RFID-based sensing in smart packaging for food applications: A review

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Supply Chain Management
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic increased online food purchasing, heightening demand on food supply chains.
• Real-time monitoring of food safety and quality is crucial for consumer protection and waste reduction.
• Enhanced management of food logistics information flow is essential for a resilient supply chain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the importance and applicability of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology in smart food packaging.
• To highlight recent advancements in RFID tags for sensing various parameters within food packaging.
• To discuss the future development direction of sensor networks for smart packaging.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on RFID technology and its application in food packaging.
• Emphasis on recent advancements in RFID sensor applications for humidity, temperature, gas, pH, integrity, and traceability.
• Analysis of RFID sensors' suitability for smart packaging concerning sensing ability and data transmission.

Main Results:

• RFID technology is highly applicable to smart food packaging, offering improved sensing and data transmission capabilities.
• Recent RFID tag advancements enable real-time monitoring of critical food quality and safety parameters.
• RFID sensors are identified as a key technology for developing simpler, low-cost, robust, and low-power sensor networks.

Conclusions:

• RFID technology significantly enhances food safety, quality, and traceability in smart packaging solutions.
• Chipless RFID sensors show potential for future smart packaging, but challenges like biocompatibility and cost need addressing.
• Continued research is necessary to overcome limitations and fully realize the potential of RFID in food logistics.