ACR Journal

February | March 2021 REFRIGERATION 24 Edward Porter, Director of IoT Solutions at IMS Evolve looks at digital technology in supply chains Food on the Move: The Digitisation of The Global Food Supply Chain Volume 7 No.2 With countries such as the UK importing almost half of its food, robust supply chains are critical to ensuring the supermarket shelves stay stocked. This means ensuring that produce is kept safe during long journeys, which requires both a high level of visibility into how goods are being maintained as well as reliable machinery that is able to create a constant, optimal environment for the produce. How can the food industry leverage new and existing technologies in order to meet requirements, build consumer trust and improve the quality of produce, even when faced with such complex modern-day supply chains? Data-Enablement Moving toward better data insight and smart machinery may seem like a big undertaking for the industry, but advanced digital technologies could enable a more transparent food supply chain without the need for farmers, suppliers and retailers to undergo large-scale technological overhauls. Currently, IoT and connected technologies are used in retail environments to gain asset-level insights that enables monitoring and management of everything from refrigeration to HVAC infrastructure, regardless of manufacturer or age, across an an entire estate. The