Search Results (33)

Remote Indigenous communities experience persistent inequities in access to fresh and nutritious foods due to the fragility of perishable food supply chains (PFSCs). Disruptions across procurement, transportation, storage, retail, and limited local production restrict access to perishable foods, contributing to food insecurity and diet-related health risks. This scoping literature review synthesizes evidence from 84 peer-reviewed, grey, and unpublished sources across fourteen countries to map PFSC management (PFSCM) challenges affecting food access in remote Indigenous communities worldwide and to synthesize reported practices implemented to address these challenges. PFSCM challenges were identified across all supply chain levels, and five categories of reported practices emerged: PFSC redesign strategies, forecasting and decision-support models, technological innovations, collaboration and coordination mechanisms, and targeted investments. These findings informed the development of a multi-scalar conceptual framework comprising seven interconnected PFSCM clusters that organize how reported practices are associated with multiple food access dimensions, including quantity, affordability, quality, safety, variety, and cultural acceptability. This review contributes an integrative, system-oriented synthesis of PFSCM research and provides a conceptual basis to support future scholarly inquiry, comparative inquiry, and policy-relevant discussion of food access and health equity in remote Indigenous communities. Full article

Food loss and waste (FLW) is a chronic problem across food systems worldwide, with meat being one of the most resource-intensive and perishable categories. The perishable character of meat, combined with complex cold chain requirements and consumer behavior, makes the sector particularly sensitive to inefficiencies and loss across all stages from production to consumption. This review synthesizes the latest advancements in new preservation technologies and supply chain efficiency strategies to minimize meat wastage and also outlines current challenges and future directions. New preservation technologies, such as high-pressure processing, cold plasma, pulsed electric fields, and modified atmosphere packaging, have substantial potential to extend shelf life while preserving nutritional and sensory quality. Active and intelligent packaging, bio-preservatives, and nanomaterials act as complementary solutions to enhance safety and quality control. At the same time, blockchain, IoT sensors, AI, and predictive analytics-driven digitalization of the supply chain are opening new opportunities in traceability, demand forecasting, and cold chain management. Nevertheless, regulatory uncertainty, high capital investment requirements, heterogeneity among meat types, and consumer hesitancy towards novel technologies remain significant barriers. Furthermore, the scalability of advanced solutions is limited in emerging nations due to digital inequalities. Convergent approaches that combine technical innovation with policy harmonization, stakeholder capacity building, and consumer education are essential to address these challenges. System-level strategies based on circular economy principles can further reduce meat loss and waste, while enabling by-product valorization and improving climate resilience. By integrating preservation innovations and digital tools within the framework of UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, the meat sector can make meaningful progress towards sustainable food systems, improved food safety, and enhanced environmental outcomes. Full article

Fresh agricultural products have significant seasonality and perishability, and their cross-regional sales often face differences in market demand, price, and sales volume. In the context of government quality regulation, competition among retailers in different regions drives supply chain members to improve product quality, expand sales, and reduce losses. However, conflicts of interest under decentralized decision-making may lead to overall inefficiency. This article constructs a supply chain model consisting of a single Manufacturer and two regional Retailers to study the quality competition and coordination mechanism of cross-regional fresh food supply chains under government supervision. By comparing centralized and decentralized decision-making, it is found that although quality improvement in decentralized mode helps enhance competitiveness and sales performance, it is difficult to effectively increase profits and may even lead to a decline in profits. Therefore, this article proposes a cost-sharing contract to achieve supply chain coordination. Research has shown that this contract can effectively improve the overall profit of the supply chain and achieve Pareto improvement; under high market demand and strict regulatory penalties, the total profit of the supply chain increases, but the dominant Retailer benefits more, which can easily trigger the “Matthew effect”. The research results reveal the comprehensive impact of quality investment, contract coordination, market demand fluctuations, and regulatory intensity on supply chain performance, providing theoretical basis and management insights for improving the collaborative efficiency and policy design of cross-regional fresh food supply chains. Full article

