With high employee turnover, rising production demands, and fewer hands-on deck, many dairy processors are struggling to maintain quality and compliance. Hygiena Diagnostics explains how its Autosampler III can help.
Staffing challenges in the food and beverage industry aren’t just a passing trend; they’re an ongoing disruption. Companies are now being forced to increase their efficiencies so they can “do more with less”.
This is especially true in dairy, where skilled quality control (QC) technicians are in short supply and the labour challenges aren’t expected to ease anytime soon. The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) continues to highlight workforce development as one of the top concerns facing the sector.
As processors look ahead, smart investments in automation are becoming essential, not optional.
The Innovate Autosampler III isn’t just about speeding up a process, it is about enabling your team to focus where human expertise matters most while ensuring consistent, reliable results, shift after shift. It solves a critical need by reducing labour dependency while increasing efficiency.
Designed for high-throughput environments, the Autosampler III:
- automates sample loading, mixing, and pipetting;
- continuous workflow eliminates interruption from the sampling process to maximise efficiency;
- minimises human error in microbial detection, and
- is Industry 4.0 compliant, giving you access to state-of-the-art software and components for remote troubleshooting and real-time KPI tracking.
This not only speeds up workflows, it future-proofs your quality control process.
Your workforce where it matters most
Automation doesn’t replace your team, it empowers them to focus on high-value tasks. While the Innovate Autosampler III handles the repetitive steps in microbial testing, your skilled staff can focus on analysis, problem-solving, and continuous improvement.
This smart reallocation of labour is exactly what the industry is calling for. Businesses must reimagine how they work to boost efficiency amid staffing shortages.
Consistency and compliance
In the dairy industry, there’s no margin for error. Microbial testing must be fast, accurate, and standardised. With the Innovate Autosampler III, you gain:
- reproducible results regardless of who is on shift;
- faster turnaround times for product release; and
- a scalable solution for growing production lines.
This helps safeguard your brand’s reputation and regulatory compliance, even as labour pressures mount.
Resilience built from smart automation
Staffing shortages may persist, but your ability to adapt will define your competitive edge. The Innovate Autosampler III is more than just a time-saving device, it is a strategic tool that helps you:
- maintain quality with fewer resources;
- reduce reliance on hard-to-find skills; and
- scale QC operations as your business grows.
This article first appeared in the June/July 2025 edition of Food & Drink Business magazine.
