Digital interoperability and transformation using Industry 4.0 technologies in the dairy industry: An SLR and bibliometric analysis

Background: The dairy industry has seen an incremental increase in technology adoption in the past few years. Adopting cutting-edge technologies is regarded as more feasible than continuing with traditional practices. This review explores the evolution and interventions of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Industry 4.0 in the dairy industry through a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis. Methods: The Web of Science database was used for bibliometric analysis from 1999 to 2022 related to the role of technology in the dairy industry. Analysis shows the tremendous growth in technology adoption after 2015, including Industry 4.0, blockchain, and traceability, which have recently emerged in the dairy industry. Results: The findings suggest that traceability, data management, environmental impacts, and dairy supply chain operations need further exploration. A technological intervention wheel has been generated based on findings from the dairy sector. The current analysis demonstrates that such a bibliometric analysis and a systematic study were previously missing in the dairy industry, especially in a technological context. Conclusions: This review paves the way for future research on emerging technologies such as traceability, blockchain, and Industry 4.0 in the dairy industry. The impacts of technological intervention on the circular economy and sustainable practices in the dairy industry is a potential area of future research.