In the past two decades, particularly through the pandemic, the demand for real-time logistics has significantly increased. Cold chain logistics ensures specific temperature conditions for perishable goods such as food and pharmaceuticals, which is crucial for maintaining product quality, safety, and regulatory compliance. The integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) into cold chain logistics has transformed supply chain operations. The COVID-19 pandemic and the global urgency for vaccine distribution accelerated the adoption of cold chain technologies, emphasizing their role in preserving perishable goods’ integrity. IoT enables real-time monitoring, remote control, predictive analytics, and data-driven decision-making, all of which are essential for modern logistics. We conducted a bibliometric analysis of 50 publications from 1997 to 2024 to examine IoT’s role in cold chain management. Through co-occurrence and co-citation network analysis, core themes, influential works, and major contributors were identified. Thematic mapping highlighted the importance of temperature monitoring, logistics optimization, and risk management. Additionally, the transition from conventional logistics practices to IoT-driven methodologies was investigated in cold chain operations. The findings of this study provide a basis for understanding the structural properties of co-citation and co-occurrence networks in cold chain logistics and the evolving landscape of cold chain technology, and its impact on logistics, emphasizing the importance of intelligent, reliable, and sustainable cold chain systems to meet the growing demands in global supply chains. Full article

Background: The agri-food sector is a major contributor to environmental degradation and emissions, highlighting the need for sustainable practices to mitigate its impact. Within this sector, perishable food crops require targeted efforts to reduce their environmental footprint. Vertical integration is crucial for ensuring alignment between strategic and tactical decision making in supply chain management. This article presents a multi-objective mathematical model that integrates both economic and environmental considerations within the perishable food supply chain, aiming to determine optimal solutions for conflicting objectives. Methods: In this research, we employed combining goal programming with the epsilon constraint approach; this comprehensive methodology reveals optimal solutions by discretizing the values derived from the payoff table. Results: The model is applied to a real case study of the tomato paste supply chain in Ethiopia. To identify Pareto-efficient points, the results are presented in two scenarios: Case I and Case II. Conclusions: The findings emphasize the significant influence of the geographical location of manufacturing centers in supplier selection, which helps optimize the trade-off between environmental impact and total cost. The proposed solution provides decision makers with an effective strategy to optimize both total cost and eco-costs in the design of perishable food supply chain networks. Full article

Supplying fresh produce that meets consumers’ needs necessitates production of robust fruit and vegetables. However, supply chains can struggle to deliver robust produce, especially for delicate leafy vegetables. Interacting preharvest genetic, environment, and management factors influence product robustness at harvest, with subsequent implications for perishability, including food safety. Fresh produce quality typically cannot be improved after harvest. This review explores preharvest interventions to optimize robustness at harvest. It overviews conventional, new, and emerging strategies. It considers mineral nutrient management along with chemical and physical elicitors. It also explores approaches to measure and monitor fresh fruit and vegetable robustness, particularly hyperspectral technologies. Recommendations are proffered for future research towards enhanced fresh produce robustness, particularly leafy vegetables, through preharvest management. Optimizing robustness is fundamental to efficient, effective, and sustainable fresh produce supply chain management, thereby contributing to food security and consumer satisfaction and wellbeing. Full article

This review examines the current state of the supply chain management for Dicentrarchus labrax (sea bass) and Sparus aurata (sea bream), two key commercial fish species in the Mediterranean. It provides a comprehensive analysis of sustainable innovations in aquaculture, processing, and packaging, with particular attention to circular economy-based biopreservation techniques. A major focus is on the Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) system, an advanced farming approach that enhances sustainability, promotes circular resource utilization, and improves fish welfare. By fostering ecological balance through the co-cultivation of multiple species, IMTA contributes to the overall quality of fish products for human consumption. Beyond aquaculture, the review addresses the critical challenge of food loss, which stems from the high perishability of fish during storage and processing. In this regard, it highlights recent advancements in biopreservation strategies, including the application of antagonistic microorganisms, their metabolites, and plant-derived extracts. Particular attention is given to the development of edible antimicrobial films, with a focus on the valorization of citrus processing by-products for their production. By centering on innovations specific to the Mediterranean context, this review underscores that a holistic, integrative approach to supply chain management is essential for transitioning the aquaculture sector toward greater efficiency and sustainability. Full article

A two-stage cold supply chain manages the transportation, storage, and distribution of temperature-sensitive products like frozen food, fresh/green products, and pharmaceuticals, which makes it costly. It consists of three key elements: a supplier, a warehouse, and multiple customers. Procurement planning can be conducted for various products, and this study assumes the transport of a fresh/green product with gradually decreasing quality due to its perishable nature. In a two-stage cold supply chain, multiple objective functions can be defined, including cost minimization, product quality optimization, and transportation/storage condition optimization. We developed a mathematical model to optimize these objectives, incorporating two specific functions, cost minimization and product age reduction, to ensure efficient supply chain performance. Traditional solution methods often struggle with multi-objective mathematical models due to their complexity. Therefore, the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II), a Genetic Algorithm-based approach, was applied to solve the model efficiently. NSGA-II optimized planning for a 7-day period under specific demand conditions, ensuring better resource allocation. The results showed that NSGA-II was better than traditional methods at making decisions and routing efficiently in the two-stage cold supply chain. This led to much better outcomes, with lower costs, less waste, and better product quality throughout the process. Full article

