Neogen is focusing on providing data analytics solutions to help future-proof businesses in the food and beverage industry.
In the modern age, businesses in the food and beverage sector are struggling to keep up with regulatory compliance and risk management in their processes. As new manufacturing technologies are introduced to meet surging demands, delivering safe and high-quality products is only the beginning.
With the rise of health-conscious consumers who make more informed decisions, businesses are encouraged to adopt sustainable operations and track environmental impacts.
Environmental monitoring is a critical process used to assess food production facilities through regular sampling and analysis, preventing problems in their early stages before they escalate. It forms an essential part of an Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP).
While EMP is crucial to track data within a business, when met with waves of tasks, human error can occur, which sets the business back and decreases overall productivity.
As data continues to accumulate from multiple testing points, whether swabs, environmental samples or product-level checks, businesses are realising the importance of integrating these datasets into a single system.
In New Zealand and Australia, where food businesses span diverse sectors and face unique challenges, the uptake of digital systems has been gradual. Many companies still rely on manual tracking or basic spreadsheet systems.
In response to this, Neogen, a solutions provider for the food processing, animal protein and agriculture industries, is increasingly turning its attention to how food businesses manage and act by providing food safety, microbiology and data analytics solutions through Neogen Analytics.
Neogen Analytics
Neogen’s data analytics solution is making its mark in food safety innovation, bringing a data-first approach to hygiene monitoring and environmental testing across the food and beverage sector.
Businesses can utilise Neogen Analytics to analyse, visualise and manage EMPs through its cloud-based functionality. Neogen Analytics reduces costs, production delays, unplanned line shutdowns and waste by eliminating manual entry.
With an expanding footprint in Australia and New Zealand, the company is focusing on helping producers meet regulatory standards, improve decision-making and reduce operational risk through its suite of tools and services.
Designed to help consolidate and analyse large volumes of hygiene and safety data, Neogen Analytics allows businesses to move away from handwritten logs and fragmented spreadsheets. It provides one centralised platform where all environmental data can be accessed and visualised.
“Businesses are still very reliant on Excel spreadsheets, handwritten notes and records,” said technical specialist Australia New Zealand at Neogen, John Fam. “Analytics is becoming a powerful tool that companies will use to help them manage all the data.”
Fam gave an example of a dairy company that has an EMP covering multiple collection points with up to 2,000 testing points. He described the laborious and time-consuming process of tracking information and having it readily accessible.
The program gives companies the ability to interpret multiple data streams together. Rather than looking at test results in isolation, users can start to understand patterns, track areas of risk, and implement improvements based on solid evidence. Over time, this aggregated data builds a picture of facility hygiene and performance.
Product marketing manager at Neogen, Troy Gosetti, stated that while adopting these technologies is important, knowing what to do with all the data is the main goal for all businesses.
“Combining your EMP and testing results to form a big picture of what is happening in your facility will enhance better decision-making,” said Gosetti.
Another key capability of Neogen Analytics is its role in audit readiness and regulatory compliance. With increasingly tight regulations around food safety, companies are expected to provide clear, traceable records of their sanitation protocols.
The removal of manual data entry is crucial to streamlining processes by capturing all data points into one single platform. Another issue is that tracking hundreds of units across operations is prone to human error.
Through automation-integrated technologies, the platform helps ensure that all data is accurate, timestamped and easily accessible during inspections. This reduces the risk of failed audits and gives businesses confidence in their documentation.
The platform has already been adopted by companies across Australia and New Zealand, with strong early feedback. Businesses report that it not only simplifies the reporting process but also creates new opportunities for improving operational performance.
By bringing hygiene and safety data into one place, companies can now analyse performance trends over time, identify weak points and proactively address emerging risks.
Ensuring customer success
The transition is not always simple, particularly for businesses with ingrained processes. However, the long-term benefits such as time savings, error reduction and increased visibility are helping many to see the value in making the shift.
Neogen’s team provides training and consultation throughout the journey, helping clients unlock the full potential of the platform. According to Gosetti, Neogen works closely with the clients from the beginning to the end, ensuring customers have success not just through implementation but also throughout their journey using analytics.
“Each time that we meet with a customer, we make sure we are value-adding to their process,” said Gosetti. “We want to ensure that when a customer takes on analytics that they are using it to the best of its abilities and being able to see the full benefits of that program.”
Food testing solutions provider
The company works closely with each customer to understand their existing workflows and then assists with implementation, integration and ongoing support to minimise disruption.
Operating under the slogan “Made to do more”, Neogen is committed to supporting food businesses through safety, efficiency and innovation. Some of Neogen’s other product offerings include solutions for microbial testing and hygiene verification.
Among its most widely used technologies is Petrifilm, a dry, ready-to-use medium that offers a sustainable and user-friendly alternative to traditional agar plates.
The company also supplies adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-based monitoring systems such as Clean-Trace. These systems provide immediate feedback on the effectiveness of cleaning and sanitation procedures, allowing businesses to address any hygiene concerns before they impact product safety.
For pathogen detection, Neogen offers molecular tests that deliver sensitive results in a short turnaround time. These solutions are centred around delivering hygienic and safer processes to help businesses meet regulatory standards.
These testing capabilities form the foundation of Neogen’s value to food processors who face growing pressure to uphold strict hygiene standards while maintaining efficiency.
In a sector where the consequences of contamination or recalls can be severe, investing in robust monitoring and analytics is more important than ever. For Neogen, this means helping businesses future-proof their operations and maintain high standards of food safety.
By providing tools that are both practical and powerful, the company is supporting the food industry’s shift towards smarter, safer and more transparent production systems.
“I can see large companies adopting analytics and seeing it as an extremely useful tool for their food safety and risk management programs,” added Fam. “It’s a very exciting phase of our journey.”
Through a combination of expertise, innovation and support, Neogen is helping food and beverage manufacturers evolve with the demands of a data-driven world.
Whether monitoring cleaning practices, detecting pathogens or interpreting testing trends, their integrated approach to analytics is a proactive step towards better food safety management.