What Benefits Can Food Safety & Supply Chain Management Industries Enjoy By Choosing RFID Technology?

Food supply chains are truly complex. Their complex nature always demands an innovative solution that will ensure safety and efficiency. One of the key drivers in this industry is RFID technology. RFID is now helping a lot in aspects like food safety inventory management, and supply chain tracking.

RFID or Radio Frequency Identification technology can use radio waves to both identify and track projects. Today, this technology is growing in several important industries. Such as food supply, retail, logistics, and more. 

Food safety is very important today. It can ensure that products are safe for consumption, with RFID, companies can monitor their products at any stage and ensure that they are safe. RFID can outperform barcodes by scanning multiple items at once. Also, these are automated. So, let’s check out how RFID in food safety is helping numerous companies.

The Need For Advanced Food Safety & Supply Chain Solutions  

Today, food safety is highly important. Hence, consumers want proper transparency in the entire procedure. Thus, companies are experiencing a growing need for advanced solutions. Such as IoT in the food supply chain, Blockchain food traceability, etc.  

Almost all consumers wish to know the main source of their foods. Also, how these foods are produced. Thus, they are trying to look for the details regarding the production of their food. Thus, the method called ‘farm-to-fork’ tracking has become very popular. With this, businesses can trace each product through every step of the supply chain. 

Moreover, food companies are now facing increasing pressure from several regulatory boards to ensure the quality and safety of their food. Agencies like FDA, EU Food Safety Standards, FSMA, etc., have become very strict regarding food safety. 

Another reason behind the increasing popularity of IoT in the food supply chain is the issues with manual tracking. All types of manual tracking methods may result in the creation of several challenges. Errors like missed scans, and data entry mistakes, can result in unwanted delays. These errors can also compromise food safety. Thus, RFID in retail food tracking has become very popular nowadays.  

How RFID Enhances Food Safety and Supply Chain Efficiency?

● Real-time Tracking

One of the vital abilities of RFID technology is that it can track food items in real-time. Each item gets a tag with an RFID chip. This can hold the value of important information about the item. Those include its source, location in the supply chain, expiry date, etc. So, when the item moves from farms to processing plants, retail stores, etc., RFID readers can easily scan them and get the data

● Automated Expiry and Batch Monitoring

As we already know, a food item has an expiration date. This can ensure the safety of the items as well as minimize waste. So, with RFID, employees can easily check out the expiry date and batch number of the item and ensure that it is safe to consume. 

Also, when an item comes near its expiration date, RFID systems can alert the workers. In this way, RFID in supply chain management and RFID for recall management can help numerous companies. 

● Instant Recall Capabilities 

Foodborne illness can bring some very serious consequences. If a contaminated item is detected, workers need to work quickly to prevent further harm. Thus, the install recall method is crucial. Traditional recall methods may take a lot of time and cannot offer good results. However, RFID in food safety can work really fast and offer the desired results. 

● Monitoring Temperature and Humidity 

Handling perishable foods requires maintenance of correct levels of temperature and humidity. Without proper maintenance, the food can become contaminated or spoilt. Here, RFID technology can help a lot by monitoring the humidity levels and temperature continuously. 

● Reduced Labor Costs and Errors 

The traditional methods of manual tracking, including barcode scanning, are not completely reliable. They often result in higher labour costs and manual errors. In this situation, RFID in inventory can help a lot. This technology can make the entire scanning procedure automated. Also, saves time by scanning multiple items at a time 

Also, RFID in supply chain management can reduce labour costs. It can track products, update inventory and generate reports automatically. Thus, companies can reduce the number of their staff and save time.

RFID vs. Barcodes: For the Food Industry Which Is Better?

Both barcodes and RFID are technologies that can identify and track objects. Barcodes depend on optical scanners to read printed codes. In contrast, RFID uses radio waves to read tags even from a distance. Here is a detailed description of RFID vs. barcode in the food industry for you:

●  Scanning Speed

RFID is very popular due to its amazing scanning speed. To be read correctly, RFID tags don’t need a direct line of sight. Also, machines can read those tags in bulk. So, while working, businesses can read multiple tags at a time and scan a big batch of items in just a few seconds. In contrast, barcodes work very slowly because they read and scan items individually.  

●  Data Capacity

RFID tags can easily read a large amount of data. You can even store and update this data in real-time. This ability of RFID technology is particularly very useful in the food industry. In contrast, barcodes have very limited data capacity. They can only store a unique identifier.

●  Durability

Usually, RFID tags are more durable than barcodes. They can work properly even in harsh weather conditions. Thus, today, RFID has become a perfect option for tracking perishable food items. However, barcodes may become smudged, or scratched, in harsh situations. Hence, it becomes impossible to scan.

