Food safety digital challenges in Covid-19 Pandemic Era

Digital revolution has affected food word that is globally considered among the most important sectors for world economic development, and which is facing significant problems such as the growing demand for food, the control of food safety, environmental and commercial sustainability, regulatory constraints as well as dialogue with an increasingly demanding consumer. In this sense, in order to be productive, sustainable but at the same time, to maintain competitiveness on the market, it is necessary for the sector, to put in place strategies aiming to addressing and overcoming these challenges, also through the use of digital technologies for production, control and distribution of food, otherwise known as “Food Tech”. Of particular interest, the use of new technologies for the collection and management of data, aimed at guaranteeing the safety and traceability of food. Digital technologies can be also used for the development of computerized systems that support the development and management of food safety systems, based on the HACCP methodology as well as the systems of Quality or Certification, improving data sharing within the company with a view to dematerialization. In this scenario, the impact of Covid-19 pandemic has made us understand the close interconnection between human health and the environment and the power of its impact on the global economy. This confirms the need of investments in infrastructure that can provide concrete tools for the management of emergencies, as it is happening in all sectors, including the food supply chain. Digital technologies can help through the virtualization of food safety management plans and official controls towards a full dematerialization.