
At Bühler, our approach to safeguarding grains involves multifaceted solutions at every stage from harvest to storage. Our solutions rest on several pillars designed to keep grains safe, focusing on food safety and quality.
We design equipment with an emphasis on hygienic design for easy cleaning and maintenance, reducing contamination risks. Smooth surfaces and accessible parts ensure thorough cleaning.
Effective grain cleaning removes impurities, providing high-quality products for customers. Technologies like optical sorting and gravity separation reduce mycotoxins, ensuring we deliver a premium product that meets the highest standards of food safety.
Advanced sorting systems eliminate all foreign materials such as glass, stones, and metals, ensuring only top-quality grains progress to the next processing steps.
