Tracing of Packages in Supply Chain Based on IoT and Blockchain Technologies

Nowadays, safety is one of the most important principles in food industry and consumer preference. Regarding this issue, packaging units and transport industry are among the most critical points because food products can be contaminated easily by environmental factors. For this purpose, cutting edge technologies such as IoT (Internet of things) and blockchain are emerged. Smart things equipped with different sensors (temperature, humidity, location and etc.) can be created by using IoT, digital printing technologies and internet connection therefore safety management system can track and trace food products during packaging, transportation, retailing and consumer service. Usually data of transactions are susceptible to alteration so blockchain technology was introduced to record, track, and display accurate information in multiple nodes (computers) for all members' access. Blockchain technology makes a radically transparent environment with different advantages such as minimizing food spoilage and wastage, inhibition of fraud and tampering of packages, certifying organic and fair-trade origins of products, and recalling of contaminated products. This paper introduces the IoT and blockchain based technologies for tracking and tracing of packages in food supply chain.