Case Study: Mars, Incorporated prevents food contamination with IBM

Stopping life-threatening contamination before it starts revolutionizes food safety

IBM developed a food safety solution for Mars Incorporated to address the significant challenge of reactive and costly responses to food-borne pathogens. The global food manufacturer lacked a way to proactively test its thousands of ingredients, facing potential recall costs of at least $10 million per incident and contributing to broader public health and food waste issues.

The IBM solution utilized complex algorithms and IBM DB2 software to analyze microbial data and establish a baseline for contamination risk. This allowed Mars to anticipate and stop contamination before it starts. The results projected savings of over $10 million per shielded product for Mars, while also aiming to reduce global food waste and illnesses, demonstrating IBM's role in enabling a revolutionary approach to food safety.

Mars Incorporated

David Crean

Vice president of corporate research and development