BlakBear, a UK-based technology company, is pleased to announce that it has partnered with Cranswick to launch a digital quality assurance program. This supports Cranswick’s focus on delivering product quality throughout the supply chain.
The program, a first in the UK meat industry, will improve quality testing across 17 Cranswick sites through the use of BlakBear’s freshness sensor technology and AI software. The program will deliver unique insight into quality by generating 1,000 times more data per pack and improve sustainability by minimising the amount of food wasted in destructive testing. BlakBear’s technology is also enabling seamless collaboration with retailers by monitoring freshness and temperature through depots and stores.
The program was originally funded in partnership with InnovateUK, the UK’s national innovation agency. This funding enabled extensive validation to establish trust in the new technology, by demonstrating strong correlation between BlakBear and traditional quality testing methods across many product categories and sites.
Clive Stephens, Head of Research and Development at Cranswick, commented: “Food quality testing used to mean one destructive test per pack, resulting in high costs and waste, all for a single data point. With BlakBear we gather 1,000 times more data per test, providing us with unique insight into quality and minimising product waste.”
Dr Max Grell, CEO at BlakBear, said: “Cranswick is one of the most innovative British food manufacturers, dedicated to delivering the highest quality products to retailers and consumers. The roll-out with BlakBear will provide Cranswick with real-time insights into quality, and enable Cranswick to lead the industry in data and AI.”