Tracking and tracing food and beverage goods

With so many food safety issues to worry about tracking and tracing in the food and beverage sectors is becoming increasingly more important. At the same time, with foodstuffs moving across the globe, it is becoming more and more difficult to accurately track them. There is a solution that can help eliminate these difficulties though - a form of automated data collection called radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.

The biggest difference between RFID and other automatic and manual data collection techniques for those operating in the food and beverage industry is the technology’s ability to recognise multiple items simultaneously, regardless of orientation.

That means RFID systems can be largely automated, reducing the need for manual scanning. Therefore, RFID is advantageous in operations that require labour-intensive data collection or where it is difficult to guarantee line of sight between the object and the reader.

RFID tags can also be updated and can hold much more data than linear bar codes traditionally used for item and shipment identification. These differences can provide advantages in operations where faster processing or more information is desirable.

Successful RFID implementations enhance data collection and processing applications in the food and beverage industry rather than replacing them, and require careful planning to produce the desired impact. Bar code is and will remain the easiest and least expensive method to identify individual consumer goods and bar coding is not disappearing as RFID use grows. RFID creates options for capturing and communicating information. A well-thought-out infrastructure allows you to take advantage of RFID while keeping other data collection and communications options open. In some cases the combination of RFID, bar coding and voice/speech may be the best approach. Flexible equipment such as RFID readers capable of processing tags with different frequencies and mobile computers that can be upgraded to support RFID are excellent tools for creating a flexible infrastructure.

Returnable container tracking

By tracking pallets, totes and other containers with RFID, and building a record of what is stored in the container, users can have full visibility into inventory levels and locations. With visibility and control, retailers can easily locate items within distribution centres necessary to fill orders and fulfil rush orders without incurring undue managerial or labour time.

By adding tag interrogators, a fruit or vegetable grower, for example, can track loads of produce to a specific retailer to help speed payment, or a retailer can make sure the first produce into the system is the first to go on the shelves.

Inventory control

The main benefits to using RFID in the supply chain come from improved inventory tracking, especially when the technology’s capabilities are used to collect information and provide visibility in environments where tracking was not done before. Retailers, wholesalers, distributors, logistics providers and manufacturers can all use RFID for inventory applications, and in carefully planned systems may share the same tags to reduce implementation costs.

This is made even easier thanks to the development of Gen2 RFID tags, which can be read by any reader, regardless of whether or not the same company manufactured the tag and the reader. RFID can remove blind spots from inventory and supply chain operations due to its ability to be read through packaging and its ability to withstand exposure to heat and moisture, for example.

Shipping and receiving

The same tags used to identify work-in-process or finished goods inventory could also trigger automated shipment tracking applications. Items, cases or pallets with RFID tags could be read as they are assembled into a complete customer order or shipment. The individual readings could be used to automatically produce a shipment manifest, which could be printed in a document, recorded automatically in the shipping system, encoded in an RFID tag, printed in a 2D bar code on the shipping label, or any combination.

The new RFID application could be very effectively integrated into existing business processes because it takes advantage of data structures that are already supported in enterprise databases and software applications.

Recall management

Food and beverage traders can take advantage of automated reading and group selection functionality to quickly identify and locate products affected by a recall. Using RFID to automatically capture serial numbers or lot codes on cartons processed at distribution centres and received in retail environments provides a new level of traceability without requiring time-consuming manual data collection. By accurately and efficiently capturing lot codes, retailers could target their recalls so unaffected products would not have to be pulled from stores.

Processed meat trial

RFID has already been implemented by a number of food and beverage industry players, and many more are currently trialling systems. One company doing so is a major European producer of processed meat products. With dozens of production facilities and thousands of retail outlets to service, tracking and tracing through the supply chain was very difficult under their previous bar code-based system. This was compounded by the fact that each container needs to be deep cleaned before use, and the bar code labels wash off easily.

The company decided to pilot an RFID program, using high-durability tags that can withstand moisture and extreme temperatures. The system integrated easily with the existing warehouse management and supply chain monitoring systems, and initially is being used to track all containers.

Results were promising, and have enabled the company to maintain historical data on every shipment all the way back to the livestock farmer. Looking forward, the company is considering plans to place RFID tags on every piece of livestock, meaning it will be possible to know the entire genealogy of the slice of ham someone uses for a sandwich, including the pig’s parents, grandparents and so forth.

The RFID system is already saving a great deal of time and money, thanks to being able to more rapidly register shipments without manual scanning. Additionally, it makes complying with food handling regulations much simpler. And should this particular company ever be involved in an avian flu scare, it will be easy to identify where the outbreak originated, increasing the likelihood of containment.

There are many excellent opportunities to benefit from RFID right now. Careful planning will yield a system that provides immediate benefits and long-term competitive and total cost of ownership advantages, in addition to assistance in complying with government regulations. As more and more companies begin implementing RFID systems, the advantages are going to continue to increase as supply chain visibility literally from raw materials production to end user is achieved.

Written by Tony Repaci, Managing Director - Australia and New Zealand, Intermec Technologies