# IoT Services for Monitoring Food Supply Chains
## 1 Introduction  
Nowadays, highly perishable agrifood products must sustain their safety and quality standards throughout the supply chain process. It is crucial that specific parameters in the transportation facilities, such as temperature and humidity levels, are consistently monitored and maintained at appropriate levels. The integrity of agrifood products can be compromised in the event of fluctuations in transport conditions, leading to reduced nutritional and organoleptic value and potential health risks for consumers. Ensuring the safety and quality of highly perishable agricultural and food products throughout the supply chain is a critical challenge. Specific environmental parameters, particularly temperature and humidity, must be continuously monitored and maintained within predefined thresholds to preserve nutritional and organoleptic characteristics. Fluctuations inthese conditions during storage or transport can compromise product integrity, increasing the risk of spoilage and foodborne illness, which affects an estimated 48 million people annually in the United States alone [1].  
Monitoring is especially crucial in cold supply chains, where the highest incidence of temperature abuse is recorded during transportation, storage, and retail stages [2,3]. Traditional manual methods, such as spot-check temperature measurements, are often error-prone due to human mishandling or equipment failure, which further increases the risk of delivering substandard or unsafe food to end consumers. Recent advancements in sensor technologies and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) present promising opportunities for addressing these challenges through real-time, continuous monitoring systems [4]. These systems can enhance visibility, traceability, and control across the agirood supply chain. By leveraging wireless sensor networks (WSNs) and Internet of Things (IoT) services, stakeholders can ensure optimal environmental conditions, detect anomalies early, and mitigate risks effectively. In this study, we propose a cost-effective IoT-based traceability system that utilises LoRaWAN-enabled wireless sensors to monitor temperature and humidity across the agirood supply chain. Furthermore, we provide an overview of recent innovations in sensor and packaging technologies and present the implementation and evaluation of a pilot-scale deployment from both functional and technological perspectives [5].  
In the following sections, we will delve deeper into the advantages of monitoring the quality of perishable products, examining how such practices can enhance overall efficiency and customer satisfaction throughout the supply chain. A concise overview of the leading food quality indicators and their application in real-time monitoring will be provided. Then, we will present a comprehensive description of the available ICT and sensor technologies that enable effective, safe, and continuous monitoring of product quality, depending on environmental conditions, the measurements to be taken, and the specific characteristics of each product. This will highlight innovative features and their impact on logistics. Moreover, we will thoroughly analyse the proposed pilot project, evaluating it from a functional and technological perspective to understand its feasibility, effectiveness, and potential implications for future applications.