21.15 Future trends
The factors most likely to impacton GMP in the future are: changes in
manufacturing methods; changesin requirementsfor, and facilities for carrying
out, traceability; changes in various countries of the acceptable level of
protection(ALOP)demandedby legislatorson behalfof society; and further
developmentsin the power of majorretailersto make stringentquality demands
on theirsuppliers.
One possible future changeof manufacturingmethodis heralded by a research
project currentlyfunded by the UK Department for the Environment,Foodand
RuralAffairs(DEFRA), that of the foodfactory in a pipe'.^14 The one-year Link Bridge projectbringstogether the Centrefor Robotics& Automationat Salford University underProfessorJohnGray,machinesystemsexperts AMTRI,and Marks & Spencerand Heinz.Theiraim is to see if it is possibleto put together flexible automatedfoodprocessinglinesusinga seriesof sealedunitsor modules whichlink to eachother throughstandard interfaces.Eachmodule wouldcontain its ownprocessingequipment (suchas robots)in its ownsealed-inprocessing environment(suchas highor low temperature, highor low pressure,modified atmosphere, aseptic conditions,and so on). The modules wouldlink to eachother throughbarriers thatprevent contamination.Usingstandard interfaces,they could then be quicklyand easilychanged around to reconfigurethefactoryin a
pipe' to suit differentprocessing needs.If the concept proves feasible,the
researchershopeto inviteotherindustrial partners to take the workforwardinto a
full DEFRALinkprojectand builda demonstratorplant.
If this concept of the factoryin a pipe' provesfeasible,thenthe benefits could be enormous± far less factoryfloorspace,fewerpeople, energy bills slashed,betterhygiene control, and the potentialfor extending shelf-life and for developinginnovativenew productsby processingfoodin environments hostile to humans.For example the preparation of chilled readymealsin sucha system would greatly facilitate hygiene control while chilling just the closed environmentinstead of a wholefactorybuilding and the peoplein it. Future traceability systems may involve the effective use of newer techniques,suchas radiofrequencyidentification (RFID),alreadybeingtried in retailingand likely to expandin use as the cost comes down. However, the problem remains of the use whichmanufacturersand retailers can makeof traceabilitydocumentation' and this depends in turn on improved data
managementsystems, possibly withuse of the Internet.
Traceabilityhas alwaysbeenan essentialcomponentof GMP, but is likelyto
assume a greater importance in legislators'concepts of whatconstitutes ALOP.
Already in the EU andits member statesstringent mandatorytraceability
requirementshavebeenestablishedfor genetically modifiedfood and feed
products and ingredients,11,12and as from1 January 2005suchrequirements
havebeenextendedrightacross the boardfor all foodsand feeds.^15
Current and futureresearchon foodsafetyissues (suchastransfattyacids,
formation of acrylamidein foods, formation of furanin foods) may lead to other
346 Handbookof hygiene controlin the foodindustry