●  Cost

The initial cost of implementing an RFID system is higher than barcodes. However, over time, this efficient system can save you money by helping you in many ways. Such as automating procedures, improving efficiency, removing errors, and more. In contrast, barcodes are less expensive to implement. However, as the business expands, and needs automation, this system may prove to be less efficient and more expensive.

Real-World Applications of RFID in Food Supply Chains

As mentioned earlier, RFID technology is helping numerous companies by revolutionizing food traceability technology. RFID is now helping farms and supermarkets enhance their efficiency through the processes of reducing wastage and improving food safety. We will now check out some actual situations related to how RFID is helpful in retail food tracking.

● Cold Chain Logistics

One of the most critical parts of the food supply chain is, of course, cold chain logistics. It is more important mainly for goods like dairy, meat, and frozen ones. These items are to be kept at the right temperature to ensure quality and safety. 

This is where RFID proves to be most helpful. It helps by monitoring both the humidity and temperatures of these items in real-time. RFID tags have embedded sensors that can track issues like temperature fluctuations. Thus, it can allow companies to receive insights if the goods are being exposed to harmful conditions. For example, if a frozen good warms up beyond the right temperature, the RFID system will send an alert. Hence, the team will be able to take immediate action to stop its damage

● Smart Warehouses  

In a food supply chain, warehouses play a vital role. In this situation, RFID supply chain management can help a lot. When a product moves in and out of storage, RFID scanners start by automatically updating the inventory. Thus, the technology can offer valuable, real-time data on stock levels. Thus, companies can receive alerts when stocks run low, and restock their items before they run out completely

● Retail Smart Shelves

Unavailability of the required products is the prime challenge faced by retailers. They get frustrated when they don’t get the things they need. In this case, RFID in retail food tracking can help a lot through smart shelves. 

Smart shelves have RFID readers. These can scan items automatically when they are removed. This data can help in tracking inventory levels on the shelf, as well as alert the store before the products become out of stock. This can easily improve customer satisfaction and reduce lost sales. Hence, with RFID technology, retailers can always stay on top of inventory without any manual checks.

● Livestock & Seafood Tracking 

RFID technology helps a lot in the procedure of tracking both the origin and movement of livestock and seafood. Thus, companies can easily combat illegal fishing as well as farming practices. In this case, RFID tags can help professionals monitor the health, movement and feeding patterns of an animal throughout its entire life. Hence, with the help of RFID cold chain monitoring, these companies can ensure that the animals are raised by following all the legal and ethical standards.

Restaurant Inventory Management

Almost all restaurants depend on fresh ingredients to make delicious food items. Also, it is important to manage the inventory to ensure the good condition of their products. In this case, RFID in inventory management can help a lot. 

With this technology, each ingredient can be tagged with an RFID label. Hence, when you need to replace or use an item, the RFID system will update your inventory automatically in real-time. Thus, your kitchen staff will know how much of each product is available. Thus, you can easily avoid situations like overstocking, spoilage, etc. 

Moreover, RFID technology helps a lot by reducing theft. It can help by tracking the movement of your products in and out of your kitchen. So, if any product is taken without any record, the system will alert management. Hence, you can easily identify potential issues through RFID inventory and advanced food traceability technology.  

The Future of RFID in Food Supply Chains

As you can imagine, smart inventory management RFID and other RFID technologies are already helping numerous businesses in several interesting ways. Its amazing ability to both track and manage items in real time is now helping businesses. With these advanced technologies, companies can easily improve traceability, streamline their operations, and even ensure product quality. So, let’s explore how the future of the food industry will benefit from RFID technology.  

1. AI+ RFID for predictive expiry and Demand Forecasting  

A very interesting development of RFID technology is its integration with Artificial Intelligence. Just by combining these two, companies will unlock several new opportunities and improve their food supply chain management-related tasks. For instance, with these two advanced technologies retailers and suppliers will easily manage their inventories and enjoy remarkable profits  

2. Blockchain Integration for Tamper-proof Records  

Integration of blockchain technology is another significant development in RFID technology. Blockchain is the decentralized digital ledger. It can record transactions across several companies which will make it almost impossible to tamper with important information.  

3. Expansion to SMEs as Costs Decrease  

In the future, RFID technology also help small and medium-sized companies. With the decreased costs of the RFID technology, even the small companies will be able to enjoy its benefits.  

Hence, RFID technology is now helping numerous businesses in many ways. Such as, by reducing waste, improving efficiency, eliminating errors, enhancing customer satisfaction, and more. It even ensures tamper-proof records and the quality and safety of perishable goods. Moreover, its future is also quite promising. 

Hence, to enjoy the notable benefits of smart inventory management and the safety of your goods, you can always rely on RFID supply chain management.

FAQs Related To Using RFID in Food Safety & Supply Chain Management