| Abstract: |
In the US television show, Portlandia, there is an episode in which several diners at a restaurant start asking about the dishes, the condition the chickens were raised in, the names of the chickens, and ultimately leave the restaurant to visit the farm where the chickens were raised. While this comedic license may go a bit far, the availability of sensors, blockchain, and data analytics, combined with food service and customer requirements, can improve safety and accountability throughout the food chain. Traceability is no longer a request, but a demand and a challenge with growing complexity. According to the National Restaurant Association, Americans spend over $700 billion a year at restaurants every year. On the food safety side of things, Food Safety Magazine counted over 620 food safety recalls in 2015 due to contamination, with each recall costing around $10 million. |
