Each year, Canada generates roughly $58 billion in avoidable food waste, much of which is from spoilage that goes undetected until it is already too late.
With food prices rising by as much as 27 per cent over the last five years and supply chains under strain, Canada needs better ways to reduce this waste and safeguard the quality of perishable foods.
New digital technologies offer a promising solution. Small sensors and camera-based systems can help food producers and retailers spot spoilage earlier. At McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business, we are studying how image-based and sensor-based monitoring can improve freshness tracking and reduce spoilage.
The invisible nature of spoilage
Consumers usually cannot see the early signs of spoilage. It is a slow biological process that typically cannot be seen by the human eye until the food is already badly damaged. Even small changes in temperature or humidity during transport can speed up bacteria growth, lower food quality and shorten shelf life.
The food industry still relies heavily on fixed “best before” dates. According to food rescue organization Second Harvest, best before dates account for 23 per cent of all avoidable food waste from processor to purchase.
Best before dates are estimated by food producers and retailers based on shelf-life tests under ideal storage conditions. But these dates do not reflect how food has actually been handled or stored, nor do they show real-time freshness.
(AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
As a result, food is often thrown away too early as a precaution, or held past the point of real freshness because the early signs of spoilage are invisible. This gap between actual freshness and what consumers can see or measure drives large amounts of preventable waste.
Temperature mishandling during transport, poor storage conditions and breaks in the cold chain are among the main causes of avoidable loss. These problems are especially serious for fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meat.
Canada’s long transportation distances make the risks even higher. The Canadian cold chain in particular faces distinct pressures linked to long transport distances and seasonal temperature swings.
What smart monitoring can do
Our research group developed a framework called FreshTrack that addresses this gap directly. FreshTrack generates a dynamic freshness score by continuously tracking temperature and humidity using Internet of Things sensors. The Internet of Things refers to networks of physical devices that collect and share data in real time.
These sensors can track temperature, humidity and air quality inside trucks, warehouses and grocery storage areas. The system models spoilage rates and microbial growth over time based on those environmental readings, then categorizes food by freshness level to give handlers more precise information.
Unlike spot checks, these sensors collect data continuously. When these sensors are combined with AI-based image analysis, they can detect changes such as colour shifts or surface changes. That information allows food handlers to act sooner.
If a refrigerated truck carrying berries experiences a temperature spike overnight, for example, sensors can flag the issue immediately. Distributors may then redirect the shipment or sell it sooner, rather than discarding it days later when the damage becomes visible.
(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The CrowdFeeding pilot project
Sensor-based freshness monitoring is only useful if perishable food actually reaches people who need it. That is the problem CrowdFeeding, a digital platform we are developing at McMaster, is being designed to solve.
The platform allows food providers to list surplus food. Rather than routing donations through food bank warehouses, the platform works with food banks to support direct connections between donors and recipients.
In the first phase of the pilot project, 35 households in Hamilton received deliveries over six weeks in partnership with Mishka Social Service, an organization that operates a halal food bank.
The next phase of the pilot will monitor perishable food freshness using sensors during storage and distribution. Eastern Food Market and Mishka Social Service will be connected through the platform, with sensors tracking the condition of foods during delivery.
This effort aims to improve food safety, support faster redistribution and reduce food waste in local communities.
Advancing Canada’s smart food system
As with all new technologies, smart monitoring faces challenges. Sensors must be reliable, affordable and able to work in different environments. AI systems also need large and diverse data sets to make accurate predictions for different foods.
Another barrier is the lack of shared standards. Many retailers measure freshness in different ways, making widescale adoption difficult.
At the same time, these challenges create opportunities for public leadership. Canada already regulates food labelling and cold-chain standards. Digital freshness monitoring could be added to these systems rather than treated as a niche technology.
Public policy could also help encourage donations before spoilage occurs. For example, tax incentives could support companies that donate food while it is still fresh and safe.
With the right investment and regulations, Canada could set national standards for digital food quality monitoring and help Canadian innovations move from pilot projects to everyday use.
Food waste in Canada is not only a logistics problem, but also an information problem. By improving how freshness data is measured and shared, Canada can waste less food, lower costs for households, reduce emissions and build a more resilient food system overall.
