IMETI Regnicoli et alii Final Version

Innovative Systems for the Improvement of Food Quality and Safety Gian Franco REGNICOLI, Giuseppe PERRETTI Department of Economic and Food Sciences, Section of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia Via S. Costanzo n.c.n., 06126 - Perugia, Italy E-mail: [email protected]

Piero MALCOVATI Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Pavia Via Ferrata 1, 27100 - Pavia, Italy

ABSTRACT The food safety assurance is a prerequisite from which we cannot abstract. Many documents in matters of food law and recent facts confirm this. Nevertheless, despite the several mandatory and voluntary measures for food safety, some difficulties still exist in realizing such efforts, as, for example, the lack of a common language able to allow the diffusion and sharing of information at all the levels of the food chain. In this context, the present work studies a system for the Tracing (localization of a batch in the market) & Tracking (possibility to reproduce the history of a product) of the food products able to collect and to manage the information by means of advanced and innovative hardware and software tools. The use of Radio Frequency Identification, Active & Intelligent Packaging and Nanotechnology applications in food productions were recently studied for this propose. This paper shows how the “traceability” (defined by the Regulation EC 178/2002 as the ability to trace and follow food, feed, and ingredients through all stages of production, processing and distribution) can play a lead role for the promotion of quality, safety and of the value of origin of foods, but also that this opportunity is not exploited at best by the relative food chains yet. Keywords: food quality and safety, traceability, RFID.

1. INTRODUCTION Today, as testified by the last scandals and facts, the “food safety assurance” is a prerequisite from which we cannot abstract. In confirmation of this, there are

also several documents in matters of food law, since the European legislation: firstly the “Food Safety White Book” [3] published in the 2000, then the European Commission Regulation n° 178/2002 [16] about food safety, which became mandatory since the 1st of January 2005 and which instituted the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), then the European set of laws about hygiene of 2004 (Regulation CE n. 852, 853, 854, 882/2004 and Directive CE 2002/99), which unifies the fragmented laws, and which was fully enforced starting the 1st of January 2006, and finally the voluntary ISO 22000:2005 concerning food safety management systems. [4, 17-20]. The importance of this topic is widespread in all the world. In the USA the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently developed a comprehensive Food Protection Plan to address the changes in food sources, production, and consumption of nowadays. Many are the studies of food safety assurance systems in regions like China [1], Australia and New Zealand [6]. These kinds of studies are extended also on the developing countries [7, 21]. Nevertheless, despite the several mandatory and voluntary measures for food safety, some difficulties still exist in realizing such efforts, as, for example, the lack of a common language able to allow the diffusion and sharing of information at all the levels of the food chain. This situation leads up the operators to the choice from several useful systems to track the product in the internal process. Sometimes these systems are systems not compatible with one another. Therefore, as happened for the bar code, it becomes necessary to implement a system for the diffusion of information that can be shared among all the subjects operating throughout the food chain to

assure rapid and efficacious flow of important information. Such diffusion system, besides being useful for the information transparency, should also be a helpful instrument for prevention toward the food hazards, because it allows to make focused recalls, with the goal to intervene just on the suspected items [9]. Compared with a massive recall, the possibility to have a right definition of the batches brings some advantages, like a save of time, energy and resources that mean a lower economic impact and a higher probability to realize an effective recall. In recent years, consumers have been frequently exposed to food alerts (from adulterations and sophistications to contamination of pesticides and dioxin, till the recent danger of the Chinese milk products) that should have a more reduced impact, if Tracking and Tracing (T&T) tools had worked more effectively [9]. In the actual context, which appears lacking of a common language able to allow the diffusion and the sharing of information through the food chain, the present paper studies a system for the T&T of the food products able to collect and to manage the information by means of advanced and innovative instruments of hardware and software. During the development of the investigation, concerning quality and safety control, hardware instruments and innovative applications were evaluated (e.g. RFID – Radio Frequency Identification – tags). These will be able to get and record information relative to environmental parameters, such as for example time, temperature and humidity of the packaged atmosphere, useful to control the chemical composition changes that influence the hygienic, nutritional and sensory characteristics of foodstuffs. Finally, the way wherein those systems can be match with those of labeling and documentation was studied.

