Sensors and smart food packaging for supply chains: Bridging expiration dates and actual perishability

Author First name, Last name, Institution

• Muhammad Umar Azam, Khalifa University
• Jolina Rodrigues, Khalifa University
• Mohamed Hamid Salim, Khalifa University
• Sarath Haridas Kaniyamparambil, Khalifa University
• Khalid Askar, Khalifa University
• Imane Belyamani, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi CampusFollow
• Blaise L. Tardy, Khalifa University
• Nouha Alcheikh, Khalifa University

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Food Control

Publication Date

10-1-2026

Abstract

The food supply chain is undergoing critical changes to minimize environmental hazards, such as those associated with packaging, and reduce food waste and loss. One of the critical components of the latter is associated with the high variance in the perishability of individual foodstuffs. Herein, we review the state of the art in smart sensor systems and emphasize the critical role they could play in addressing the mismatch between “batch” based expiry dates and individual food products’ time-dependent responses to spoilage. Following a brief overview of food shelf life and associated legislation, a subsequent section summarizes the development of sensors for monitoring food spoilage. Moreover, this review encompasses sensors for spoilage detection and for monitoring storage quality, including those for measuring gas, pH, humidity, and temperature. A detailed study of their designs, selectivity, range, limit of detection, specific analyte molecules, and active materials is presented, with consideration of the state of the art. Fabrication techniques for sensors are then presented, and the manuscript concludes with an overview of emerging developments and the remaining challenges for their efficient implementation across the food sector. Overall, the article highlights an emerging opportunity for sensor science to have a global impact on a more resilient, safe, and sustainable food supply chain.

DOI Link

10.1016/j.foodcont.2026.112229

ISSN

0956-7135

Publisher

Elsevier BV

Volume

188

Disciplines

Materials Science and Engineering

Keywords

Food spoilage detection, Food supply chain, Intelligent packaging, Sensor fabrication, Sensors, Shelf-life monitoring

Scopus ID

105037871302

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Azam, Muhammad Umar; Rodrigues, Jolina; Salim, Mohamed Hamid; Kaniyamparambil, Sarath Haridas; Askar, Khalid; Belyamani, Imane; Tardy, Blaise L.; and Alcheikh, Nouha, "Sensors and smart food packaging for supply chains: Bridging expiration dates and actual perishability" (2026). All Works. 8084.
https://zuscholars.zu.ac.ae/works/8084

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

yes

Open Access Type

Hybrid: This publication is openly available in a subscription-based journal/series