A RFID web-based infotracing system for the artisanal Italian cheese quality traceability

The aim of this study is the integration of an electronic tracing system with a non-destructive quality analysis system for single product of a typical Italian cheese, prepared with buffalo milk and called “Caciottina massaggiata di Amaseno”, a typical diary product of Lazio Region. The tracing and quality information are combined on a web platform to obtain a complete procedure to develop what we define as an “infotracing system”. Quality analyses (chemical, sensorial and spectrophotometric) were carried out on a total of 23 cheese wheels (8 with TAGs) and for three cheese maturation classes (3, 6 or 9 months after production). Two typologies of RFID tags were tested. Results were screened by Partial Least Squares regressions (PLS) on reflectance values for the prediction of chemical content, while classification of cheese maturation classes (3, 6 or 9 months) was carried out by Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLSDA) on reflectance values. The RFID system turned out as effective, reliable and compatible with the production process tool. A good estimation of maturation degree by spectral and chemical analysis was obtained. Moreover an infotracing web-based system was designed to acquire and link basic information that can be made available to the final consumer or to different food chain actors before or after purchasing, using the RFID code to identify the single and specific cheese product. The projected web-based tracing system could improve the products commerce by increasing the information transparency for the consumer.