This paper aims to explore how to optimise the efficiency of food and beverage supply chains by focusing on transportation and mobility. This paper highlights the role of advanced technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT) in traceability, demand prediction, and real-time equipment monitoring. It also points out that sustainable practises such as eco-friendly packaging, optimised logistics, and collaborative planning can reduce environmental footprints and operating costs. Moreover, it stresses challenges such as time variability, perishability, and regulatory compliance, and the need for adapting to consumer trends. This paper holds value as a possible introductory text for the extensive realm of sustainable supply chain management and it could assist practitioners in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the extensive academic literature. Full article

With the continuous development of the global logistics industry, cold chain transportation and joint distribution, as critical strategies in supply chain management, are gradually becoming key means to ensure the safe transportation of perishable goods, pharmaceuticals, and other temperature-sensitive commodities. The present study is dedicated to an in-depth exploration of cold chain logistics and joint distribution, with a particular focus on a review of fresh food logistics modes, aiming to comprehensively understand their operational modes, advantages, challenges, and future development trends. The present study elucidates the basic concepts of fresh food logistics and underscores its significance in supply chain management. Through comparative analysis of different operational modes, it reveals their advantages in enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and mitigating environmental impacts. The present study focuses on the operational mode of joint distribution, discussing its application in cold chain logistics and its differences from traditional logistics modes. Through case studies and empirical analysis, it evaluates the impact of joint distribution on logistics efficiency and costs, as well as its potential to enhance transportation efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Lastly, the present study provides an outlook on the future development trends of cold chain logistics and joint distribution, discussing the influences of technological innovation, policy support, and industry collaboration and offering recommendations and prospects to drive the sustained development of the industry. Through a comprehensive summary of fresh food logistics, cold chain logistics operational modes, and joint distribution operational modes, this paper aims to provide in-depth theoretical support and practical guidance for related research and practices. Full article

This article presents a review of the literature related to the topic discussed and then discusses the system enabling the collection of data for analysis, the components of which are described in the paper. Next, a case study containing analyses of the circulation of logistic containers and the quality of deliveries is presented. Finally, a discussion of the results is presented. Background: This research is instrumental in navigating the intricacies of using these insulated containers of disturbances in the cold supply chain is imperative for ensuring the safety of perishable items, pharmaceuticals, and medical provisions, all of which necessitate precise temperature storage. Moreover, it holds significant sway over the efficacy of logistics, curtails losses, and guarantees adherence to regulatory stipulations and quality benchmarks. Research target: The research aimed to analyze the circulation of isothermal containers and indirectly assess the transportation quality for food products using the example of a 3PL company. Method: The article addresses issues encountered in the transportation of products within the cold supply chain. Using a company as an example, the temperature of coolboxes at the beginning of the logistics cycle, temperature distribution during transportation, and the temperature at the end of delivery were analyzed. The circulation of containers, their utilization over time, cycle durations, and the entire container circulation process were also examined. Results: Based on the collected data, recommendations were formulated to enhance product quality and increase container utilization. This research offers valuable insights into improving the efficiency and quality of logistics processes, specifically within the cold chain transportation industry, and provides recommendations for better managing temperature-sensitive product transportation. Full article

Dates are highly perishable fruits, and maintaining their quality during storage is crucial. The current study aims to investigate the impact of storage conditions on the quality of dates (Khalas and Sukary cultivars) at the Tamer stage and predict their quality attributes during storage using artificial neural networks (ANN). The studied storage conditions were the modified atmosphere packing (MAP) gases (CO₂, O₂, and N), packaging materials, storage temperature, and storage time, and the evaluated quality attributes were moisture content, firmness, color parameters (L*, a*, b*, and ∆E), pH, water activity, total soluble solids, and microbial contamination. The findings demonstrated that the storage conditions significantly impacted (p < 0.05) the quality of the two stored date cultivars. The use of MAP with 20% CO₂ + 80% N had a high potential to decrease the rate of color transformation and microbial growth of dates stored at 4 °C for both stored date cultivars. The developed ANN models efficiently predicted the quality changes of stored dates closely aligned with observed values under the different storage conditions, as evidenced by low Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) values. In addition, the reliability of the developed ANN models was further affirmed by the linear regression between predicted and measured values, which closely follow the 1:1 line, with R² values ranging from 0.766 to 0.980, the ANN models demonstrate accurate estimating of fruit quality attributes. The study’s findings contribute to food quality and supply chain management through the identification of optimal storage conditions and predicting the fruit quality during storage under different atmosphere conditions, thereby minimizing food waste and enhancing food safety. Full article

