Traceability in a food supply chain: Safety and quality perspectives

The food industry is becoming more customer-oriented and needs faster response times to deal with food scandals and incidents. Good traceability systems help to minimize the production and distribution of unsafe or poor quality products, thereby minimizing the potential for bad publicity, liability, and recalls. The current food labelling systems cannot guarantee that the food is authentic, good quality and safe. Therefore, traceability is applied as a tool to assist in the assurance of food safety and quality as well as to achieve consumer confidence. This paper presents comprehensive information about traceability systems and the evolution concerning the actors involved and the information about safety and quality in the food supply chain administrated within the systems. Some inventive factors, which influence the traceability systems adoption, are underlined.

The increasing demand for high-quality, safe food products, coupled with global challenges such as foodborne illnesses, antimicrobial resistance, and the complexities of food production and supply chains, necessitates the adoption of advanced technologies in the food industry. This review explores the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in enhancing food safety and quality assurance systems in food regulatory bodies and industry. We examine various AI applications, including machine learning, computer vision, predictive analytics, and Natural Language Processing (NLP), which have the potential to improve food safety monitoring, contamination detection, and regulatory compliance. AI-driven automation and data analysis tools are transforming food safety practices by enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and real-time decision-making capabilities. The integration of AI with other technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), also facilitates better traceability and proactive risk management in the food supply chain. However, despite these advancements, challenges such as data privacy, industry reluctance, and the lack of standardization must be addressed for wider adoption. The paper concludes by highlighting the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, improved data standards, and continued innovation to unlock the full potential of AI in food safety and quality systems.

Technological advances have profoundly influenced the food industry with deep imprints on food safety and quality. Food safety and quality assurance demands a huge expertise from food technologists and an enormous commitment from food industry. An exquisite presentation of an array of novel technologies to guarantee safety and quality in food supply chain of diverse food composites is an innovative venture to inspire the students, to guide researchers and to persuade entrepreneurs. Chapters on oil and water quality, sensory analysis through fuzzy logic, hazards and its detection in milk, meat, fish and different agricultural produce accentuate the uniqueness of this book. Emerging technologies for non-destructive quality analysis, pragmatic approaches to ensure safety and quality in milling and baking industry as well as a comprehensive sketch of regulatory norms for promoting export are the notable highlights of this book. HACCP protocols pertinent to different food industries are vividly depicted. With an enriching academic background and proven experience, authors of each chapter have contributed abundantly to uphold the promise of this book to be a robust pillar to promote a healthy society.

In a food supply chain, food quality and safety are of paramount importance as there is a drastic change in consumers’ food habits, behaviour and markets. Consumer expectations for food quality and safety during the current pandemic situation are the main driving forces behind this change. Food safety has become essential, and in order to have a safe food and to get a sustainable system of food in a food supply chain, emerging green technologies are of immense importance. In a food supply chain, having good-quality food is necessary, which is safe for consumption and free of contamination. Considering these objectives, acquiring the food safety and quality is of immense prominence and responsibility of all the stakeholders in food supply chain. Alongside this journey of food products from the field to fork, there are several risks linked to food contamination which may occur in the whole supply chain. With an aim of achieving the safety and quality in the food supply chain, stakeholders, besides following the legislations and standards have also to include the effective green technological approaches in the supply chain. Evidently, several green technological approaches have emerged which can be adapted with an intention of confirming the food quality and safety in the overall food supply chain. The aim of this chapter is to provide a concise description of the green technologies and to discuss them from the view point of food quality and safety.KeywordsFood supply chainFood qualityFood safetyGreen technological approaches

22 - Potential applications of nanosensors in the food supply chain

Food traceability in the supply chain is becoming increasingly important because of concerns such as fraud, adulteration, consumer requirements, and food loss. This study highlights the importance of food traceability in reducing food loss through the proper monitoring of food at every stage of the supply chain. The actions of individual players in a food supply chain affect its traceability. Moreover, the decisions made by one player influence the decisions of the other players. Thus, traceability becomes more complex as the number of players increases. Owing to the complex nature of a food chain, it is important to analyze all the possible strategies that stakeholders consider and understand the influence of those possible strategies on the traceability of a food supply chain. In this study, we deploy a game theory model to analyze the strategic combinations of all possible actions of different stakeholders to understand the complexities present in a food supply chain, as well as how these strategic combinations help in decision-making for the adoption of traceability in a food supply chain. Furthermore, we analyze the factors that may increase or decrease the probability of adopting traceability in a food supply chain.

