RFID and Sensor Network Automation in the Food Industry : Ensuring Quality and Safety Through Supply Chain Visibility

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a key technology in the food industry that facilitates real-time visibility of items as they move through the supply chain and on to the end-consumer. Among all the currently available automatic identification technologies, RFID has clear dominance in terms of its ability to support real-time two-way communication, data storage and update, authentication, ambient condition sense and report, batch read without direct line-of-sight, operation in harsh environments and sensor-based applications.

RFID and Sensor Network Automation in the Food Industry provides sufficient detail on the use of RFID and sensor networks from `farm to fork� (F2F) to allow the reader to appreciate the myriad possible applications of RFID and associated sensor network systems throughout the entire food supply chain. This includes precision agriculture, the provision of seamless visibility in track and trace applications, reduction of wastage, identification of counterfeits and contamination sources, remaining shelf-life applications for perishables, and quality and safety measures, among others.

Providing state-of-the-art information from peer-reviewed research publications as well as general industry trends, this book will be of interest to all stakeholders in the agri-food supply chain, and academics and advanced students with an interest in these fields.

Selwyn Piramuthu, Professor, Information Systems and Operations Management, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.

Wei Zhou, Associate Professor, Information & Operations Management, ESCP Europe, Paris, France.