A lot of fresh food is wasted during transportation. Scientists are looking into using the internet of things to reduce this waste

Roughly 5 to 8 percent of fresh fruit is wasted during transport - Image Credit: Universal-Sci - CC BY 4.0 — Roughly 5 to 8 percent of fresh fruit is wasted during transport - Image Credit: Universal-Sci - CC BY 4.0

A great deal of value loss occurs during the transport of fresh food products as a result of poor control of environmental conditions and poor timing. In fresh fruit transport alone, approximately 5 to 8% is lost due to these issues. A consortium led by TNO and Wageningen Food & Biobased Research is now researching if the use of the internet of things (IoT) can help mitigate these problems.

So what exactly is the internet of things? An IoT system consists of a number of separate components that communicate with each other. Some only measure something, some collect data, some send commands, and some do all of this at once. Think, for example, about sensors in public parking spaces that allow you to see whether a spot is available without the need for checking yourself. Another example is a smart refrigerator with a sensor that monitors its contents and is able to order new products via the internet.

Components are sometimes several centimeters apart, but they can also be at opposite ends of the world. The components communicate with each other via the internet (or, in some cases, another type of network). The term 'Internet' in IoT refers mainly to allowing a network of devices to communicate with each other, similar to computers communicating with each other on the internet.

Image Credit: Nigel Tadyanehondo via Unsplash - HDR tune by Universal-Sci

The research consortium aims to improve the use of existing sensors, but also on the deployment of new types of affordable sensors. Ideally, this should lead to a better understanding of the maturing (ripening) condition of perishable products during transport. The researchers will also explore to what extent logistical decision-making can be adapted to the condition of the ripening process of fresh products. One might think of priority treatment at terminals, avoiding ripening at maturing stations, or accelerating inland transport to retailers

Jan-Kees Boerman, managing director of the Dutch logistics company EMS, stated that the potential value of IoT in the fresh food chain is widely recognized, but the critical question here is what business model can best remove the current barriers to adoption. He expects the research to contribute significantly to answering this question.

Source and further reading: TNO / The Internet of Things