Mekitec Acquires Grupo Bimbo's AI Software Company to Enhance Food X-Ray Technology
Strategic Acquisition in Food Quality Control
Mekitec strengthens its place among top-ranking food quality control vendors by acquiring a Grupo Bimbo owned artificial intelligence software company. With this transaction, future solutions in food quality and safety can be based on combinations of multiple technologies.
Food Inspection Technology
Food companies require devices at their production facilities to inspect items that will be sold to consumers, ensuring that each piece is free from contaminants and quality defects. In the range of typically available systems, the most robust are those that take X-ray pictures of the product and analyze them with inspection software.
Partnership with Grupo Bimbo
Mekitec Group, based in Finland, a global manufacturer of innovative food quality control systems for individual food production lines based on X-ray technology with customers in over 40 countries, announces the acquirement of Grupo Bimbo's subsidiary, Kanan Smart Solution.
Acquisition Details
Grupo Bimbo, the global leader in the baking industry, has been using Mekitec's X-ray systems powered with Kanan's software solutions in its bakeries for five years as part of its commitment to the highest standards of food safety and quality.
Mekitec acquires Grupo Bimbo's subsidiary Kanan Smart Solution S.A.P.I. de C.V., including a software development team and local sales and service operations in Mexico, by using its own shares. This makes Grupo Bimbo's venture arm, Bimbo Ventures, a significant shareholder of Mekitec.
Future of Food Safety and Traceability
X-ray Inspection and Artificial Intelligence
Having a record of X-ray pictures of each item produced enables detailed analyses by food companies' quality teams, which are key in minimizing food waste and maximizing efficiency without compromising product safety.
Antti Sivula, CEO of Mekitec Group, states: "Traceability and artificial intelligence are significant drivers for the future of food safety. This acquisition is of major strategic importance for Mekitec, enabling us to lead the industry development globally."
About the Companies
Mekitec
Mekitec is a manufacturer of X-ray quality control systems for the global food industry, providing over one thousand systems in more than 40 countries. The company employs 60 people worldwide with a revenue of 5.7 million dollars in the last fiscal year.
Kanan Smart Solutions
Kanan Smart Solutions is a subsidiary of Grupo Bimbo focused on developing artificial intelligence and X-ray inspection technology to ensure food product quality and safety. The company currently employs 13 people in Mexico with revenue of 1.8 million dollars in 2020.
Grupo Bimbo
Grupo Bimbo is a global consumer company and the world's largest baking company, with 203 bakeries and other plants strategically located in 33 countries. The company produces over 13,000 products and has one of the largest direct distribution networks globally.