Buhler’s revolutionary food safety camera earns Queen’s Award
23 Apr 2019
Buhler UK has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the innovation category for its work on the use of cameras in promoting better food safety.
The firm, which has won six previous awards in 51 years, said its camera technology used in sorting machines, is capable of recognising the subtlest of colour and shading contrasts in materials and foods.
In the USA and Europe, it is reported that the technology has been responsible for significantly increasing detection rates for foreign materials, potential choke hazards or contaminated foods from 85% to 95%.
Benedict Deefholts, senior research engineer Bühler UK explained:
“The innovation here is our ability to gather such large amounts of data and then use that data to optimise a conventional narrow band digital camera so that it is capable of quickly and efficiently detecting very specific things, whether it is shells in nuts, foreign materials in a vegetable production line or even different grades of polymers in a recycling plant.”
Bühler has adapted the technology to produce specialist cameras for different markets: BioVision camera targeted at the nut industry; PolarVision aimed at producers of frozen vegetable; and PolyVision™ designed to improve plastic recycling rates.
“We are absolutely delighted to be receiving this seventh Queen’s award. Innovation is at the heart of our business and it’s wonderful to see another cutting-edge product making a big impact in the market; on food safety, food quality and of course generating commercial success for our customers,” said Buhler’s managing director of digital technologies Matthew Kelly.
NEWS: Aberdeen-based Add Energy has also won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise – in honour of its outstanding overseas sales growth.
Between 2016 and 2018 its Asset and Integrity Management division’s earnings rose more than 1000%, from £1m to £12.4m. The company secured in excess of £3.6 millions-worth of new business in the first quarter of 2019.
Commenting on the awards recipients, the business secretary Greg Clark said:
“Many of these winners are small businesses - the backbone of our economy – and we are backing them to grow, increase their productivity and create more jobs and opportunity across the UK through our modern Industrial Strategy.”
