Progress towards achieving intelligent food assurance systems

Background
Food assurance systems (FAS) that are critical for protecting the quality and safety of food products can be defined as a systematic approach to ensuring the safety, quality, and authenticity of food products, from the initial production stage to the final consumption by the consumer.

Scope and approach
An Intelligent Food Assurance System (IFAS) is a proposed system that would have the ability to use intelligent sensors, data processing systems and other advanced technologies to detect and control the quality and safety of food. This review provides an overview of the current state-of-the-art in food assurance systems, with a focus on the four components of food assurance: food quality, food safety, food authenticity, and food defence. An initial review of the scientific literature on food assurance was conducted in order to clarify their definitions and connections. This review provides a synopsis of the fundamental concepts and definitions of a FAS, followed by a comprehensive review of recent advancements in smart food technology, such as precision agriculture systems, remote sensors and smart food management systems that would be required for an IFAS.

Key findings and conclusion
A critical analysis of the challenges when building an IFAS, and potential future directions are also discussed. Furthermore, the possible influence of an IFAS on enhancing transparency and traceability in the food chain, reducing loss and waste for sustainable development, and improving consumer confidence is highlighted.