The THEROS project has made significant progress in its first reporting period:
• Extensive stakeholder mapping and analysis identified end-user needs, informed by two workshops and online questionnaires from over 160 respondents, leading to the development of tailored personas, user stories, and scenarios for the THEROS toolbox.
• A thorough literature review on organic food fraud and benchmarking of control systems informed the development of the THEROS tools, with technical specifications compiled into a detailed traceability matrix and a high-level system architecture integrating these components seamlessly with existing systems.
• The project developed and validated Earth Observation (EO) markers to monitor compliance with organic farming practices, tested in pilot areas in Serbia and Greece, significantly enhancing certification agencies' ability to monitor large areas efficiently.
• Low-cost MEMS sensors were deployed to detect adulteration in organic products like wheat flour and apple juice with high accuracy, alongside AI models to differentiate organic from non-organic produce, supporting fraud detection and environmental assessments.
• A portable DNA analysis kit was developed to verify species origin and authenticity in organic and GI-labeled products, significantly enhancing mislabeling and adulteration detection, with successful tests conducted on mussels in the Spanish pilot.
• The project designed and deployed an IoT network to monitor the conditions of food packages during delivery, ensuring that the integrity and quality of organic products are maintained throughout the supply chain. The IoT system includes sensors that monitor air temperature, humidity, and package integrity.
• The project developed a blockchain platform for secure, transparent food product tracking across the supply chain, integrated with ERP systems and supporting manual data entry for unexpected situations, enhancing supply chain transparency and efficiency.
• A mobile application was developed to control MEMS-based photonic systems, enabling on-the-spot verification of food authenticity with seamless data acquisition and secure transmission, including offline capabilities and manual data ingestion options.
• The Dynamic Digital Product Passport (dDPP) mobile application was created to provide real-time traceability and verification for organic and GI products, featuring a user-friendly interface and flexible architecture that supports various data types.
• The THEROS verification engine was developed to automate the validation of organic and GI food products' integrity, enhancing supply chain transparency and trust by processing data from various sources and issuing verification events.
• The Green Accountability Tool (GAT) was developed to assess and monitor the environmental impact of supply chain activities, integrating data from EO and MEMS systems, offering insights and recommendations for improving environmental performance.
• The Digital Marketplace was launched as an online platform connecting organic and GI food producers with consumers, leveraging IoT and blockchain technologies for real-time monitoring and enhancing product traceability and transparency.
• A robust data management and harmonization platform was implemented, integrating diverse data sources across all THEROS components, ensuring seamless communication and data exchange through a single interface, supporting efficient decision-making and system interoperability.
