Posts Tagged ‘food’
Will RFID tags be the traceability solution after all?
Did you happen to see reference to the traceability study in Europe that used RFID tags to track produce? The Financial Times from Jan. 26 covered the issue.
The crux of the FT coverage looked at the possibility that RFID, disappointing so far in their transformational effect on the supply chain, will have better effect in the future supply chain. The concept of “shared supply chains” will take on more weight, as shared logistic increase transportation efficiency and somehow minimize the carbon footprint, said sources quoted in the story..
For fresh produce, the story refers to the Vers Schakel project, which looked at the benefits of using RFID tags on lettuce containers to track the produce through the supply chain.
Food Traceability: The Missing Ingredient from Your Supply Chain
Over the past few years, security precautions have been put in place to protect this country from domestic and international terrorists, health-related outbreaks, and even financial shenanigans among others. In spite of that, however, the most important pipeline-the food supply-has mostly been ignored and even neglected. The European Union has had food traceability regulations in place since 2005 with the U.S. taking a less than direct approach with voluntary, mostly arbitrary programs. With the U.S. Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 (HR 2749) having already passed the House and a similar Senate version (S510) on the fast track, mandated system-wide traceability is coming. While food safety may be the catalyst, the benefits extend beyond food safety and into the supply chain by increasing visibility, and potentially long-term profitability.
Lavazza Uses RFID to Track Packaging Materials, Boosting Efficiency
Italian coffee producer Lavazza and its packaging supplier, Goglio Cofibox, have implemented a radio frequency identification system that automates the replenishment of reels of packaging materials used to create Lavazza’s products, and to improve those materials’ traceability.
According to the two companies, the system—which employs EPC Gen 2 passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID tags—enables just-in-time delivery of reels of printed packaging materials manufactured by Goglio Cofibox in Cadorago (near Como, Italy), and an automated process for receiving the reels at Lavazza’s facility near Turin. The technology has reduced Lavazza’s inventory of packaging, as well as the space required to store it, and provides the coffee company with real-time visibility of stock levels, says Fabio Marzorati, an industrial engineer at Goglio Cofibox who works in product development. Marzorati and Antonio Rizzi, the director of the University of Parma’s RFID Lab, presented the Lavazza project results at October’s RFID Journal LIVE! Europe 2009 conference, held near Frankfurt, Germany. The RFID Lab, Rizzi says, engineered the solution and carried out tests to assess the technology’s benefits.
Fish traceability system offers safety model
In response to wide-spread public concerns about the safety of food products, many industrialized nations have begun imposing stringent measures to safeguard the health of their citizens. For Taiwan, this means that its food product exporters will need to quickly come up with a way of proving that their goods meet these tough standards.
Case Study: RFID Solution From Motorola And Epsilia Delivers Precise Traceability And Increased Revenue For Agribusiness Leaderlevinoff-Colbex S.E.C.
Food safety is paramount at Levinoff-Colbex S.E.C and the company aims to be at the forefront of technological innovation in agribusiness to maintain its levels of excellence. As cases of animal disease and potential contamination became news across the food industry in recent years, Levinoff-Colbex S.E.C planned to upgrade and transform its processing facility in order to help ensure food safety and efficiency.
Traceability was a critical goal. In the event of any problem, Levinoff-Colbex S.E.C wanted a reliable system that would enable the company to quickly identify all affected products no matter where they were—whether still in the processing plant, in transit, or at a customer distribution center or food store. Some international markets require certifications that Levinoff-Colbex could not meet without updating its tracking system.
Institute calls for traceability modernization
The Institute of Food Technologists has recommended the Food and Drug Administration to require food suppliers keep electronic data of traceback information at least two years and that information be available to the agency within 24 hours after requested.
Those are two of the detailed recommendations the FDA should take to improve tracking food in commercial distribution in the U.S., according to an institute report.
Food Traceability: The Missing Ingredient from Your Supply Chain
Over the past few years, security precautions have been put in place to protect this country from domestic and international terrorists, health-related outbreaks, and even financial shenanigans among others. In spite of that, however, the most important pipeline-the food supply-has mostly been ignored and even neglected. The European Union has had food traceability regulations in place since 2005 with the U.S. taking a less than direct approach with voluntary, mostly arbitrary programs. With the U.S. Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 (HR 2749) having already passed the House and a similar Senate version (S510) on the fast track, mandated system-wide traceability is coming. While food safety may be the catalyst, the benefits extend beyond food safety and into the supply chain by increasing visibility, and potentially long-term profitability.
‘Radical rethink’ needed on food
A “radical rethink” of how the UK produces and consumes its food is needed, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has warned.
He was speaking at the launch of the government’s assessment of the threats to the security of what we eat.
The food supply was currently secure but population growth and climate change could have an impact, he warned.
Producers, supermarkets and consumers have been invited to suggest how a secure food system should look in 2030.
Some of the findings from the consultation are expected to be published in the autumn.
via bbc.co.uk