Enhanced immersive chilling in poultry processing
Speaker: Comas Haynes, Ph.D., research faculty, Georgia Tech Research Institute

A significant portion of the water and energy expenditure of poultry processing is associated with chilling. The incorporation of alternative kinematics (motion) and media (e.g., ice-water slurries) may allow more efficient and effective chill, as well as added anti-microbial benefits given the thermomechanical attributes of ice slurry. As envisioned, the birds would be on a shackle line as they move through the slurry, eliminating the need for rehang staffing.

How digital auditing advances blockchain and traceability
Speaker: Maxine Roper, CEO and co-founder, Connecting Food

Consumers today no longer trust where their food comes from. They want to know how it was made, by whom and under what conditions. This presentation will present the advantages and limits of the blockchain, as well as introduce the concept of ‘digital auditing’ and how it can be used to verify in real-time that suppliers are respecting their product specifications, ensuring that the data recorded in the blockchain is truthful and accurate 100% of the time.

Traceability at the speed of thought
Speaker: Sharmeen Khan, chief marketing officer, OpsSmart

Traceability, blockchain, artificial intelligence and IoT can create an integrated supply chain that has greater transparency, efficiency and safety. Market demand for trace is primed given the numerous food safety issues in the U.S., China and Europe. New software traces food across the entire supply chain from the farm to the fork, serving as a central repository for all information regarding the trace of ingredients, all data for each critical control point in the supply chain, and all documents pertaining to each lot and batch.

Live Q&A following the presentation moderated by Aidan Connolly, CEO, Cainthus; president, Agritech Capital
Closing remarks by Greg Watt, president and CEO, WATT Global Media