The fourth industrial revolution in the food industry—Part I: Industry 4.0 technologies

Abstract

Climate change, the growth in world population, high levels of food waste and food loss, and the risk of new disease or pandemic outbreaks are examples of the many challenges that threaten future food sustainability and the security of the planet and urgently need to be addressed. The fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0, has been gaining momentum since 2015, being a significant driver for sustainable development and a successful catalyst to tackle critical global challenges. This review paper summarizes the most relevant food Industry 4.0 technologies including, among others, digital technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, big data analytics, Internet of Things, and blockchain) and emerging technologies (e.g., smart sensors, robotics, digital twins, and cyber-physical systems). Moreover, insights into the new food trends (such as 3D printed foods) that have emerged as a result of the Industry 4.0 technological revolution will also be discussed in Part II of this work.The Industry 4.0 technologies have significantly modified the food industry and led to substantial consequences for the environment, economics, and human health. Despite the importance of each of the technologies mentioned above, ground-breaking sustainable solutions could only emerge by combining many technologies simultaneously. The Food Industry 4.0 era has been characterized by new challenges, opportunities, and trends that have reshaped current strategies and prospects for food production and consumption patterns, paving the way for the move towards Industry 5.0.

Meat 4.0: Principles and Applications of Industry 4.0 Technologies in the Meat Industry

“…After twenty-five decades of industrial advances, we are currently in the era of cyberphysical systems, i.e., a computerized system in which functions are controlled or monitored through computer-based algorithms [24]. Figure 2 shows the meat supply chain and the key Industry 4.0 technologies that are being adopted at each actor level.…”

“…Figure 3 shows some robotics and automation within the meat sector. Industrial robots and automation make up an important component of Industry 4.0, which could resolve some challenges in the food industry, such as the difficulty of obtaining adequate labour and reducing production time and processing costs [24]. Traditionally, automating meat factories has been very challenging because of the huge initial costs involved and carcasses coming in various sizes, making it hard for robots to maintain consistency during cutting processes [29].…”

“…IoT is related to transferring data between interconnected computer devices and machinery [24]. It consists of physical devices that collect data, a network that transmits the collected data, and an application layer which includes IoT applications and services.…”

“…Cybersecurity concerns the processes and availability of technologists with the needed skills that protect information and computer technology systems, such as networks and computers [24]. Cyberattacks have been steadily rising globally and affected several industries and manufacturing sectors, including businesses, schools, hospitals, governmental websites, etc., [46].…”

“…Industry 4.0 has become an interdisciplinary topic, involving a set of knowledge and technologies related to physical, digital, and biological domains [20][21][22]. Although no general agreement exists in the literature on the Industry 4.0 enablers, the most reported technologies in the food industry are Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data (BD), robotics, smart sensors, the Internet of Things (IoT), augmented reality, cybersecurity, and blockchain [14,23,24]. The interest in Industry 4.0 has gained momentum recently, especially after 2015, which has been reflected by the increased number of publications (and the corresponding citations) dealing with this topic, as can be noticed from Figure 1.…”