Latest Trends in Food Industry

Jonathan Mardones, Laboratory Manager Pirque and Vespucio Plants at Concha y Toro Vineyard

What are some of the main challenges and trends that have affected the food industry lately?

As far as my area is concerned, one of the challenges that has affected me personally, and what I feel affects the food industry, is food waste. In the role that I have played throughout these years contributing in the microbiological areas, I have strived to contribute so that food comes out productively safe and of high quality, avoiding having to reduce product unnecessarily, especially when food, in my philosophy, should not be wasted or generate unnecessary waste since it constitutes a loss in all areas. The trend in the industry is to be able to optimize processes that help avoid these losses, while making them compatible with food quality and safety.

In many industries, rather than talking about reprocesses, we are talking about quality in the first time, that is, doing things right the first time, with the objective of not having to generate additional resources for improvements.

What keeps you awake at night when it comes to some of the biggest problems in the food industry?

The fact that in the food industry, in general, there are no concrete solutions or a multidisciplinary team that collaborates to get things done right is something that worries me constantly since, at the operational level, the areas of quality control and quality assurance cannot be a stumbling block in the operation.

At the same time, I am excited to be part of the solution to some of the industry's problems, constantly generating learning instances that can be transferable to the team I work with.

Can you tell us about the last project you have been working on and what are some of the technological and process elements that you leveraged to make the project successful?

This past year, I took on the role of laboratory manager at the interplant level, taking on the management of two bottling plants in the city of Santiago, where practically 100 percent of the bottling of the company in which I work is concentrated.

“In many industries, rather than talking about reprocesses, we are talking about quality in the first time, that is, doing things right the first time, with the objective of not having to generate additional resources for improvements.“

My role is key to ensure that analytically the wines arrive in conditions of quality, legality, and safety to our consumers. As it is a large control flow, the laboratories were standardized, generating more simplified and automated control systems, managing to process a greater number of samples in up to 80 percent less time. 

Automation not only included the automation of analysis, but also a simplification of the documentation system.

What are some of the technological trends that excite you for the future of the food industry?

As far as my field (laboratory) is concerned, I am very interested in robotics and automation of analytical technologies. After COVID, all over the world, this trend has grown since the general handling of instruments had to be more limited, so the pandemic itself created opportunities where a "machine" could do what many were doing. This eventually helped many to be able to work in a hybrid way, making their administrative work compatible with their operational work, since it did not require a large staff in the laboratories.

Although this is still in its infancy, it would be an important improvement to have these technologies available at affordable prices so that even the smallest laboratory has the opportunity to carry out hybrid operational tasks.

How can start-ups and evolving companies contact you for suggestions to optimize their businesses?

Like many, LinkedIn has become one of my favorite social networks for the exchange of opinions, debates, and consultations both in the field we are dealing with and in other areas of interest. Without a doubt and to the extent that I am able, I am available through this platform.