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This review (open access) examines state-of-the-art technologies developed to support traceability and anti-counterfeiting in agri-food supply chains, considering their application across the full spectrum of stakeholders. It includes sections on

• AI and Internet-of-Things
• Barcode, Non-electronic approaches, and molecular traceability
• RFiD and Near Field Communication tags
• Distributive ledgers

To provide a system-level perspective, the review adopts a five-layer socio-technical traceability and anti-counterfeiting framework, comprising identity, sensing, intelligence, integrity, and interaction layers, which is used to map enabling technologies and reinterpret the evolution of traceability systems as a progression of functional capabilities rather than isolated technological upgrades. Using this framework, the review analyzes the advantages and limitations of current solutions and clarifies how traceability and anti-counterfeiting functions emerge through technology integration. It further identifies gaps that hinder large-scale and equitable adoption. Finally, future research directions are outlined to address current technical, economic, and governance challenges and to guide the development of more resilient, trustworthy, and sustainable agri-food traceability systems.

This review (open access) covers food fraud in a wider context, including macro-economic motivation and opportunities for fraud.  The review has a particular focus on the Halal food sector within Islamic countries and communities.  After a discussion of modern “big data” analytical methods, such as spectroscopy and sequencing, it goes on to discuss point-of-use and real time testing approaches, sensors and internet-of-things, and predictive modelling  It concludes with the challenges in scaling some of these approaches, including inter-operability and data sharing, and makes a number of recommendations for capacity building in this field.  The authors propose a systems-level roadmap to bridge scientific innovation with regulatory and industrial application.

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