Where to find RFID technology in your food

Where to find RFID technology in your food
You will find RFID tags in top quality foods that ensure their traceability and authenticity thanks to the implementation of an RFID system. RFID technology brings unique benefits that barcodes cannot match.
The use of RFID technology in food is absolutely necessary due to three critical points:

1. Decrease food waste in the supply chain.
2. Strengthen the safety of food that reaches people’s table.
3. Increase process profitability and productivity.

At Trace-ID,  based on the companies needs,  we develop solutions that bring benefits to our customers. We bring the technical knowledge and experience accumulated over years.

Food waste that we can no longer sustain

In the world, 33% of food is wasted in the supply chain according to FAO data, and according to the European Commission, this figure amounts to 40% of food products before reaching the retail market.
The reasons for this food waste in the supply chain range from its production origin(11%); its transformation and packaging, largely for aesthetic reasons (18%); HORECA purchasing management  (12%); distribution and retail (5%). 5% in the distribution represents exactly 7.150 million euros lost before the product hits the market.

Food waste in the supply chain

How can RFID in food decrease this figure?

An RFID system provides the unique traceability per product without the need for a direct line of sight for data reading, this exclusive automation results in the visibility of the supply chain and logistics processes, which reduces errors, unknown-losses and out-of-stock to a minimum. While simplifying and lowering inventory management and purchasing forecasting.

If the implementation of an RFID system seems too expensive to you, it is because you have not valued the cost of everything that, in fact, you are already losing, besides what you are no longer winning. We explain it in:  Companies with RFID logistics are more competitive.

Safer food for the consumer

Food traceability is a critical point for everyone’s health and for the business economy. Our experience as developers and manufacturers of an RFID solution for companies producing Iberian hams of «bellota», has shown us that thanks to an RFID tag, the producer can control the drying point where each of the hams is located in its curing-rooms, and the final shop-keeper can have the peace of mind of having an accurate record of the traceability and authenticity of the product it sells in its shop.

The implementation of an RFID system ensures the visibility and transparency in the production and distribution of the product, optimizing not only logistics, but also production processes, food security and, also, the authenticity of the brand, so important in quality products such an Iberian ham, a reserve wine, or a premium quality liqueur that is sold in a luxury packaging.

More profitability and more productivity

Why can we say that RFID tagging is better than barcoding, and it results in greater profitability and productivity? The advantages of RFID systems translate into proven benefits.
RFID tagging has five unique advantages:

1. A unique identification number (ID) for each tagged object.
2. The reading of the label chip without the need for a direct line of sight, reaching up to 20m distance between reader and RFID tag, depending on the conditions of the environment.
3. Simultaneous reading of a large number of tags.
4. Immediate real-time inventory update across all cloud nodes.
5. More information stored on the RFID chip.

Each of these advantages translates into variable benefits according to the customer’s needs. Among the most noteworthy are:

1. Avoid the human mistakes of manual inventory work.
2. Store unique information per product on the chip.
3. Eliminate unknown losses and thefts.
4. Carry out comprehensive and real-time control of the product situation.
5. Full visibility of the supply chain.
6. Better management of e-commerce.
7. Easier to anticipate purchasing needs by analyzing the data provided before stock breakage occurs, as well as avoid buying materials that do not come out and accumulate or waste.

The benefits are many and also depend on the needs of each client.

Trace-ID helps you with whatever you need.

Main photo: by Nik’s on Unsplash.