The paper select instant frozen dumplings to study the quality and safety of the quick-frozen food supply chain. And analysis each quality and safety risk factors on the supply chain of instant frozen dumpling, determine the weight of each factor by using AHP. Empirical research on quality and safety of supply chain was carried out in a Chinese frozen dumpling enterprise. On this basis, some recommendations were put forward to enhance the quality and safety of supply chain in instant frozen dumpling enterprise.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the significant supply chain issues in the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) food industry. The objectives are to identify the major themes and the dynamic evolution of SME food supply chain (FSC) issues, the current research trends, the different modelling approaches used in SME FSC, and the most addressed SME food sector.Design/methodology/approachIn all, 3,733 published articles from 2002 to 2018 in the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science database were collected, from which 1,091 articles were shortlisted for the review. The authors used bibliographic coupling combined with co-word analysis to identify the historical relations of the research themes that emerged during the periods 2002–2014 and 2002–2018.FindingsThis research identified five major research themes such as production and distribution in alternative food networks, relationship, safety and standards in the FSC, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission impact of the farm food system, traceability and product quality in FSC and asymmetric price transmission in the FSC. Among the identified themes, GHG emission impact of the farm food system and traceability and product quality in the FSC have received increasing attention in recent years. The dairy sector is the most addressed sector (36 per cent), followed by fruits and vegetables (27 per cent), meat and poultry (18 per cent), seafood (10 per cent) and grains and oilseed (8 per cent). It is also identified that the dairy sector has received significant attention in the “GHG Emission impact of farm food system” theme. Similarly, meat and poultry sectors have received much attention in the “Traceability and product quality in the food supply chain” theme. Also, the authors identified that the empirical modelling approaches are the most commonly used solution methodology, followed by the conceptual/qualitative methods in the SME FSC.Originality/valueThis study maps and summarizes the existing knowledge base of supply chain issues in the SME food sector. The results of this review provide the major research areas, most commonly used approaches and food sectors addressed. This study also highlights the research gaps and potential future research direction.

This paper aimed to revisit the literature on food safety in global supply chains and analyze the evolution and contemporary challenges in this research field. It conducted a systematic literature review in two steps based on a selection of 178 articles. It analyzed safety in food supply chains using the Six T's Framework to evaluate food safety management. In the supply chain literature, traceability was the most studied element of the original framework. The research identified studies that have incorporated the topics of "tactics" and "targets" in their analysis of safety in supply chains. This article presented an expanded framework, a tool for categorizing research, and areas for advancement in the identification of quality indicators in global food chains for the current research agenda. The paper contributed theoretically to the discussion of safety elements in food supply chains and incorporated new elements into the originally conceived framework. Thus, it helped to delineate the research field and opened up an agenda for future research.

Food and drink supply chains are complex, continually changing systems, involving many participants. They present stakeholders across the food and drinks industries with considerable challenges. Delivering performance in food supply chains offers expert perspectives to help practitioners and academics to improve their supply chain operations. The Editors have identified six key challenges in managing food and drinks supply chains. Each section of the book focuses on one of these important issues. The first chapters consider the fundamental role of relationship management in supply chains. The next section discusses another significant issue: aligning supply and demand. Part three considers five different approaches to effective and efficient process management, while quality and safety management, an issue food companies need to take very seriously, is subject of the next section. Parts five and six review issues which are currently driving change in food supply chains: the effective use of new technologies and the desire to deliver food sustainably and responsibly. With expert contributions from leaders in their fields, Delivering performance in food supply chains will help practitioners and academics to understand different approaches in supply chain management, explore alternative methods and develop more effective systems. Considers the fundamental role of relationship management in supply chains including an overview of performance measurement in the management of food supply chains Discusses the alignment of supply and demand in food supply chains and reviews sales and operations planning and marketing strategies for competitive advantage in the food industry Provides an overview of the effective use of new technologies and those that will be used in the future to deliver food sustainably and reliably

