RFID Technology Future Trends In The Food Industry

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• Future Trends

Industry and academic research and development on RFID technology in the near future will most likely focus on:
(1) achieving 100% read rates at a speed of conventional barcode technology,
(2) improving reliability of RFID tag readers,
(3) proper integration of RFID data collection with decision support tools for extracting useful information.

Proper placement of tags on cases and pallets and proper configuration of pallets are needed to achieve 100% read rate. Currently, RFID tag readers are typically 80% to 95% reliable.

However, these readers should become 100% reliable to extract correct information from each one of the tags.

DAFTags is also researching being conducted to develop low-cost (less than 1cent) RFID tags which can be printed directly on the items to be tagged.

• Conclusions

As with any new technology, there are plenty of challenges and opportunities associated with RFID technology ( please reference Challenges In Implementation Of RFID Technology
Technical Challenges ) . Some of the main challenges in implementation of this technology include unreliability in a retail environment, read range, read accuracy, nonuniform standards, cost, and recycling issues. Consumer concern about privacy and security is also a hindrance in public acceptance of this technology.

Despite all the challenges, RFID is a promising technology with the potential to be used for a variety of applications such as supply chain management, temperature monitoring, and ensuring food safety in the food industry. Use of RFID technology can improve the efficiency and productivity by providing better inventory management to reduce out-of-stock supplies and spoilage of food products. Integration of RFID tag with sensors can provide food processors a means to monitor the temperature or quality of food products. Establishment of uniform standards and cost-effectiveness of implementing this technology could lead to widespread adoption of this technology in the food industry.