Characterization of storage-induced quality deterioration in Rambak crackers and development of an IoT-based humidity-responsive smart container

Rambak crackers made from cowhide hold significant social, cultural, and economic value. However, their hygroscopic nature makes them highly susceptible to quality deterioration during storage. This study aimed to investigate the quality deterioration of rambak during storage and design an IoT-based smart container capable of detecting and informing consumers about cracker quality in real time. Samples were stored at various equilibrium relative humidity levels ranging from 11 to 91% to determine their moisture sorption isotherm profile. The equilibrium relative humidity values of 45 and 56% were identified as critical thresholds for quality deterioration, corresponding to near-sogginess and sogginess, respectively from sensory triangle test results. These phenomena were further characterized using texture analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The smart container was developed using a DHT22 humidity sensor, ESP32 microcontroller, LCD display, Arduino IDE, and Blynk server. It successfully detected cracker quality and issued notifications when equilibrium relative humidity exceeded the critical limits. The IoT-integrated smart container demonstrates strong potential to enhance operational efficiency, monitoring accuracy, and data accessibility, thereby supporting effective product quality control.