Published: April 15, 2011
48 Million US Cases of Food-Borne Illness in 2010 Push Industry toward RFID-Enabled Food Safety Systems, According to ABI Research
NEW YORK - (BUSINESS WIRE) - According to the Center for Disease Control, some 48 million cases of
illness in the United States each year are caused by spoiled or
contaminated food. Many of these come from fresh produce that is
consumed in its raw state. Two ways to ameliorate this "epidemic" are to
improve our control over the conditions in which food is kept as it
moves from farm to consumer markets, and to enhance the traceability of
food shipments within the supply chain.
New US legislation (The Food Safety Modernization Act) focuses on the
establishment of industry-wide data standards for this information, and
requires the FDA to develop and publish regulations that address the
prevention of foodborne disease outbreaks.
According to ABI Research principal analyst Bill Arnold, "RFID systems
with temperature sensors can contribute to less tainted produce and
provide the same standards-based tracing, while delivering information
that could prevent as much as $35 billion/year in wasted produce."
Once the initial FDA trials - to be conducted in partnership with
industry associations such as the United Fresh Produce Association for
produce and the American Meat Institute for fresh meats - are completed,
the question will be: which stakeholders in the industry will actually
buy and use these systems?
"That is a very big question," says Arnold. "It is of most benefit to
food retailers, but they don't control the harvest point or the shipper,
so it's a matter of who decides they either have the clout or the
ability to make it happen. Self-interest and liability limitation will
be the motivators. In some cases large retail chains will buy RFID
systems and require their suppliers to use them. In other cases, large
food brands such as Dole, Hawaiian Tropic, Chiquita and others may
invest to promote their food freshness and safety, allowing them to
justify a premium price."
ABI Research's new "RFID-enabled
Food Safety and Traceability Systems" study (http://www.abiresearch.com/research/1006522)
reviews the Food Safety Modernization Act's impact on food-industry use
of Auto ID technology in both the short and intermediate terms. It
provides forecasts for the use of RFID-enabled data logging devices from
2010 through 2015 in cold chain applications.
This report is part of the RFID
Research Service (http://www.abiresearch.com/products/service/RFID_Research_Service).
ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of
trends in global connectivity and other emerging technologies. From
offices in North America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research's worldwide team
of experts advises thousands of decision makers through 30+ research and
advisory services. Est. 1990. For more information visit www.abiresearch.com,
or call +1.516.624.2500.
ABI Research
Christine Gallen, +1-516-624-2542
pr@abiresearch.com
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