Having the extra sensors makes more sense from the perspective of prototyping/experimenting. 
Once the design moves towards the stable-release version, the number could be reduced, so the measurements are mostly the metrics needed to troubleshoot operations and ensure safety.
I've seen this approach used in the catering industry, for larger-scale manufacturing of sweets and pastries.
The intial prototypes had way more sensors than the versions that were installed on the factory floor.
Also, the food-safe pump designs will be worth looking at. As they are designed to conform with the food-hygiene standards, they'll operate to a known standard of predictability in their behaviour, so it will reduce the random factors involved when experimenting with designs.
As they are simple discrete modules, even in the larger assembly-lines, they'll fit nicely in the user-process-flow when things start to move towards the design-for-manufacturability stage.
