In this context, OnFoods’ Spoke 2—"Smart and Circular Food System and Distribution"—aims to enhance the sustainability of food systems through circular economy principles and the development of intelligent logistics systems. Among the initiatives within Spoke 2, the DISCO project (Digital and cyber-physical twins framework for food and packaging supply chain waste control and optimization) directly tackles the challenges related to food logistics and quality control during transport.

Coordinated by the University of Bologna, DISCO is developing digital and physical twins for designing, managing, and controlling food and packaging waste across the agri-food supply chain, focusing on the foodservice supply chain. As Michele Ronzoni, research fellow at the University of Bologna’s Department of Industrial Engineering, explains:

"You don’t know how your product suffers—organoleptically speaking—as it goes through different climates, humidity levels, and shocks like vibrations. You don’t know how it arrives at the final customer. This lack of visibility is especially critical, considering many perishable goods travel unrefrigerated unless required by law, because they have low profit margins, thus facing extreme temperatures from -20°C to +70°C for hours, with negative consequences on quality."

To address this problem, DISCO’s researchers are working on several fronts.

One strength of a technological approach to logistics is access to large volumes of data. However, this can also become a limitation if systems can’t manage it. Therefore, the team first developed a smart data structure capable of handling Big Data from various sensors.

They created registers to track temperature, humidity, and vibrations to address the lack of transport protocols for food handling. This was achieved through real-time smart sensors, especially for intercontinental shipments, with consumable GPS-enabled sensors, and lower-cost models retrieved post-shipment for ex-post analysis.

The standout feature of the DISCO project is the creation of a cyber-physical twin, a device capable of faithfully replicating the conditions experienced by a product in the real world. This simulator, unique in the agri-food industrial context, consists of a mechanical structure that reproduces typical multimodal transport vibrations and is paired with a climatic chamber that accurately mimics humidity and temperature profiles. As Ronzoni highlights:

"We’re now able to replicate temperature, humidity, and vibrations—factors that directly influence a product’s organoleptic quality."

Alongside this, a digital twin was developed to collect data from measurement instruments and monitor agri-food shipments in real-time through simulations. Combined, the digital and cyber-physical twins enable fast-track testing and comprehensive simulations.

But DISCO goes beyond monitoring and simulation. Its ultimate goal is to deliver practical solutions to reduce waste through mathematical modelling of agri-food supply chains. As Ronzoni explains:

"Modelling helps you find practical solutions, like identifying the best packaging configuration to minimize packaging waste in your supply chain. This is crucial, since 48% of waste comes from primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging."

DISCO is part of a broader set of initiatives under Spoke 2 that aim to improve logistics and sustainability in the food sector. Other projects, such as URBSOL-DISTR (New local and urban logistics solutions for the distribution of food products), focus on developing innovative solutions for local and urban logistics, such as hubs, refrigerated parcel lockers for last-mile delivery, and digital platforms for local food markets. The goal is to reduce waste and improve sustainability in urban food distribution.

Additional work packages within Spoke 2 are dedicated to new technologies for recovering and reducing food waste. With its strong focus on logistics and monitoring, DISCO complements these activities by providing data and tools to assess the impact of different solutions across the entire food supply chain. The collaboration between Spoke projects, as Ronzoni notes, fosters

"A horizontal exchange of knowledge that allows us to be vertical in many areas."

DISCO represents a major step forward for smarter, more sustainable food logistics. By leveraging digital and physical twins, the project aims to deepen understanding of the dynamics that influence food quality during transport and to develop concrete solutions to cut waste and optimize packaging. 

Its integration with other Spoke 2 projects and industry players enables a multidisciplinary approach to food logistics challenges, advancing the sustainability and circularity goals promoted by OnFoods. The urgent need for effective protocols and greater supply chain transparency finds a real answer in the DISCO project, paving the way for a future where food products reach consumers with their quality intact and a reduced environmental footprint.