An investigation to evaluate the impact of quality-controlled logistics on food waste and food quality with the assistance of Internet of Things

[摘要] ENGLISH SUMMARY: Fresh food is mainly wasted due to overproduction and the natural decay of food quality,which cannot be prevented but is accelerated by poor supply chain management.Therefore, actors in the fresh produce supply chain are responsible for monitoring andcontrolling logistic activities that influence the quality of fresh food. The emergence ofnew technologies such as the Internet of Things provides the ability to collect real-timefood quality information, which may be used to assist and adapt logistic activities toensure that food quality remains within the accepted quality limits. However, limited literatureis available to gain sufficient understanding on how Internet of Things technologiesand quality-controlled logistics can be combined to potentially reduce food waste alongthe fresh produce supply chain and to improve overall food quality. The purpose of thisresearch study is to investigate the impact of quality-controlled logistics on food waste inthe fresh produce supply chain. Thereafter, the study will explore how quality-controlledlogistics can be implemented with the use of Internet of Things technologies.Expert insights regarding quality-controlled logistics and the Internet of Things were collectedto determine (i) how traditional logistics could be adapted to implement qualitycontrolledlogistics in the fresh produce supply chain; and (ii) to identify whether theexperts believe that Internet of Things technologies could assist supply chain planningin the fresh produce industry. Simulation modelling was used to evaluate the impactof several quality-controlled logistics activities on food waste and food quality. It wasfound that the implementation of the Least-Shelf-life-First-Out with dynamic pricing replenishmentstrategy at the retail stores, would result in a significant reduction in foodwaste throughout the supply chain; however, it slightly reduced the remaining shelflifeof the purchased fresh produce. An Internet of Things prototype application wasalso developed to illustrate how emerging technologies could assist the implementation ofquality-controlled logistics in the fresh produce supply chain, and to highlight the practicalchallenges that should be considered before implementing such applications. Thefindings from this study contribute towards research on food supply chain management,by documenting how quality-controlled logistics and the Internet of Things can contributeto the reduction in waste in the fresh produce supply chain.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University