Comprehensive review on the integration of self-healing polymers with smart food traceability: scope, application and challenges

Abstract

Food traceability is a key component in ensuring food safety, quality, and supply chain transparency. The growing global population and increased food demand highlight challenges in ensuring safe food. The invention of smart food traceability systems (such as RFID, barcode, and blockchain systems) has been a significant milestone in the food industry. However, the development of an effective food traceability system is affected by various challenges, such as the possibility of damage or scratches occurring during the food supply chain. The integration of self-healing technologies with smart food traceability systems represents a promising advancement in food technology. This comprehensive review explores various self-healing mechanisms (mostly covalent interactions such as hydrogen and imine bonds) utilized in food processing and discusses the development of self-healing-based biopolymers for food applications. It also focuses on the development of photo-cross-linkable polymeric films, self-healable RFID tags, and techniques for electronic tracking using data matrix codes and wireless-based detection systems. Limited studies have been conducted on the use of embedded symbology techniques for food traceability, thereby providing a good scope for future research in this field. This comprehensive review of current technologies offers valuable insights for researchers, manufacturers, marketers, and consumers to develop customized smart food traceability systems that incorporate self-healing functionalities for a wide range of applications.