The REAMIT project proposes to adapt and apply existing innovative technology to food supply chains in NWE to reduce food waste and hence improve resource efficiency. Reducing food waste is of highest priority for the EU (88Mt or € 143B wasted per year). Though technologies exist to reduce food waste, they have not been applied to food supply chains.
REAMIT will focus on fruits, vegetables, meat and fish as these are wasted in large quantities. The supply chain includes farms, packaging sites, food processors, distribution, logistics, wholesalers and retailers. The project is carried out in Ireland, Germany, France, UK and the Netherlands due to the amount of interconnected food supply chains and huge food waste.
Projected key outcomes
- adapt existing Internet of Things and Big Data technologies to best fit the needs of the food supply chain management system in NWE
- through testing and adaptation, enable technologies to continuously monitor and record food quality and signal potential food quality issues
- through analytics, owners of 'food to be at risk of becoming waste' will be provided with decision support options to minimise food waste including redistribution to nearby customers