Quality-aware control for optimizing meat supply chains

Controlling food quality and reducing waste is one of the most challenging tasks in the food industry, as it is facing high rates of wastage, leading to negative environmental impact. This research focuses on improving the scheduling and control of the supply chain of Irish lamb meat using real-time quality and temperature information. Temperature controlled reefers and sensor technologies can be used to monitor and set the temperature during transport and storage. In order to minimize waste, while at the same time optimizing cooling and transport costs, a mathematical model is proposed. The model consists of two aspects. The quality aspect considers the shelf life of Irish lamb which is related to temperature. The logistic aspect considers supply chain scheduling. With this model, a strategy is proposed to determine the movements of meat, as well as the temperature setting of cooling equipment. Results of simulation experiments indicate a sustainable approach can reduce or even eliminate waste and decrease operational costs when real-time monitoring and control is used.