Advances in Improving Traceability of Food-Borne Illnesses

Welcome back Jori Hamilton to 21st Century Tech Blog. Jori posted her first contribution just last week and has come right back with a second interesting piece on how technology is helping to improve food safety and security. Jori lives in Oregon and writes about technology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, and sustainability. She graduated from Boise State University and you can learn more about her by following her on Twitter: @HamiltonJori.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently published a New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint. This document unveils a technology roadmap and smart business models to create a safer and more traceable food supply and distribution system. Facing a public health crisis, improvements to food and food-borne illness traceability has widespread implications for us all. 

To better understand this it is essential to recognize the importance of tracing food-borne illnesses and what technologies are available to make this possible.  

The Importance of Tracing Food-Borne Illness

Of the many agricultural disruptors of the 21st century, food-borne illness remains a costly and dangerous vulnerability. These types of illnesses are passed on through contaminated crops or food products and make their way to the dinner table of unsuspecting families, leading to sickness and even death. 

Of the more than 250 discovered food-borne illnesses, the following five viruses and bacteria are the ones most commonly the cause:

• Norovirus
• Salmonella
• Clostridium perfringens
• Campylobacter
• Staphylococcus aureus (Staph)

Symptoms vary ranging from moderate to life-threatening. Most common are nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting. Every year, food-borne illnesses lead to 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths in the U.S. alone. Without tracing outbreaks may lead to far more illnesses and deaths. 

Tracing efforts are especially important to prevent illness exposure to at-risk demographics. Age groups under four and over 50 are both more vulnerable to food-borne pathogens. And facing public health risks already in the form of coronavirus, reducing preventable damage from food-borne illnesses should be a logical priority for all.

Introducing Game-Changing Technology

The modern world relies on and collects data in massive quantities. At the same time, wireless connectivity like 5G networks add speed and data capacity to smart devices and sensors to uncover sources of food contamination and stop their spread faster than ever before. Among the new technologies aiding food security, the following innovations are improving traceability:

Data analytics

Our highly connected digital world makes accumulating data easy. Everything from inventory to consumer behavior can be charted and stored across digital platforms. The use of big data gives companies across all kinds of industries various advantages over competitors. For food safety, this means transparency and accuracy in tracing food product origins.

Internet of Things (IoT)

Data collection is being facilitated by an explosion of IoT devices. These are internet-connected sensors and monitors that enable the collection of all kinds of metrics. Paired with software-as-a- service offerings, companies are providing IoT data solutions for fleet management to trace food products from the source to points-of-sale. Data collected includes storage temperatures throughout the transportation process and while warehoused and in retail settings. The entire supply chain process can be viewed effectively through a single comprehensive dashboard, which means when a food-borne illness occurs, it can be traced to the source easily along with all exposed freight on the same route.

Blockchain

Blockchain systems associated first with cryptocurrencies are proving to be powerful tools for food traceability. These decentralized blockchain databases containing highly secure information are finding their way into companies like Walmart. It is partnering with IBM’s Food Trust program to track data through blockchain systems related to harvesting, storing, shipping, and more. Using this type of decentralized database and communication network means any problems related to food safety can quickly be traced to their source with contaminated items removed from shelves. 

A Safer, More Connected Future

These are just a few of the interconnected systems improving traceability efforts. As these technologies become more widespread, we can look forward to reduced risk from illness caused by contaminated food. 

These data-driven solutions should help us with other planetary health challenges, not just food quality and quantity, but also agricultural practices on the farm, as well as improved insights into supply chains and their operations. Expect a future of connected devices that help us to cut down on carbon emissions, not just those associated with agribusiness, but in other industry sectors as well.