Agricultural supply chains: track and trace for improved food safety.

摘要

Food safety has emerged as an issue for the fresh fruit and vegetable industry with reports of several food poisoning outbreaks traced to E. coli. Although these outbreaks generate a great deal of attention, probably many more fresh food contamination instances go undetected. While the agricultural supply chain is complex, new technologies are available that hold the promise of better track and trace for fresh foods. This article examines the trends and applications of radio frequency identification (RFID) and related information technologies as a means of improving the safety for fresh foods in addition to being a platform for other innovations. Overall, data and information technologies will gain increasing importance in agriculture, affecting diverse areas such as food safety, supply chain, and marketing.