2. INNOVATIVE HARDWARE TOOLS RFID RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) are technologies able to recognize in the distance objects, animals and people by the use of radio waves. In recent years, this mature technology has received significant coverage, mainly because of the considerable use of this technology made by private

companies such as Wal-Mart (USA), Tesco (UK), by the Department of Defence (USA) and proposed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) [10]. Actually, despite this interest, the more diffused automatic identification technology is still the bar code, based on the system GS1-128; practically all products present on the market have labels with bar code. Their low cost and their user-friendliness are the key of their success. These devices are useful for the realization of a label with information that can be read automatically at a predefined distance, but this technology has some limits [15]. In fact one of the additional advantages of the use of RFID transponders is the possibility to store a larger quantity of information that can be also modified. Moreover, RFID tags can be read without optical contact and through barriers. In the literature, many potential benefits from the utilization of RFID tags are described [15]. We can list benefits like the reduced shrinkage and the solution for the problem of counterfeiting and against the black market activities, the reduced material handling, the potential increase of data accuracy, and a faster exception management; other types of benefits are specific for the manufacturers and suppliers: easy production tracking, improvement of quality control, supply and production continuity [15]. The list can be longer, including benefits specifically for distributors and logistic providers, and specific for retailers [15]. Active and intelligent packaging Among the tools that promise to help food safety and quality, we can find the “active” and “intelligent” packaging. The active packaging has been defined by Kerry et al. [8] as packaging that “changes the condition of the packed food to extend shelf-life or to improve safety or sensory properties, while maintaining the quality of packaged food”. Examples of active packaging are the O2 scavengers, the humidity or SO2 emitters, the ethylene or CO2 scavengers and emitters and the films with antimicrobial activity [8]. Instead, intelligent packaging has been defined as “packaging systems which monitor the condition of packaged foods to give information about their quality during transport and storage”. In this category are included the Time Temperature Indicators (TTI), the indicators of oxygen, the CO2 indicators and the microbial growth indicators [8].

As shown by Yan et al. (2008), a TTI is a simple, inexpensive device that can be attached to the package surface and can integrate the timetemperature history of foodstuff fully or partially. TTIs are mainly applied to show the timetemperature history of chilled or frozen food that can be irreparably compromised by a break of low temperature chain [23]. Thanks to these devices, it is possible to show, usually through a colour changing reaction, a possible loss of freshness or shelf life. TTIs are presented as labels on the food packaging. They are easy to understand by the consumer and have a large use for packaging of fresh milk, frozen fish, meat and seafood [23]. Nanotechs Nanotechnology is the science and technology dealing with particles of size from 1 to 100 nm. It is an interesting science that in recent times is having a development and attention. Its study and its understanding can help also in developing innovative tools for making food safer and more stable [14]. Currently, interesting developments of nanotechs applied in the agri-food area are concerning packaging. Plastic films and containers with the presence of nanoparticle layers of clay, silicon dioxide, and titanium oxide with the goal to increase food protection already exist. These containers are more resistant to tears and shocks, or more impermeable against gases, such as water vapour, or oxygen and UV radiation [14].

3. METHODOLOGY OF INVESTIGATION With the aim to highlight how the utility of traceability and its opportunities are perceived among the food chain actors, it was useful to combine the results of a set of interviews with the results of a deep bibliographic study of international level. The exploration of the needs and the degree of involvement of the actors of the different classes of business of the Italian agri-food chain was considered as case study for this work. The Italian scenario was regarded like a representative case study because of its characteristic of typical Mediterranean example sensible to main themes of food quality and safety. For this propose, leaders

among the actors operating at different levels of the Italian food chain were interviewed [22]. Representatives of transformation, distribution and logistics were listened. With each, after briefly explication of the purpose of the interview, the comparison with the ladder program started. Topics like the need for services, the possibility to use RFID and other innovative hardware, the awareness of the Active / Intelligent packaging, the opportunities for investments, the possible kind of support to adopt, which parameters to consider for the data collection, which critical point to track in the food chain, and of what minimum sell unit may be useful to have trace were discussed. The data collected have been studied and discussed as a function of the international literature state of the art, and the results are here reported.

4. NEEDS ANALYSIS Interesting points of contiguity stand out from the study of the interviews with personalities of the Italian agri-food chain. As we expected, all the actors have always in common the interest for the economical motivation. The interest for the potentials of the innovative applications in matters of T&T is spread, especially for the high quality products, characterized by a high margin of gain, or for delicate and sensible to temperature products, as those typical of the cold chain. The choice to adopt a T&T system is commonly seen as a useful management innovation, as well as a kind of assurance against potential injuries, that is clearly traduced in a reduction of costs. From the study of the interviews, we can highlight that generally the applications able to bring a sensible economic advantage convertible in a greater competitiveness are well accepted. In those cases in which such benefits are not so evident the actors prefer to adopt solutions for the management of batches cheaper and easier to use as the standard GS1-128. In spite of the potentials expressed by the innovative hardware and software instruments, some difficulties for the management, as, for example, the problem of batches definition and their composition, still remain. In this sphere, the necessity to adopt a common language that should be respected and shared from farm to table is presented by all the actors of the agri-food chain.

