RFID Pilot Helps Metro Group Manage Quality of Fresh Foods

This week, METRO Group announces that it will launch a meat tracking pilot program using Avery Dennison RFID technology at METRO Group's real, Future Store in Toenisvorst, Germany. The AD-222 inlay from Avery Dennison will be used to tag the foam meat packing trays used in METRO's store. The application is expected to help METRO better manage the flow of its perishable products, cut down on cost and save time on restocking.

"New technologies and concepts are key to meeting our customer's changing demands now and in the future," says Dr. Gerd Wolfram, managing director of MGI METRO Group Information Technology. "RFID has a key role to play in quality management for fresh food. This automatic product identification technology will contribute to product quality and efficiency in our stores."

The European Avery Dennison RFID team worked to develop a solution, including a feasibility study and the tag design. The RFID tags will be applied to the foam meat packing tray and one of the particular challenges was to meet safety requirements for labeling food. Avery Dennison RFID worked together with Fasson Roll Materials Europe, a division of Avery Dennison, to provide S-2000N food contact compliant adhesive. The RFID tags are readable when stacked in the freezer and meet METRO Group's food labeling safety requirements.