Food Cold Chain Logistics and Social Sustainability: A Bibliometric Analysis

Cold food chain logistics plays an important social role in maintaining the quality and safety of perishable products and ensuring the sustainability of supply chains. The purpose of the study is to identify the dynamics of development, thematic structure, and promising areas of scientific research in the field of logistics and management of the cold food chain. The research methodology is based on a systematic bibliographic, bibliometric, and substantive analysis of scientific publications. The initial dataset included 936 publications presented in the Dimensions database for 2002-2024; after thematic selection, 250 papers were selected for in-depth analysis. Data processing was carried out using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny programs and included an analysis of publication dynamics. The results showed that the average annual increase in the number of publications was 9-11%, with 38.6% of the papers published in 2021-2024. Authors from 32 countries participated in the research; China accounted for 25% of the publications, India and the USA – 6.5% each, Italy and the UK – 5% each. Ten leading sources provided about 39% of the publications presented in 58 scientific journals and collections. The subject structure was dominated by engineering sciences (20%), business and management (15%), computer science (13%) and decision sciences (10%). Seven main thematic areas are highlighted: temperature control, sustainable development, food safety, technological innovation, digitalization, socio-economic sustainability and infrastructure development. The results systematize the current state of research and can be used to develop digital, technological, and management solutions for the sustainable development of cold chains.

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