With the increasing prominence of food safety problems, consumers are paying more and more attention to the quality and safety of agricultural products. Information traceability of agricultural products supply chain is an important way to ensure the quality and safety of agricultural products. Blockchain technology provides a new solution for information traceability of agricultural products supply chain with its characteristics of decentralization, immutable and transparency. This paper reviews the basic principles of blockchain technology and its application in agricultural supply chain information traceability. By combing relevant literature, it is found that blockchain technology is widely used in the production, processing, logistics and other aspects of agricultural products, effectively improving the transparency and traceability of the supply chain. Finally, it is concluded that the information traceability of agricultural product supply chain under the blockchain improves the traceability, visibility and information security of the supply chain, and also promotes the cooperation and coordination among various entities in the supply chain. With the continuous development and improvement of blockchain technology, its application in agricultural product supply chain information traceability will be more extensive and in-depth, providing more solid technical support for the quality and safety of agricultural products.

Advances in Smart Food Authentication for Enhanced Safety and Quality

The study aims to provide a comprehensive, sustainable, and technologically advanced traceability model that enhances the safety and resilience of the food supply chain in Oman. It also seeks to create a framework for enhancing safety and resilience in the supply chain. This framework will influence other regional supply chains to embrace food traceability and contribute towards global food safety and sustainability efforts. This study followed a positivist research philosophy and used the quantitative research approach. A structured questionnaire was administered online to collect data from 385 respondents. To improve the reliability of the research instrument, a pilot test was conducted. Respondents were selected using a snowball technique. The results were tested using structural equation modelling. The results showed that compliance can improve food safety performance through data accuracy and timeliness in food supply chains in Oman. It was also found that technology traceability systems can improve food safety performance through collaborative supply chain relationships in food supply chains in Oman. Additionally, the research showed that technology traceability systems, through cooperative supply chains, enhance sustainable practices. The integration of technology traceability systems and regulatory compliance are significant elements that foster cooperation and bolster food safety and sustainability. The study holds significant implications for various stakeholders within Oman’s food industry and broader applications in similar contexts. With broader implications for the global food sector, the study offers a comprehensive framework for improving Oman’s food safety and supply chain resilience. Adopting such models can result in notable gains in economic efficiency, sustainability, consumer trust, and regulatory compliance. Oman can fortify its food business and serve as a model for other nations by utilising cutting-edge technologies and encouraging cooperation among stakeholders.

Global demands for increased food safety and quality assurance programmes, increased global competition, changing government rules and regulations, political and trade barriers, bioterrorism, and identity preservation requirements in global markets are affecting the world's food supply chain. To satisfy changing market demands, all suppliers in the food supply chain must adaptto these global issues. Total asset visibility must be maintained in production, in process, in storage, and in transit.

Food security and preserving food quality has become preemptive when food trade and transport are addressed. High level of quality standards are followed for food being sold in the market and ensure that it is safe for consumption and free from infections. Due to increasing customer demand and food trade, safety, quality and standards are becoming a matter of utmost importance for producers, sellers, distributors and government. From the production to the consumer, it moves through various stages of supply chain, which arises the need of regular monitoring and maintaining food quality standards in the entire supply chain. The purpose of this study is to review the food supply chain with major focus on food safety and regulatory framework, which could be useful for industry, academicians, researcher, and policymakers. This study also highlighted the criticality of safety and quality in the food supply chain, especially from logistics and distribution perspective.