Packaging
METRO GROUP IMPLEMENTS UPM RAFLATAC RFID TAGS IN FROZEN FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN
Friday 21. August 2009 - METRO Group, one of worlds largest and most international retail companies, is using RFID products from UPM Raflatac in an RFID pilot project at a distribution centre for frozen foods in Hamm, Germany.
METRO Group uses RFID to automate data collection related to the receipt and storage of goods and also to track inventory. The company places RFID tags on pallets and in locations where the pallets are stored, while interrogators are installed on forklifts and at the gates to the distribution centre. It is essential to guarantee the integrity of the cold chain through close monitoring, as this is the only way to secure the quality of the goods sold.
RFID provides an effective solution for managing the frozen food supply chain. The supply chain for goods such as frozen fish, meat, vegetables and ice-cream has to be tightly controlled from source to retailer.
“RFID is the only Auto ID technology able to provide robustness and user-friendliness in this tough working environment. Unlike bar codes, RFID doesnt require visual contact with the label through a frosted surface,” explains Mr Mikko Nikkanen, Business Development Director, UPM Raflatac, RFID.
UPM Raflatacs new Dogbone Freeze product is specially designed for applications requiring functionality in operating temperatures down to -40 C/F degrees.