Whether a small business or a large corporation, proper maintenance and routine inspections are crucial for ensuring smooth operations. Can the deployment of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) augment the efforts of food safety professionals by helping them perform inspections?

3M Food Safety has introduced the 3M™ Petrifilm™ Plate Reader Advanced, a new automation technology that gives food safety professionals new options to rapidly and accurately image, count and document microbiological colonies on 3M Petrifilm Plates indicator tests.

Technology and automation are essential in the food safety industry.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program, the domestic baking industry consumes an estimated $800 million worth of purchased fuels and electricity per year, as noted in its guide, "Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost Saving Opportunities for the Baking Industry" (Nov. 2016 update, available on www.energystar.gov).

Automation and robotics are helping snack food producers and bakery businesses keep pace with a new generation of consumers.