How to Reduce Food Waste?
Sensing CO2, Humidity and Temperature in Cold Chain Logistics
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has found that one third of all food is wasted. For fruits and vegetables it is even more tremendous as 45% of all fresh products go to waste. All this totals in a yearly loss of $85 billion in the United States alone. In addition to the loss of the food, all resources (land, water, energy) required to produce this food are lost as well. The related greenhouse emissions are so immense, that it would be the world's 3rd largest emitter if it were its own country. On top of all that, these food losses have a major impact on the food security and hunger in the world’s poorest countries. Clearly there are more than enough reasons to reduce food waste!
To achieve a reduction of food waste it is crucial to consider the entire supply chain from farm to fork. Many fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, are transported and stored in a controlled atmosphere (CA) to preserve freshness. CA parameters are carbon dioxide (CO2) as well as humidity and temperature (RH/T). The exact conditions depend a lot on the exact commodity, with typically a low temperature, high humidity and CO2 concentration somewhere between 1% and 20%. Proper monitoring and controlling of the transportation conditions allows to prevent losses by proactive action and improve the quality of the supply chain. Sensirion has just the right sensors for the job!
Sensor Solutions for Data Logging
STC31 Thermal Conductivity Sensor

Sensirion's upcoming thermal conductivity sensor STC31 is designed to enable accurate, fast and stable CO2 monitoring at the best price-performance ratio. Its ultra-low power consumption makes it the perfect match for battery-operated applications. Tape and reel packaging combined with suitability for standard SMD assembly processes make the STC31 ideal for high-volume applications.
SHTC3 Humidity and Temperature Sensor

With the industry-proven quality and reliability of Sensirion’s humidity and temperature sensors providing constant accuracy over a large measurement range, the SHTC3 offers the best price-performance ratio. Tape and reel packaging combined with suitability for standard SMD assembly processes make the SHTC3 ideal for high-volume applications.
Features
- Ultra-low power consumption
- Small QFN package: 3mm x 3.5mm x 1mm
- Typical accuracy: 1% CO2
- Fully calibrated and reflow solderable
- Power-up and measurement within 100 MS
- Supply voltage range: 2.7 - 5.5 V
- Measurement range: 0 to 100% CO2
Features
- Ultra-low power consumption
- Small DFN package: 2mm x 2mm x 0.75mm
- Typical accuracy: 2% RH and 0.2 C
- Fully calibrated and reflow solderable
- Power-up and measurement within 1 MS
- Full battery supply voltage range (1.62 - 3.6 V)
- NIST traceability
Benefits
- CMOSens® Technology enables high-volume applications due to unprecedented price-performance ratio
- Proven quality thanks to many years of experience in mass production for the automotive and medical industry
- Robust and shock-resistant design ensures no sensor drift during transport
- Ultra-low power consumption enables longer battery life and cost savings
- Easy to integrate in portable devices due to small chip-sized package
- Fully calibrated digital output with I2C interface guarantees an easy hassle-free Integration
- Cost-effective SMD assembly
Contact Us Now
Get in contact with us! If you have a project ongoing or if you have other application ideas for our STC31 thermal conductivity sensor just fill out the following contact form and we will get in contact with you soon.
Our sensor experts are very interested in supporting your project or discussing your application idea.