3 Ways Food Businesses Can Utilise RFID Tool Tracking
RFID technology shines when it comes to providing a transparent supply chain of both products and people, capable of tracking and identifying the movements, trends, and related information. As such, due to the high-risk environment of the food industry, in which different groups of people handle raw materials and products, it should come as no surprise that RFID tool tracking system can be useful in helping food and beverage businesses to manage their inventory in a more safe and secure environment.
Before RFID became the go-to choice for many businesses across various industries, it was common for companies to turn towards barcode scanning to monitor their products. However, this method has several flaws, such as being labour-intensive as employees are required to scan each product individually, being unable to read or write, and not able to provide real-time updates. On the other hand, RFID tool tracking is comparably easier to use and provides more accurate data, which is highly important for managing manufactured food and raw materials.
It’s a known fact that food and beverage businesses can use RFID tool tracking to enforce food safety, but are there other ways RFID technology can help these businesses operate more efficiently and in a more streamlined manner?
Read on to find out how RFID tool tracking can be used in the food industry.
1. Keeping track of temperature
Frozen food, in particular, has to be stored at a specific temperature to not only preserve food quality but also prevent bacteria from growing. Failure to do so can lead to dire consequences, like food poisoning and illnesses. Therefore, proper food storage is one of the crucial food safety practices that all food businesses should adhere to as it deals with health and hygiene.
What’s great about the RFID tracking tool is that aside from monitoring the shelf life of each product, the device can read the temperature of the environment the product is stored in and give an estimated expiration date. This data is eventually transmitted to the reader, which owners and employees can use to ensure all products are in compliance to their regulations to maintain freshness.
2. Managing supply chain
These days, people are becoming more and more conscious of how their food is produced and where their food comes from. Others may also be more cautious in only consuming environmentally sourced food, so having transparent access to the supply chain is of utmost importance to them. In such cases, food businesses should aim to carry out a traceability procedure to allow consumers to be assured and satisfied with their purchases.
RFID tool tracking can help food businesses in this specific area. Since the tool obtains, transmits, and communicates critical product data, both the company and its consumers can receive accurate and in-depth information about their food. From the crop variety and weather conditions to transportation and labour, RFID tool tracking can increase the visibility of the food supply chain.
3. Preventing inventory surplus
Food wastage is one of the most significant issues society is facing today. While consumers adopt a more sustainable diet, food businesses can also play their part by not over-stocking their inventory. Some businesses may purchase more stock than necessary, leading to an inventory surplus if the amount of products exceeds the demand. Food and raw materials are more temperature and time-sensitive than other goods, so food businesses may have to dispose their inventory due to low demand.
To address this issue, businesses can use RFID asset tracking systems to align their inventory with the demand. This is accomplished by analysing the trends and suggesting the appropriate number of stocks. Along with providing real-time temperature readings, food businesses now no longer have to stress about inventory management.
Conclusion
Ever since the pandemic, consumers have been leaning increasingly toward food and beverage businesses that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly in their manufacturing process. In other words, the food supply chain should be transparent and easily accessible to consumers, allowing them to make more informed decisions about the food they consume or purchase.
This process has never been easier for both businesses and consumers with RFID technology. The various features of the RFID tool tracking enable both parties to receive and inspect important information about each food item.
