Traceability systems and technologies for better food supply chain management

Billions of people in the world are at risk of getting unsafe food. There is an urgent need to improve efficiency and effectiveness of food supply chains. The global population is expected to reach at least 9 billion by the year 2050, requiring up to 70% more food than nowadays and demanding food production and distribution to become much more sustainable. Today, food safety is a worldwide concern due to a number of food safety scandals. As supply chains become more globalized and complex, the ability to track and trace products from fork to farm becomes more difficult but remains equally important. Good traceability may minimize the production and distribution of unsafe or poor quality products. It allows targeting the product affected by a food safety problem, minimizing disruption to trade and any potential public health risks. The objective of this paper is therefore to conduct a comprehensive analysis of traceability methods and technologies in food supply chains.