Background: Agro-food supply chains possess specific characteristics due to the diverse nature of products involved and contribute to all three pillars of sustainability, making the optimal design of a sustainable agro-food supply chain a complex problem. Therefore, efficient models incorporating the unique characteristics of such chains are essential for making optimal supply chain decisions and achieving economically and environmentally sustainable agro-food supply chains that contribute to global food security. Methods: This article presents a multi-objective mixed-integer linear programing model that integrates agricultural-related strategic decisions into the tactical design of an agro-food supply chain. The model considers transportation, inventory, processing, demand fulfilment, and waste disposal decisions. It also accounts for seasonality and perishability, ensuring a comprehensive approach to sustainability. The model aims to maximize the total generated profits across the supply chain while simultaneously minimizing CO₂ emissions as a measure of environmental impact. Results: By implementing the model on a sugar beet supply chain in the Netherlands, strategic crop rotation farm schedules for the crop rotation cycle and the optimum supply network decisions are obtained. Furthermore, different objectives are analyzed and the Pareto-efficient frontier is investigated to analyze the underlying trade-offs. Additionally, the model serves as a decision support tool for managers facilitating informed investment decisions in technologies that prolong product shelf life while maintaining profitability. Conclusions: The proposed multi-objective model offers a valuable framework for designing economically and environmentally sustainable agro-food supply chains. By aligning with sustainability goals and providing decision support, this research contributes to enhancing global food security and promoting sustainable resource utilization. Full article

This paper reviews the literature on perishable food cold-chain management (FCCM) in order to assess its current state, pinpoint its knowledge gaps, and suggest a framework for addressing the issues faced by this industry. This work examines 103 academic articles on the topic of the perishable food supply chain published in various journals between 2001 and 2022. Research publications were selected from two reputed databases—Scopus and Web of Science. The study finds that the current trend in FCCM is toward sustainable FCCM, which offers financial, ecological, and social benefits. However, sustainable FCC practices are more common in wealthy nations but are still lacking in developing countries. High lead times, costs, waste, order returns, complaints, and dissatisfied consumers are the results of a fragmented market and the associated proliferation of chain intermediates. The authors have also developed a conceptual framework based on the findings that illustrates the interconnected nature of the food cold-chain facilities, collaboration among food cold-chain (FCC) stakeholders, concern among FCC stakeholders, economic enhancement, fulfilment of FCC stakeholders’ responsibilities, and overall functioning of the FCC. This study may be helpful to FCC professionals, food regulators, government authorities, and researchers because it gives a concise picture of the state of research in the field. Full article

Continuous monitoring of food loss and waste (FLW) is crucial for improving food security and mitigating climate change. By measuring quality parameters such as temperature and humidity, real-time sensors are technologies that can continuously monitor the quality of food and thereby help reduce FLW. While there is enough literature on sensors, there is still a lack of understanding on how, where and to what extent these sensors have been applied to monitor FLW. In this paper, a systematic review of 59 published studies focused on sensor technologies to reduce food waste in food supply chains was performed with a view to synthesising the experience and lessons learnt. This review examines two aspects of the field, namely, the type of IoT technologies applied and the characteristics of the supply chains in which it has been deployed. Supply chain characteristics according to the type of product, supply chain stage, and region were examined, while sensor technology explores the monitored parameters, communication protocols, data storage, and application layers. This article shows that, while due to their high perishability and short shelf lives, monitoring fruit and vegetables using a combination of temperature and humidity sensors is the most recurring goal of the research, there are many other applications and technologies being explored in the research space for the reduction of food waste. In addition, it was demonstrated that there is huge potential in the field, and that IoT technologies should be continually explored and applied to improve food production, management, transportation, and storage to support the cause of reducing FLW. Full article