Ishida strengthens focus on integrated automation, inspection and packaging solutions for food manufacturers in the Middle East

At Gulfood Manufacturing 2026, Mark Hobbs, General Manager – Middle East, Ishida Europe, discussed the company's latest weighing, inspection and packaging technologies, growing demand for automated production lines, digitalisation, food safety and its customer-centric approach to developing solutions for the region.

As food manufacturers across the Middle East navigate supply-chain disruptions, rising operational costs, labour constraints and increasingly stringent food safety requirements, the focus is shifting towards integrated production and packaging solutions that deliver greater efficiency, accuracy and reliability. Manufacturers are increasingly looking beyond individual machines to complete automated lines that can optimise resources, minimise product and packaging waste, and maintain consistent product quality.

At Gulfood Manufacturing 2026, Ishida showcased its capabilities across weighing, inspection and packaging, with particular emphasis on automation, digitalisation and application-specific solutions. The exhibition also provided an opportunity to engage with customers across the Gulf, The Levant and Egypt, understand their operational challenges and demonstrate technologies addressing evolving manufacturing requirements.

"One of the major reasons we participate in Gulfood Manufacturing every year is to connect with our customers. We cover a wide geographical area, from the Gulf and The Levant to Egypt. It is a great opportunity for customers to meet us, learn about our new solutions and technologies, and interact with our technical experts," said Mark Hobbs, General Manager – Middle East, Ishida Europe.

Among the technologies showcased was the QX-500 tray sealer, one of the company's newer equipment offerings. Through live demonstrations, visitors could assess machine performance and discuss how the solutions could benefit their production facilities. Ishida also encouraged customers to bring product samples to its stand for practical testing and evaluation.

Advancing weighing and inspection technologies

Weighing accuracy, product handling and contamination detection remain critical considerations for food manufacturers, particularly as production speeds increase and product specifications become more demanding.

Ishida showcased its AS Multihead Weigher, including a version designed for waterproof environments and applications involving sticky products such as grated cheese. The company also highlighted its hex-embossed technology with additional blue lining, which facilitates smoother product movement through the weighing system.

Another key attraction was the IX-PD X-ray inspection system, designed to detect very small and low density contaminants in food products. Hobbs highlighted the importance of demonstrating inspection capabilities against actual customer requirements.

"We have our IX-PD X-ray inspection system, which is one of the top-performing X-ray solutions in the market. Customers often challenge us by asking how we can detect a particular contaminant. We encourage them to bring their samples and products so that we can conduct tests directly at our stand and demonstrate the capabilities of our technology," he explained.

In snack food manufacturing, product giveaway remains a significant operational challenge, directly affecting material costs and profitability. Manufacturers must balance high production speeds with accurate portion control to avoid unnecessary product loss.

"Our weighers are not just accurate and consistent; they are also among the highest-performing machines in terms of speed. However, achieving high speed alone is not enough if you cannot maintain accuracy. That is where our technology makes a difference," Hobbs said.

In frozen food applications, Ishida's solutions cater for products such as frozen vegetables and ready meals, while the company is also witnessing increasing demand from the protein segment. For products such as fresh chicken and doner meat, specialised hex-embossed and C4 linings help facilitate smooth product movement through the weigher before packaging. Depending on customer requirements, the final packaging format can be a top seal tray, a  thermoform tray or a conventional bag.

Integrated inspection for improved food safety

With food safety becoming a growing priority, inspection technologies play an important role in helping manufacturers maintain product integrity and minimise contamination risks.

Ishida offers integrated production-line solutions combining weighing, packaging and inspection equipment. A typical configuration includes a weigher, followed by a bagmaker or traysealer, with the finished product subsequently passing through an X-ray inspection system.

The company also offers bulk X-ray inspection solutions that enable manufacturers to examine products earlier in the production process, before further processing or packaging. This helps to identify contaminants at an earlier stage, potentially reducing unnecessary processing costs and product waste.

"One of the biggest advantages of X-ray inspection technology is preventing product recalls. Recalls can result in significant reputational damage and financial losses. Having inspection equipment gives manufacturers confidence that their products reaching the market meet quality and safety requirements. It helps satisfy customers while minimising the possibility of product recalls," Hobbs noted.

