Hitachi Digital Services, the digital consultancy and technology services subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd., is partnering with OneThird, specialists in food waste prevention, to develop an innovative solution addressing the global food waste crisis. Leveraging Hitachi Digital Services’ cloud development capabilities, the collaboration has resulted in a real-time data insights platform that enhances the efficiency and flexibility of fresh produce supply chains. The solution aims to reduce significant waste—approximately 25%—while saving associated costs.

OneThird’s groundbreaking portable scanner, developed in collaboration with Hitachi Digital Services, analyzes produce on a molecular level using non-destructive, near-infrared sensing technology and AI algorithms. This technology predicts the shelf life of fresh produce by examining water, sugar, and starch content. The real-time estimated shelf-life data assists all stakeholders in making informed decisions regarding final retail destinations, reducing waste and costs.

Marco Snikkers, CEO and founder of OneThird said, “The astronomical volume of food that goes to waste each year is heartbreaking, particularly since so much is wasted in affluent countries. We’ve worked closely with Hitachi Vantara to create technology that helps to address this persistent, global challenge which directly impacts food scarcity. We are proud to have built the first cloud-based and connected product that accurately and objectively predicts the shelf life of fresh produce. The interest has been overwhelming, and we aim to accelerate the deployment of our technology globally.”

The scanning data insights empower retailers to:

1. Determine optimal distribution routes based on produce shelf life and customer specifications.
2. Redirect items to food banks or processing instead of rejection due to short shelf life.
3. Provide accurate best before and expiration dates based on actual shelf life.
4. Apply in-store discounts if produce shelf life is nearing expiration and better manage stock placement.

To help drive OneThird’s digital strategy and journey, Hitachi Vantara’s consulting services co-created the data and analytics integration platform and interfaces to interact with different external platforms in real-time.

/“Currently able to predict the shelf life of tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries and avocados, the technology will extend to a range of further produce including grapes, bananas, mangoes, and raspberries by 2024. Notably, the solution solves the ‘avocado problem,’ with shoppers no longer needing to squeeze avocadoes in-store to test for their ripeness, which can damage them,” said Roger Lvin, CEO of Hitachi Digital Services. “As the food waste crisis continues, retailers must be equipped with the insights needed to reduce food waste in a truly impactful way. It’s exciting that our data-driven solutions are playing a role in helping to achieve this. We’re proud to have collaborated with OneThird on this initiative, which not only supports sustainable practices but also has huge growth potential, as new product developments are currently in the works. We are incredibly excited to see what this solution will go on to achieve.”

The technology is already available for use across the food supply chain, and discussions are ongoing with multiple European retailers to install the technology in-store. The collaboration between Hitachi Digital Services and OneThird exemplifies Hitachi’s commitment to driving sustainability goals and follows successful initiatives with Golden Grove and Blechwarenfabrik Limburg in improving irrigation practices and reducing energy costs, respectively.