Food safety, traceability and sustainability blog

RFID and Supply Chain Digitization in the New Era of Smarter Food Safety

Zebra Technologies and FoodLogiQ discuss how RFID is shaping the modernization of the food supply chain, and what food system stakeholders are doing to prepare for new regulations.

Last year, the FDA launched a new forward-looking campaign to drive long term adoption and consensus around supply chain modernization. The New Era of Smarter Food Safety initiative is a major step towards building a tech-enabled food system through incremental changes in culture, proliferation of new technologies and clarity around interoperable standards. Many of these changes will soon be codified in updates to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) section 204, which have been outlined in a proposed traceability rule published in September 2020.

Longtime partners FoodLogiQ and Zebra Technologies recently released new functionality as part of the FoodLogiQ Connect Winter Release in order to achieve a more efficient and effective food technology ecosystem. FoodLogiQ Director of Content and Growth Marketing Anna Ploegh sat down with Zebra Technologies Director of RFID Business Development Susan Flake and FoodLogiQ VP of Supply Chain Strategy and Insights Julie McGill to discuss how RFID is shaping the modernization of the food supply chain, as well as how supply chain digitization will enable food companies to better participate in the New Era.

Streamlining Product Withdrawal Resolution with FoodLogiQ's New Recall + Response Functionality

The food and beverage manufacturing industry is no stranger to the commonality of product removals and withdrawals. On the contrary, leading food manufacturers and distributors execute and respond to product removal and recall events on a frequent basis – often several times a day. In addition, research shows that recalls in the U.S. have risen over the past decade. According to a report released by the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), the total number of food recalls in the U.S. increased by 10% between 2013 and 2018. Meat and poultry incidents rose by 67% during this time frame, and Class I recalls of meat and poultry increased by 83%.

FoodLogiQ Commentary on the FDA's FSMA 204 Proposed Rule

In September 2020, the FDA released a long awaited proposed rule update to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) section 204. This week the period for public comments on the rule officially closed, marking a deadline for organizations and businesses to provide feedback and guidance on the drafted record keeping requirements. Read an abridged version of FoodLogiQ's comments on the traceability rule below.

Understanding the Global Location Number (GLN)

Supply chain transparency is often used as a blanket term for visibility into specific times, processes, people and locations that comprise essential components of a product’s journey. Technical standards have been created and iterated to codify these details, enabling businesses to exchange information that is interoperable between entities with increasing specificity and ease.

As more businesses adopt technologies to assist in digital information sharing, such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), convergence around information types and formats is imperative across industries. For the food industry, GS1 Standards have become the foundation for many aspects of identifying, capturing, and sharing data. One such standard, the Global Location Number (GLN), is essential for any food business getting their digital house in order to be ready for initiatives such as the New Era of Smarter Food Safety.

FoodLogiQ’s Winter 2021 Release: Expanding Recall + Response Functionality, Role-Based Permissions, Mobile Compatibility and Integrations

One of FoodLogiQ’s core tenets and guiding principles is our commitment to our customers. This commitment is showcased in a variety of ways and is driven by the promise to deliver the highest standards of products and services, as well as to innovate and enhance our product on a consistent basis. As part of this process, FoodLogiQ takes pride in encouraging, listening to and incorporating the thoughts and ideas of our partners. Our Winter 2021 Release would not be nearly as complete or innovative without the inclusion of those thoughts and ideas. In that spirit, we’re excited to divulge the details of this most recent release.