The step of the row material production is considered by the processors as one of the most critical points for the batch definition, considering that the legislation pressure is higher on the final producer that gives own brand. In our research we found that, with regard to the need of services, for processors there is a need for key solutions, which are able to ease the bureaucratic management of the companies. Among the other services that could help to ensure the improvement of the existing systems of T&T, are also indicated the economic aids, such as any tax cuts or funding for research. In the area of food safety, with particular need for T&T, the interviewed actors are current and prove susceptible to RFID technology. In some cases the actors are already studying applications of this technology on food production [11]. More specifically, the use of management systems of the products fluxes based on RFID technology, characterized by a remarkable versatility in the adaptation, is of high interest among the processors. Simple types of management applications have been suggested, such as the creation of an annual inventory that breaks down the traditionally long time required for this activity. It was observed that RFID technology can provide to other applications too, for example to the physical monitoring of the operators. This option may offer a considerable resource, such as an increase of safety at work. Another significant aspect is the ability to transfer to the consumer the benefits above mentioned, because customers are able to associate with relative ease using sensors / tags to a guarantee of safety and better quality of the marketed product [22]. Regarding the Active / Intelligent Packaging (packaging able to prolong the life of foodstuffs or to react when they have gone off, for example by changing colour) it was observed from the interviewed actors a quite different approach: who would eventually see their use confined to the productions characterized by the cold chain and those who adopt it ordinary for some productions, so much to consider the adoption of this technology as a mandatory requirement for their suppliers. The actors quite agree about the maximum expense that is possible to support for innovative systems of T&T; these values are generally around 0.10 US$ for Trade unit, a threshold under which this technology may start to be a priority and not just a possibility.

Obviously, this is just an indicative value, since it will be necessary to verify for different products how to translate these priorities / opportunities: for image product (top quality) as it might be a packaged smokes salmon or a Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, the maximum increases of expense can be fixed around 2, 3 or up to 4% of the total costs [11]. Among the support types of RFID tags or sensors listed as good for the interviewed actors, stickers are included, of shape and size similar to a credit card and more or less rigid/flexible. However, the actors are open to alternative sizes. In general, there is a greater sensitivity toward the innovative sensors able to track quality indices of the shelf life such as temperature, pH, humidity inside the packaging, and, for particular preparations such as intermediate humidity bakery packed products (snacks), even the ethanol concentration in the atmosphere inside the package. Certainly, all the actors are required to track the product until the trade unit, or until the sell unit. However, some producers are trying to go further legal requirements, becoming open to the evaluation of information management systems able to follow the product until the final consumer (the consumer unit).

5. CONCLUSIONS The food chain traceability, mandatory in Europe with the EC Reg. n. 178/2002, has the goal to raise the actual level of control of food safety to protect consumers’ health and to minimize the risks relatives to nutrition [16]. An efficient traceability system can be realized for these propose only through an efficient documental system and a detailed information system for the management of all the data of the productive process from the field to the table. In the work of Regattieri and collaborators [11] an ideal framework of a generic model system of T&T is well exposed. In the scheme, based on 4 fundamental pillars (the product identification, the data to trace, the route travelled by the product and the tools for tracking) the factors to consider for a thorough system of traceability of the product are described. Then a traceability management system is composed by all the instruments and technologies (software, hardware, mobile phone, internet, bar code, RFID,

TTI, and more) that allow to realize the tracking and tracing. In this study, how RFID tags can be a useful instrument to ensure consumers’ safety has been shown. It can certify the quality of products and make more efficient the management process (production, storage and distribution). The active and intelligent packaging can ensure ideal conditions of hygiene and food safety. Moreover, with these devices is possible to transmit information about product identification, about its origin, and about all the productive chain. It is useful to remember that the nanotech can give important benefits for the producers and for the consumers (e.g. assurance of food quality, the preservation of sensory quality, food safety) [12, 13] but it is necessary a deep evaluation of the risks from the Authorities before that their utilization became widespread, because it involves the possible contact with food and the consequent risk of contaminations. So this study suggests that it will be possible in a close future to ensure food safety not only with the actual visible bar code, but also through RFID technology and chemical devices. This study shows how the traceability instrument can play a role key in promoting the value of origin (e.g. Mediterranean products, Protected Designation of Origin, typical products), but also that this opportunity is not exploited at best by the relative food chains. From the interviews emerges that although all stakeholders feel the food traceability as an item of high value, they still tend to regard it as an obligation to comply. Instead, the Organized Retail, which because of its structure is more motivated to promote projects of advanced traceability, is highly interested. The literature is in agreement with this interpretation, and technology providers seem very sensitive in this sense, which bring already available technology for the implementation of tracking by the use of RFID [5] and GPS, GPRS, UMTS, Wi-Fi and WiMAX [2]. Small and medium size enterprises are now willing to the acquisition of the minimum information technology to respond positively to EU regulations, but they are still resistant to the adoption of advanced tracking systems available today, due to their incapacity to see the investment returns in the short term, and due to the introduction of strict rules in contradiction with their flexible nature.

Finally, it is observed that the bigger push to the adoption of more advanced traceability will not come by the supply chain, but it will come by the consumers and the Institutions. 6. AKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study was realized with the support of the Italian Ministry of University and Research, project n° RBOP06AMPP entitled “Valorisation of the typical products of agri-food and food safety through new systems of characterization and quality warranty”.

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