Novair : IoT Based Food Freshness Tracker

Abstract

Food waste and safety issues in household and small food service environments often arise from the lack of real-time freshness monitoring in conventional refrigerators, which rely primarily on temperature control and visual inspection. To address this limitation, this paper presents Novair, an IoT-based food freshness tracking system designed to detect early signs of food spoilage and enhance storage management. The system integrates gas sensing (MQ2), RFID/NFC-based inventory tracking, and automated air circulation using DC fans and a natural deodorisation mechanism. Sensor data are processed using an Arduino Uno and ESP32, with real-time monitoring, alerts, and remote control provided through the Blynk mobile application. Experimental validation using simulated spoiled food samples demonstrated reliable gas detection, timely user notifications, effective air quality management, and accurate ingredient logging. The results indicate that Novair improves user awareness of food condition, supports proactive spoilage mitigation, and has strong potential to reduce household food waste while enhancing food safety.