Large animal detection featured in new cars
Volvo has launched a large animal detection system showing how technology coming to its vehicles in 2017 can detect animals, such as a cow or a moose, and take action to ensure there isn’t a collision between the animal and the vehicle. The radar constantly sends out a signal and is constantly looking for something and it will sense when there is an object. The camera then takes video of it and attempts to identify what the object is, according to Volvo. A central control unit determines if the object is a threat and if so, how to proceed. If a driver does not react, the car will take action at the last possible second, automatically applying the brakes one second before impact.
RSPCA urges dog owners to chip as law changes
As of April 2016, it will be compulsory for dogs to be microchipped in Wales. The move is in a bid to cut down on the number of strays and dogs being abandoned and the RSPCA is urging owners to get their pets chipped immediately to be ready for the law change. The chip gives pets the best chance of being identified and returned home if they become lost or stolen. The charity is also calling on members of the public who already have their pets chipped, to ensure that their contact details are up to date. Microchipping is a quick procedure where a small chip is placed underneath the animal’s skin. The chip stores an ID number with the owner’s details which are stored on a database. A special scanner can find the number which is routinely used by RSPCA inspectors, dog wardens and vets. The code links to a database that contains the necessary contact information to help ensure a fast way of tracing an owner.
Global food traceability market driven by strict regulation
The global market for food traceability is technology driven and is seeing introduction of new technologies and applications across different levels such as in packaging, logistics, storage, handling, and retail. The different technologies currently available in the market are barcode, RFID, biometrics, GPS, and infrared. The market has been analyzed in a detailed market research report by Transparency Market Research. The report provides a granular analysis for understanding the changing competitive dynamics of the market and presents a forward looking perspective about the several factors instrumental in shaping the market’s future growth prospects. According to the analysts, the concept of traceability has seen a significant rise in popularity and adoption in the food safety and quality industry in the past few years. These days, almost every step of logistics, right from packaging to distribution to the consumer, uses a type of food traceability technique for a variety of reasons. However, the primary driver of the global food traceability market is the rising importance of the ability to track the origin of food products. This is mainly due to the globally increasing incidences of food borne diseases and the implementation of strict food quality regulations making it compulsory for producers to monitor food quality at every step of manufacturing. The market is exhibiting steady growth on a global front and is expected to expand at a healthy pace over the report’s forecast period.
India to bring FCI foodgrain management online
An online system to automate all the operations of FCI depots in India has been launched. Capturing data online on a real time basis, the system will bring total transparency in the working of FCI. It would help in better monitoring and supervision to reduce leakages and losses. The system will provide various types of data regarding stock position, movement, quality and quantity on line. It will generate SMS alerts to depot officials, area manager and other decision making authorities. All the data will be available on dashboard also for top management to monitor centrally and help in automatic reconciliation and generating of MIS reports about foodgrain management. The Government said that almost 100% of ration cards have been digitized and about 80,000 Fair Price Shop (FPS) have been provided with bio-metric Point of Sale Device for distributing subsidized foodgrains. Such devices will be installed at 3 lakh FPS by March 2017 and by March 2019 all the ration shops in the country will have these devices to make Public distribution system totally leak proof. So far 45% ration cards have been seeded with a Aadhar cards and in next 2 years remaining cards will also be seeded with the Aadhars wherever available.
Landmark Cambridge alliance boosts UK food safety
Cambridge technology innovator Checkit has joined forces with the city council to develop a next generation cloud-based food safety management system designed to revolutionise food safety compliance. Checkit is a spin-off from product design hothouse Elektron Technology and has become a leader in automated monitoring and work management solutions across food, safety and facilities management. The system, which builds upon the Food Standards Agency’s Safer Food Better Business, enables all food businesses – whether a single restaurant or a UK-wide chain, hospital or even a school – to replace their paper-based system with interactive digital checklists and automated cloud-based monitoring, to give improved compliance, control and visibility.