BlakBear technology and the food industry

Standard food quality testing practices involve microbiology testing and sensory quality grading of food products to assess shelf-life and determine a use-by date that is ‘safe’ for consumers. With an additional margin of ‘safety’ added to the date-labelling of products, comes a compromise in the true reflection of the product’s actual freshness, often resulting in unnecessary amounts of food wasted throughout the supply chain and in consumer households.

BlakBear sensors monitor spoilage parameters of products in real-time, including temperature and spoilage gases such as ammonia, providing an accurate indicator of freshness on a package level. With our innovative peer-reviewed technology*, BlakBear can deliver real-time insights into waste reduction in the food supply chain using data and shelf-life predictions to manage quality assurance, optimize quality testing processes and reduce waste in the cold chain.

Sensor validation study

This validation study marks a significant milestone in our mission to fight food waste and enhance quality assurance.

Following the completion of successful trials with multiple processors and retailers in the food supply chain across the U.K. and the U.S., we partnered with Campden BRI to determine a correlation between BlakBear sensor measurements and industry-standard microbiological testing and sensory assessments during a shelf-life test. Microbiology testing was conducted on four organisms: Aerobic Plate Count (APC), Enterobacteriaceae, Lactic acid bacteria and Pseudomonas.

Shelf-life tests simulate the journey of a food package from the supply chain to the consumer. In this study, raw chicken breast samples, supplied by 2 Sisters Food Group, were sealed with BlakBear sensors in a modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and refrigerated for up to fifteen days. The samples were chilled at 4°C for seven days, followed by a two-hour period at 23°C to mimic the average time it takes for a consumer to purchase the product in-store and transport it home. Then, they were stored at 9°C for the remainder of the trial.

On scheduled sampling dates, several packs were removed from chilled storage and transferred for gas, microbiological and sensory analysis by Campden. Meanwhile, BlakBear sensors continuously monitored the spoilage profile of the samples from the point of packaging. Campden’s gas analysis revealed a rise in carbon dioxide levels as the packs spoiled throughout the test, indicative of microbial activity. On day 9, BlakBear sensor readings surpassed our standard quality cut-off value, aligning with microbiological results that indicated the acceptable criteria for APC had been exceeded on the same day.

Campden BRI’s conclusions

Alongside microbiological testing, sensory assessments also indicated a decline in product quality on days 9-11, characterized by a strong off-odor and slimy appearance. On these observations, Campden BRI concluded that BlakBear sensor data showed a strong correlation with the microbial and sensory tests conducted on the chicken breast samples in the trial.

— Campden BRI, 2023. Read more here

* Our groundbreaking sensing technology is peer-reviewed by a leading academic journal. Read the journal article here.