Across many cultures and religious holidays, food is a central part of the celebrations. But this celebration often leads to a large amount of food waste. In the UK alone, its estimated that nearly 200,000 tonnes of food is thrown away each Christmas; the equivalent of 6.6 million bins full. Every ounce of this food has associated costs for its production, shipping and distribution, and each step of the supply chain consumes valuable time and resources that are also wasted when food is thrown away uneaten.
Using RAIN to streamline and optimize the food industry supply chain gives stakeholders an opportunity to address this waste. By adding a RAIN tag to produce containers, each shipment can collect and provide key information on where the produce originated, where it has been, and when it will expire. This same tag can also provide real-time tracking and analytics data that can be used to optimize supply chains. In doing so, RAIN directly addresses three key pain points of the food industry.
Optimizing Supply Chains from Farm to Table
RAIN is a proven technology in large-scale logistics management, and the transport of food is no different. Adding RAIN tags to each container allows produce to be moved through transit centers and warehouses at speed, yet with a fraction of the error rate of manual sorting. Furthermore, food that is closer to its sell by date can be identified and prioritized to ensure it makes it to the shelves before it begins to rot. These efficiencies allow food to get where it needs to go faster, while mitigating losses associated with transit mistakes and food waste caused by delays.
A data-led approach to supply chain management also allows for any potential problems to be identified and accounted for quickly and easily. This creates resilience in the supply chain as businesses can spot bottlenecks much faster, giving them enough time to reallocate their current inventory or to increase their order from an alternate source to ensure that the produce their customers want gets to the shelves on time.
Putting Food Safety First
Businesses in the food industry are responsible for ensuring that their produce is safe. Foodborne illnesses can potentially risk the lives of those who consume contaminated produce, but even in less serious circumstances, customers are unlikely to return to an establishment that made them sick. This causes significant reputational damage for the business, losing them customers and revenue while potentially also needing to compensate those impacted.
RAIN tags allow produce to be tracked from farm to table. This means that an outbreak of a foodborne disease at any stage of the supply chain can swiftly be identified, and produce that is at risk of contamination can be taken out of circulation before it even reaches the shelves. The cost of food recalls can run into millions of dollars, but thanks to RAIN tags, businesses have the data they need to act in a swift, targeted, and precise manner. This means that the cost and waste of a recall can be minimized without risking the thoroughness and safety of the process.
Traceability, Transparency, and Responsible Sourcing
Consumers increasingly care about the quality of the produce they consume and the values of the business from whom they purchase. In the food industry, there is a growing appetite for organic, sustainable produce, so being able to prove these merits can be a key strategic differentiator. Furthermore, responsible and ethical sourcing where farmers are compensated fairly, and animals are treated humanely are principles that can be proven for each item using the data stored on its RAIN tag.
Creating a Sustainable Food Industry
The food industry is by necessity fast paced. Produce must get to market as quickly as possible to eliminate as much waste as possible. With profit margins also often very thin, optimizing the delivery process is pivotal for businesses. However, this cannot come at the expense of produce safety, as the repercussions of mistakes could be catastrophic.
The transparency that RAIN provides gives the food industry the data it needs to optimize logistics while also improving safety practices. It ensures that produce is tracked throughout its entire lifecycle. This gives those working in procurement and distribution the information they need to make informed decisions on purchasing, championing food safety, responsible sourcing, and long-term sustainability.