RFID Technology for the Food Industry

food warehouseIn the food industry, businesses from cafeterias and grocery stores to large preparation and warehouse facilities have to contend with two major issues: Contamination and spoilage, both of which cut into expenses and could risk your reputation.

As one solution to combat both, RFID technology offers multiple benefits when added to cartons, bottles, and other containers. The tags have potential to monitor temperature and spoilage and reduce fraud, providing data in an instant when scanned. Part of what’s being considered a “smart packing” trend, RFID assists with:

Efficient Tracking

When it comes to monitoring food, RFID tags provide a tracking ID for the location the item was produced and a time and date stamp that can indicate whether it has expired or is close to expiring. In turn, a scan reveals where this item is in your store, restaurant, or warehouse, how much is available, and if it’s still fresh to use, resulting in more efficient product usage and less spoilage.

Compliance and Safety

Along the same lines as the point mentioned above, food distributors and restaurants need to address two distinct requests. One, consumers are constantly looking out for safe, authentic products. Data from an RFID tag can provide information about where and how the product was manufactured, and if it’s safe to sell.

Secondly, food manufacturers have to maintain certain standards for cleanliness, composition, and safety, and that often involves how food is stored. Data from tags can indicate if a large portion of a facility’s product regularly spoils quickly, can’t be sold, or isn’t safe for consumers.

Inventory Management

Because nearly all foods have a timestamp signaling when it can no longer be served or sold, RFID data:

  • Helps monitor inventory to reduce losses. As workers aren’t scanning individual barcodes, you can use RFID technology to know what your facility has and where it can be found in seconds.
  • Assists with eliminating delivery delays to customers.
  • Helps reduce food spoilage by determining when a product has gone by its freshness date.
  • Allows you to organize your product or merchandise for effective production and delivery

 

Think RFID technology might benefit your restaurant, grocery store, or food distribution facility? Start implementing a solution with Gateway RFID Solutions. To learn more about what we can do, contact our team today.