Food Safety 4.0: The Future of Food Safety Leveraging Industry 4.0 Technologies

Abstract

The convergence of several factors, including population growth, scarce natural resources, climate change, globalization, sustainability, and advances in modern and emerging technologies, in addition to growing demand by consumers, retailers, regulators, and stakeholders to raise the level of food protection is increasingly driving the global food safety agenda. Industry 4.0 technologies are fast infusing into all fields of human endeavor including the food safety ecosystem, serving as catalysts for innovation and sustainability. However, there is no empirical evidence regarding the extent of their application and the level of acceptance within the food safety domain. This study explored the relationship between Industry 4.0 technologies and food safety by evaluating the applications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies in addressing food safety challenges. The objectives are achieved using qualitative methodology and bibliometric analysis of content. Our analysis indicates that artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, machine learning, and big data are prominent topics related to the 4IR and food safety, while blockchain and smart manufacturing are emerging topics.