In the poultry industry, maintaining traceability from farm to fork is crucial for various reasons. A new form of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology promises to enhance this traceability, offering improved accuracy and efficiency.
Traceability plays a vital role in ensuring food safety, especially in cases of foodborne illnesses. It also helps in monitoring efficiency and complying with regulations. Moreover, an increasing number of consumers are interested in understanding the journey of their food, from how it’s raised to how it’s processed, making traceability even more valuable.
According to Megan Brewster, VP of Advanced Technology at Impinj, this new RFID technology, known as RAIN RFID, provides visibility into individual items. This capability is particularly beneficial in managing urgent issues like recalls within food systems.
Furthermore, RAIN RFID facilitates better traceability, reducing the risk of perishable goods expiring and enabling more sophisticated inventory techniques such as first in, first out.
Both RFID and RAIN RFID utilize radio waves to locate and identify objects equipped with RFID chips and readers. However, there are significant differences between the two technologies.
UHF RFID chips, used in RAIN RFID, do not require a dedicated power source; instead, they are powered by the reader. They can identify and locate items without line-of-sight, process up to 1,000 items per second, and read items up to 10 meters away.
One key distinction is that UHF RFID data is automatically transmitted to the cloud via the Internet of Things (IoT). The term “RAIN” (Radio frequency IdentificatioN) reflects this connection between RFID and the cloud.
According to industry expert Bowman, the trend in the food supply chain is towards tagging individual items, cases, boxes, and pallets. This direction indicates the growing importance of traceability and the adoption of advanced RFID technologies for better visibility and control throughout the supply chain.
