We have seen how complex a food chain is. Many actors are involved with high interdependence. We also observed that the food industry has many challenges in its chain, which causes risks for customers when an issue is found in any part of the food manufacturing process.

Moreover, we are moving past the time where workers need to be physically present to monitor every piece of equipment through which our food passes. By using internet-enabled devices, maintenance engineers are empowered to have better visibility of what is happening with equipment, inventories, and people.

Blockchain technology can offer a trusted connection with shared value for all ecosystem participants, including end customers. IoT use in the food industry, with technology such as sensors, barcode readers, and QR codes, is at the heart of this solution, and IoT integrated with blockchain can not only mitigate a lot of issues but can transform the industry.

Internet-enabled sensors fastened onto equipment provide critical insights into maintenance and food safety issues, including real-time system-generated alerts and notifications. Maintenance engineers are able to access this real-time data from anywhere via a smartphone or tablet. The capabilities of an IoT system for food safety include providing real-time insights into the status of food processing equipment, sending automated alerts as soon as any problems arise, and providing the recommended next steps for troubleshooting and resolving a problem.

In the next chapter, we will link the challenges of the food chain with the technologies that can mitigate them.