SNIFFER · Sensory devices network for food supply chain security

Project SNIFFER envisions the design and development of a network of distributed detectiondevices, capable of rapid, on-site detection of multiple kinds of agents and CBR agents with highsensitivity and specificity throughout the most vulnerable stages of the food supply chain (such asfarms, large collection centers, wholesalers, etc…). The project will address both available sensortechnology and new, complementary sensor devices that shall be used for the detection ofhazardous CBR agents within the food supply chain. The sensor devices to be developed arecharacterized by their portability, easiness to use and reusability. Another important feature of thenew device will be its modular design, i.e. the device is formed by several independent modules(sensors, communication device, on-board computing, etc), combined through generalized andstandardized connections. The network of sensor devices will be designed as a centralizedarchitecture, in which all the data from the devices will be sent to a command center. An operatorof the SNIFFER system will also have the ability to remotely control and command the sensordevices using a specific interface from the command center.Project SNIFFER will also envision the creation of a set of guidelines, which presents thecountermeasures and procedures that shall be used within the European Union whenever a food or feed borne incident is detected within the food supply chain. The guidebook will provide help tothe appropriate entities in employing the corrective counter-measures in order to mitigate, restrain or ultimately eradicate the hazardous agent. The aforementioned objectives of the project will bedirected to achieve the final goal of providing means of countermeasure to mitigate a possibleincident of CBR health hazardous agents in the food supply chain and to increase the securitywithin all the steps that constitute the food supply chain.