The food industry is rapidly developing. As the global population has increased, so has the demand for food. Suppliers are under pressure to work more efficiently both in terms of quantity and quality. In addition, consumers want sustainable food available at their convenience.

Robots extensively contribute to the improvement in food processing operations. Automation in the food supply chain industry has introduced novel ways in which food is processed and packaged to improve food safety and quality. They have also successfully replaced humans in operations that are harmful to workers.

Robotics application in the food production industry is the key to addressing the rising demand for food globally. Robotics applications are incorporated in both primary and secondary processes such as cleaning, sorting and blending. Automation in the food manufacturing sector not only increases efficiency but plays a major role in improving safety, speed and productivity.

Automation also plays a major role in the packaging sector of the food supply chain. The most commonly used applications for food-handling robots are packaging and palletizing. A pick-and-place robot is used in the primary packaging process; for the packing of individual food packages where these packages are grouped and boxed together. Whereas, the palletizing robots are commonly used for the secondary processes where packages are grouped for shipping. This way, industries can reduce intensive human labor, job injuries, and improve product quality and reduce costs.