Food quality is one of the most important aspects of modern living, and the basis for wellness around the world.
Wherever one looks, food production aims at increasing product safety along every processing stage, knowledge about raw materials is continually expanding and technology in food production is ever advancing. The ongoing discussion concerning bird flu is a good example of the importance of food safety and wholesomeness over all other factors. Consumers need to be informed and convinced of a food’s quality, and producers are aware that consumers want evermore information about the origins and production processes of the food they buy.
Revolution with RFID technology
The handling of raw material is extremely important to a finished product’s quality, and it is exactly this production stage that Icelandic company Sæplast serves: for over 20 years, it has become well known worldwide as a manufacturer of high-quality plastic tubs for the food industry, particularly in fisheries. The ongoing development of Sæplast tubs has always focused on maintaining the quality of raw materials before it enters processing.
The newest addition in the battle to ensure freshness is RFID technology (Radio Frequency Identification), whereby microchips (RFID tags) are embedded in tub walls. The microchips work as an ID number for the tubs in information systems (IT systems) such as WiseFish (total software solutions for fisheries companies), and data regarding contents are registered. It is also possible to record and store data about contents in the chip itself. This technology makes it much easier to maintain traceability information about raw materials and products.
Sæplast has been developing this solution for several years in cooperation with the Icelandic Fisheries Laboratories, FISK Seafood Ltd., and the specialist technology company TM Software/Maritech. This work has resulted in a system of great benefit to food producers. The solution has been demonstrated at exhibitions that Sæplast has participated in, and Sæplast received the award for most interesting innovation at the Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition in the fall of 2005. The RFID solution, however, was not specially developed for the fisheries industry, but rather for all food producers utilising Sæplast tubs.
R&D with Icelandic fisheries
Sæplast was founded about 20 years ago and has developed and grown in line with rapid advances in Iceland’s fisheries industry. It is undisputed that Icelandic marine products are known worldwide for quality – quality that Icelandic producers would not have attained without enforcing strict raw material and handling requirements at every production stage. Initially, Sæplast emphasised manufacturing rotational moulded tubs insulated with polyurethane (PUR), which proved very successful since good insulation is critical in product handling. The company then developed a tub insulated with polyethylene (MPC) that is even stronger and has significant insulation properties.
Sæplast tubs quickly became predominant in fish processing on land and later onboard vessels. After Sæplast tubs became common in Iceland’s fishing industry, the company developed a RFID traceability system, a natural continuation of its ongoing R&D programme for tubs. Sæplast is the first company to offer RFID technology embedded in tubs, and can also embed RFID tags in used tubs for customers.
The concept behind the system is that when raw material is placed into a tub, data about the contents are linked to an RFID number in an information system and/or data about contents are written on the chip, which follows the raw material into the processing stage. This raw material has now become traceable – thanks to RFID technology.
Why traceability?
Food producers in the USA and Europe live with more extensive laws than before regarding traceability of raw materials throughout the production process. However, it is not only laws that motivate producers to tighten security, but the customer as well. Consumers are demanding evermore information, and in highly competitive environments, producers not only have to be able to answer for their processing, but also for the origin and handling of raw materials. A producer who cannot answer such questions is likely to lose a customer to a competitor.
Traceability has been defined in many ways, but it can be stated as follows:
“Traceability means the ability to trace and follow a food, feed, food-producing animal or substance intended to be, or expected to be incorporated into a food or feed, through all stages of production, processing and distribution.”
The future of the fisheries industry
“RFID technology is making great advances in many economic sectors around the world, and will become part of the fisheries industry. The reason for this trend being slower in the fisheries field than in others may be the difficult conditions, for example wetness and harsh treatment of tubs. Experience of reading the RFID tubs onboard fishing vessels is good: information in uploaded into a computer and when the tubs are off-loaded, sensors on forklift trucks read the RFID signals and display a tub’s contents. By having data on the contents of individual tubs such as species, size, fishing day, fishing area, etc., it is much easier to steer raw material processing according to age, fish size and other such factors, thereby linking raw-material origin to final product. This is the future,” says Jón Bæring Hauksson, who has worked on the project for technology company Maritech.
The project has reached the stage of developing the ability to read tags further in the processing system with direct links to the plant’s information system, thereby achieving the desired traceability that is one of the project goals.
RFID technology has many advantages over bar codes that are common in many manufacturing processes, for example, wireless reading/recording. The tags are embedded in the tubs, tags are unaffected by moisture, ice or line of sight, and data on tags can be updated. Bar codes can fall off tubs, and become damaged or soiled, making them impossible to read. By embedding the RDIF tags in the tub walls, the chance of their being damaged is greatly reduced.
