By Aik Jin, Tan, Vertical Solutions Lead, Zebra Technologies Asia Pacific
In today’s climate, digitizing the food system has never been more important. Prior to the pandemic, food safety, hygiene and storage management had already been fundamental to the success of food supply chain systems. With the ongoing pandemic, consumers have become more concerned with the source, quality and safety of their food, leading to an increased need for food safety and accountability.
Across Asia, consumers have been rethinking their eating habits after the pandemic and shifting away from an ‘on-the-go lifestyle’ to more of a ‘safe in-home consumption’ trend[1]. The Zebra Technologies’ Food Safety Supply Chain Vision Study found that more than half of the consumers (51%) cite the fear of foodborne illness and disease as the reason to learn more about where their food comes from, especially with Singapore researchers recently reporting that the COVID-19 virus can survive in frozen meat for up to three weeks[2].
As a result, food manufacturers are confronted with the issues of food supply chain transparency. At the same time, they need to meet food safety standards, avoid recalls, maintain compliance, and earn customer trust and loyalty. Food supply chains will need to bear increased pressure to deliver quality and safe food from the farm, to the factory and finally to the consumer’s table.
Due to continually increasing consumer demands, food safety will need to be taken more seriously, with increased collaboration between the food industry, regulators, and tech companies to create a safer, more traceable food system.
Many of these changes will be led by technology-enabled solutions that can garner additional trust and ease business operations by tracing each food item throughout the supply chain. Ultimately, this increased traceability will reduce recalls and food waste, protect consumers by preventing lapses in food safety, and speed up crackdowns on contaminated food. This will provide consumers with the peace of mind in knowing where their food was manufactured, prepared and handled, as a greater number turn toward preparing food at home.
Prioritizing Consumer Care and Trust
Only two in 10 consumers surveyed in the Zebra study place complete trust in the industry to ensure food and beverage safety. This severe trust gap stems from various factors, with restaurant kitchen staff hygiene and the fear of foodborne illnesses or allergies listed as top food safety concerns for consumers. Additionally, 60% of surveyed consumers would never return to a restaurant if they contracted a foodborne illness from eating its food.
Tracking and traceability also protect brands from damage to their reputations following a food safety incident. Preventing foodborne illnesses and product spoilage is a constant challenge in the industry, as one mistake in supply chain management can lead to dangers on store shelves and in restaurants.
With COVID-19, heightened consumer concerns are likely to permanently increase the demand for information and transparency regarding food safety. Therefore, industry decision-makers can look to technology solutions to ease the strain of curbside and e-commerce deliveries, and at every touchpoint, by improving traceability, safeguarding food items and mitigating food supply disruptions.
Enhancing Traceability in the Supply Chain
The Zebra’s study also found that 69% of industry decision-makers trust food enterprises’ ability to manage traceability and transparency, with only 35% of consumers stating their assurance. To address this discrepancy, industry decision-makers can help by collecting comprehensive data and making that information available to consumers.
Moreover, the study indicates that nine out of 10 decision-makers believe the safety and traceability-focused technology can give them a competitive advantage. Areas that could benefit with devices and technologies include compliance with food safety and quality guidelines; ensuring proper food handling, transportation and storage; tracking product perishability; intake of raw materials and ingredients; and faster and more efficient lot recall.
Technologies such as RFID tags, rugged handheld mobile computers with scanners, and thermal printers, can track items quickly throughout the supply chain and help increase food product traceability. The implementation of these solutions is projected to rise, with 93% of industry decision-makers surveyed stating that they are planning to increase investment in food monitoring tools within the next year. It is apparent that companies are recognizing the benefits of including these technologies in their operations.
Predictive analytics powered by the visibility provided by these technologies will also allow decision-makers to improve their strategies, optimize transportation efficiency, and tighten loopholes in tracking and traceability.
Future-proof the Supply Chain with Robust Digital Solutions
Improving food safety is now more challenging more than ever, due to the increasing demand and rise of consumers’ expectations. Globalization also brings new challenges to food supply chain optimization. As international trade grows, particularly in a post-pandemic world, so does the necessity for consistent data, reporting and transparency throughout the supply chain.
With traceability and transparency, the future of food safety and food supply seems bright. Comprehensive information and transparency will help eliminate supply chain blind spots. Companies that can demonstrate robust and effective traceability and transparency capabilities will increase business efficiency, protect their consumers and businesses, and ultimately improve customer confidence and loyalty, giving them an edge over their competitors in this rapidly evolving market.
For more information please visit: Zebra’s Food Safety Supply Chain Solutions.