Digital Transformation and Sustainability in Perishable Product Logistics: Emerging Themes and Future Directions in the Industry 5.0 Context Through a Systematic Literature Review

Sustainable logistics for perishable products has received heightened attention, as evidenced by an expanding corpus of academic research. Aligning with this international perspective, the current study provides a comprehensive assessment of the research landscape, identifying cutting-edge developments and emerging trends in sustainable logistics for perishable products in the context of the transition from Industry 4.0 toward Industry 5.0. Utilizing the Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, a systematic review is conducted on 104 peer-reviewed articles sourced from the Scopus and Web of Science databases, published between 2021 and 2025. Based on an in-depth examination of seven key research themes, various research directions are suggested to guide future investigations. The observations and conclusions drawn from this analysis aim to establish a solid foundation for advancing knowledge on digitalized and sustainable logistics for perishable goods.