Digitalisation and predictive maintenance

Beyond equipment performance, Ishida is placing increasing emphasis on digitalisation and real-time production monitoring through its Sentinel 5.0 system, launched approximately two years ago.

The platform enables operators, production teams and manufacturing directors to access production information, monitor equipment performance, generate statistics and review shift reports. It also supports preventative maintenance by helping manufacturers identify potential issues before they develop into equipment failures.

"With Sentinel 5.0, operators, production teams and manufacturing directors can log into the system and see exactly what is happening across their production facilities. They can access production-line information, generate statistics and shift reports, and support preventative maintenance," Hobbs explained.

Greater production visibility helps manufacturers anticipate problems, minimise downtime and maintain equipment at its full production capacity. This is particularly important for businesses seeking to meet production targets and to consistently fulfil customer commitments.

Reducing packaging waste and material consumption

Packaging material optimisation is another important area of focus, particularly in snack food applications where flexible packaging film represents a significant operational cost.

Ishida's bagmaking solutions can accommodate different packaging formats and sealing configurations, including back seals and fin seals. By optimising machine configurations and sealing processes, manufacturers can reduce unnecessary film consumption while maintaining packaging performance.

"Film wastage is one of the key areas we discuss with customers when evaluating their machine setup and operations. It is important to understand how customers want to package their products so that we can tailor a solution accordingly," said Hobbs.

The company also works with customers to assess packaging requirements and provides supporting information, including operational statistics, cost breakdowns and Return-On-Investment (ROI) calculations. This enables manufacturers to evaluate the financial and operational benefits of packaging optimisation.

Strengthening regional service and automation capabilities

In the Middle East, where geopolitical developments and supply-chain disruptions can affect production continuity, reliable after-sales support is becoming increasingly important.

Ishida's regional engineering network is central to its customer support strategy, with engineers positioned across the Middle East and The Levant to provide on-site technical assistance.

"When a customer requires on-site assistance, particularly in the event of a production-line breakdown, the financial impact can run into thousands of pounds or dollars. We can reach customers as quickly as the next day and say, 'Hello, Ishida Customer, I am here to solve your problem.' This helps minimise production downtime and associated losses," Hobbs said.

Automation and integrated production lines represent major growth opportunities for Ishida in the region. While many manufacturers have traditionally invested in individual machines such as multihead weighers and bagmakers, demand is increasingly shifting towards complete automated solutions.

One area of focus is case packing. Ishida offers casepackers designed with a compact footprint, allowing manufacturers to integrate additional automation without requiring extensive factory space.

"More and more customers are looking for fully automated production lines. Ishida can support this requirement with our casepacker, which has one of the smallest footprints in the market. This allows us to offer customers a complete solution, from A to Z, with an entire production line from Ishida," Hobbs said.

Reducing labour dependency is another important driver. Hobbs cited examples of manufacturers that previously required around 20 people to operate a production line but have, through greater automation, been able to reduce this to just two people, operating across three complete production lines

Customer collaboration driving customized solutions

For Ishida, exhibitions such as Gulfood Manufacturing serve a purpose beyond showcasing equipment. They provide a platform to understand customer challenges and translate those requirements into practical engineering solutions.

Feedback gathered through customer interactions can be shared with the company's engineering teams in the UK, The Czech Republic and Japan, where dedicated project managers and engineers work towards developing application-specific solutions.

"We do not always have a ready-made, off-the-shelf solution. We want to listen, understand customers' needs and develop solutions tailored to their businesses. We have dedicated project managers and project engineers who work together to develop solutions that meet individual customer requirements," Hobbs explained.

Reinforcing the company's approach to customer relationships, he added, "We are not simply looking to make an off-the-shelf sale by saying, 'Here is the product. This is what we offer.' We want to work with you and support your business, whether that means reducing waste, shortening your supply chain or helping you automate your factory more effectively."

As food manufacturers across the Middle East increasingly prioritise automation, food safety, resource efficiency and production reliability, Ishida continues to position its integrated weighing, inspection and packaging capabilities to support this transition. Through technology, regional service support and customised engineering, the company aims to help manufacturers build more efficient, productive and reliable operations.