Food waste remains one of the most persistent challenges in the global food system. Millions of tons of fresh produce are discarded each year before reaching consumers, resulting in lost revenue, unnecessary resource consumption, and significant environmental impact. While waste occurs throughout the supply chain, one common factor often goes unnoticed: freshness is rarely measured in a consistent, visible, and actionable way. For retailers, distributors, and consumers, fresh

In perishable retail, profitability is often won or lost long before a customer reaches checkout. Fresh produce represents one of the highest-value categories in grocery, but it is also one of the most difficult to manage. Retailers must balance inventory levels, maintain quality standards, reduce waste, and meet customer expectations—all while operating within narrow margins. Yet many produce operations still rely on limited visibility into the actual condition of inventory.

Perishable products are among the most valuable categories in retail—and among the most challenging to manage. Fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, seafood, and other perishables drive customer traffic, influence brand perception, and contribute significantly to revenue. Yet they also carry higher operational risk due to spoilage, waste, and quality variability. For decades, retailers have approached perishables as a balancing act between inventory availability and