Almost one month ago The WinePress reported on Chipotle’s move to test out new autonomous equipment that could make chips without the aid of a living being at the helm, ultimately replacing more jobs and potentially speeding up production.
The Americanized Mexican-themed fast food chain has been on the cutting edge of new smart technologies, evolving how other restaurants operate.
Now the company is working on packaging that utilizes RFID technology, to increase tracking and tracing abilities for inventory.
The following is a press release from Chipotle:
Chipotle Mexican Grill today announced it is testing radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology to enhance its traceability and inventory systems at its Chicago distribution center and approximately 200 restaurants in the greater Chicago area. A leader in food safety, Chipotle is one of the first major restaurant companies to leverage RFID case labels to track ingredients from suppliers to restaurants via serialization.
RFID labels transform inventory management into an automatic, digital function that optimizes restaurant operations and gives our Restaurant Support Centers access to inventory data in real-time. This integrated technology is improving our employee experience in participating restaurants while also benefiting our supply partners.
Said Scott Boatwright, Chief Restaurant Officer.
Committed to rigorous Food with Integrity standards, Chipotle purchased more than 35 million pounds of locally grown produce in 2021 and has spent more than $400 million in food premiums over the last two years to buy responsibly sourced and humanely raised ingredients. The brand is giving further transparency into the direct source of its ingredients. The company has worked closely with the Auburn University RFID Lab to refine the pilot program, which is being tested on meat, dairy, and avocados from five Chipotle suppliers. Ingredients in the test arrive at Chipotle restaurants affixed with RFID enabled case labels and are scanned by RFID readers, which complement existing scanners in the restaurants, requiring minimal incremental investment. The tech-enabled traceability system is designed to allow the company to act on food safety and quality concerns swiftly, efficiently, and precisely.
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Participating suppliers have invested in RFID technology using Chipotle specifications, which is anticipated to save suppliers time on inventory management and stock rotation, mitigate human error, and increase expiration date visibility and accountability. Chipotle invited key supply partners to participate in the test and provided partners with an RFID playbook with best practices and benefits of the program. The brand is leveraging its stage-gate process to test, listen and learn from employees and suppliers before deciding on a system-wide rollout of RFID labels.
We have been developing our RFID program for two years and see this innovation as the next evolution of traceability and food safety. We are excited to test this innovation in the field with our suppliers and restaurants to enhance our robust traceability program.”
Said Laurie Schalow, Chief Corporate Affairs and Food Safety Officer
Chipotle teamed up with industry-leading RFID partners including RFID software provider Mojix, materials science and RFID innovator Avery Dennison, and RFID reader and encoder solutions provider Zebra Technologies.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
I mention this news because even though it is occurring with Chipotle, the implications of this are huge. Barcodes were one thing, but now with even more enhanced traceability, this will help (the concept at the minimum) pave the way for easier food mitigation, coupled with food IDs and vaccine passports.
As the famine really starts to set in moving forward and nations are looking to mitigate the crisis and give handouts, all of this added tracking and tracing will be essential. Moreover, with all this additional tech, the handlers will be able to see how much someone eats, how old it gets, and how much was wasted, who purchased it, who shipped it, who packaged it, and on and on.
It is ultimately leading to social credit scores, as it will no doubt be tied-down to the smart phones and required phone apps, as the masses refuse their devices.
To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress.
Proverbs 28:21
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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Along with Chipoltes GMO MEAT should be a great restaurant!