Options for reducing food waste by ‘Quality Controlled Logistics’ using intelligent packaging along the supply chain

Optimizing supply chain management can help to reduce food waste. This article describes how intelligent packaging can be used to reduce food waste when used in supply chain management based on Quality Controlled Logistics (QCL). Intelligent packaging senses compounds in the package that correlate with the critical quality attribute of a food product. The information on the quality of each individual packaged food item that is provided by the intelligent packaging can be used for QCL. In a conceptual approach is explained that monitoring food quality by intelligent packaging sensors makes it possible to obtain information about the variation in the quality of foods and use a dynamic expiration date (IP-DED) on a food package. The conceptual approach is supported by quantitative data from simulations on the effect of using the information of intelligent packaging in supply chain management with the goal to reduce food waste. This simulation shows that QCL by using the information on the quality of products that is provided by intelligent packaging can substantially reduce food waste. When QCL is combined with dynamic pricing based on the predicted expiry dates a further waste reduction is envisaged.