RFID for product safety and security

Traceability of food products plays a vital role in ensuring food safety and security. Tracking the food products throughout the supply chain is necessary.
Right from the ingredient suppliers through food manufacturing plants to the distribution and retail to the final consumer, food products need to be tracked.

Traceability improves reliablility and safety of food products. In the event of food related contanimation, the source of the problem has to be traced and tracked back to manufacturer or the ingredient suppliers in a small period of time.

RFID Or Radio Frequency Identification are used to track products throughout the supply chain. Using radio waves, these radio frequency (RF) tags help identify and track products. Just like any other product, RFID helps track food products too.
It offers higher security as products move through the supply chain.

ISO recently released a new standard ISO 17367:2009 for the use of RFID for supply chain applications. Using the RFID technology, the standard aims to provide higher level of product security worldwide enabling efficient exchange of goods in international trade. This standard can be applied in several industry sectors using RFID technology.

Food Quality and Safety go hand in hand

The food and beverage industry has to deliver high quality product that satisfy the consumer needs like any other industry. In addition the food and beverage industry has to comply with the safety and regulatory requirements. Food safety and regulatory compliance are some of the key elements that food and beverage manufacturers track to prevent non compliance issues or recalls.

High quality of the food products in manufacturing plants usually results in high safety. Manufacturing plants that pay close attention to quality of the food products they make typically comply with the safety and regulatory requirements too.
Such plants will typically monitor the food products for regulatory compliance.
Regulatory checks like MAV or net weight/volume of the food products are monitored in real time. Actions are initiated as soon as violations are uncovered.

Let's think about it in using a simulation food plant X that makes ice cream.
Company X is operating at small rejection levels or high quality in production. They conduct the metal detection and other safety checks as part of their routine checks everyday.
Regulatory checks for MAV and net weight violations are tracked and controlled using automated systems.
Mistake proofing is in place using poka yoke devices. There are poka yokes that check box labels, match the box to the correct lid, check ingredients among many other checks.
Poka yoke devices themselves are regularly validated for accuracy.
Everyone in the plant considers quality and safety to be their responsibility.
Ice cream from this plant is high quality which is good for the company and safe for consumers which ultimately results in customer satisfaction.

Safe Quality food program from SQFI (Safe Quality Food Institute) is a food safety program. This program has different levels that start with basic food safety going through certified HACCP food safety plans finally requiring implementation of a comprehensive Quality Management System. Food safety is the primary focus of this program and quality being the secondary requirement. Even though food quality comes after safety, it plays an important role. Safe food products will usually have high quality in the manufacturing plants.

So much information, so little time!

Consumers shopping for food are busy and have very little time to read through all the information on food labels. Most consumers look for the best deal and quickly look at symbols before they purchase food products. Very few take the time to read nutrition facts or ingredient information on labels. Many consumers even misinterpret the symbols used on food products.

Food labels that use words like “organic”, “all natural” imply that the food is healthy. There is a lot of debate on the two terms natural and organic. Is natural the same as organic? Different? Is organic better than natural food? Does natural imply that there are no artificial ingredients or has minimum/no processing?

This leaves the poor consumer wondering how to make sense of these labels on food packages. Some even think if they made the right choice while shopping for food items. The consumer can always turn to the food and drug administration (FDA) for assistance.
FDA has provided food labeling guidelines and the requirements for claiming the food to be ‘healthy’ (please see N49 on this page).

Food labels: Informing or misinforming consumers?

It is over the news since 20th October '09 that "The FDA is warning food manufacturers about false claims on food labels that may mislead consumers". Food manufacturers are touting their products for healthy or smart choices using all kinds of colorful logos, symbols to attract consumers.
Even though the primary purpose of these labels is to communicate health related information. Many food companies are using it as a marketing tool.

Labels like American Heart Association's heart shaped logo, Smart Choices check mark and many others appear on the front of food packages that contain large amount of sugar, salt and other ingredients that may be unhealthy.

Busy consumers shop for groceries by looking at the signs and symbols that indicate the food is healthy. Many consumers may not read the ingredients on the package before deciding to purchase the product. As rightly said "the devil is in the details", ingredients, nutritional information from the label would give the consumers better idea about the quality of food inside the package. It pays to take the time to read the label information.
FDA has warned consumers to read food labels before buying food products.

So the next time you go grocery shopping, plan to spend some extra time in the food aisles to look at those labels on food packages before buying them!