ID :
102864
Wed, 01/27/2010 - 13:09
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/102864
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S. Korea aims to develop enhanced food tracking system
SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea aims to develop a new food tracking system that could generate up to 12 trillion won (US$10.3 billion) worth of new business opportunities every year, a state-run research institute said Wednesday.
The Korea Food Research Institute (KFRI) said the "u-Food System" to be developed
by 2014 will be designed to follow and record the condition of food products from
the farm to consumers.
The 12.5 billion won project includes the creation of working testbeds that make
extensive use of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, ubiquitous sensor
networks (USN) and other advanced information technology (IT) products.
Such measures allow the food, distribution and electronics industry to invest
money and resources in developing related products like refrigerators, storage
facilities and a wide range of electronic sensors and communication devices.
"In effect, the RFID-USN combination can allow consumers and food distributors to
know the condition of the food they have in storage or want to buy, and prevent
people from eating products that have gone bad," said Kim Byeong-sam, head of
distribution research at KFRI.
This can be done by keeping track of the production date, following temperature
readings in the distribution process which can spoil food prematurely, and
developing a sensor designed to directly check the food.
He said if the system does become fully operational it can greatly enhance
consumer knowledge, create a whole new market for related household appliances
and revolutionize the distribution process in the local food industry, which is
valued at some 107 trillion won .
"Despite greater use of cold storage facilities, 20 percent of fresh food is lost
before reaching consumers, while around 4 percent of all processed food is thrown
away due to poor distribution practices," he said.
Kim said that the RFID-USN system can generate new demand for smart refrigeration
units that can keep track of all the food in it, alert owners if a food will go
bad and relay this information to managers who can take appropriate measures.
"Similar systems are being pursued in countries like the United States and
Germany but since South Korea has a strong IT infrastructure, it can easily
become a leader in this relatively new field," the chief researcher said.
He said that once the system is created it will be handled over to the private
sector.
"Initially, the system can be used by large department stores and discount
outlets that handle the necessary volume or relatively expensive products, but
can be expanded to smaller shops and retailers," he said.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)
The Korea Food Research Institute (KFRI) said the "u-Food System" to be developed
by 2014 will be designed to follow and record the condition of food products from
the farm to consumers.
The 12.5 billion won project includes the creation of working testbeds that make
extensive use of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, ubiquitous sensor
networks (USN) and other advanced information technology (IT) products.
Such measures allow the food, distribution and electronics industry to invest
money and resources in developing related products like refrigerators, storage
facilities and a wide range of electronic sensors and communication devices.
"In effect, the RFID-USN combination can allow consumers and food distributors to
know the condition of the food they have in storage or want to buy, and prevent
people from eating products that have gone bad," said Kim Byeong-sam, head of
distribution research at KFRI.
This can be done by keeping track of the production date, following temperature
readings in the distribution process which can spoil food prematurely, and
developing a sensor designed to directly check the food.
He said if the system does become fully operational it can greatly enhance
consumer knowledge, create a whole new market for related household appliances
and revolutionize the distribution process in the local food industry, which is
valued at some 107 trillion won .
"Despite greater use of cold storage facilities, 20 percent of fresh food is lost
before reaching consumers, while around 4 percent of all processed food is thrown
away due to poor distribution practices," he said.
Kim said that the RFID-USN system can generate new demand for smart refrigeration
units that can keep track of all the food in it, alert owners if a food will go
bad and relay this information to managers who can take appropriate measures.
"Similar systems are being pursued in countries like the United States and
Germany but since South Korea has a strong IT infrastructure, it can easily
become a leader in this relatively new field," the chief researcher said.
He said that once the system is created it will be handled over to the private
sector.
"Initially, the system can be used by large department stores and discount
outlets that handle the necessary volume or relatively expensive products, but
can be expanded to smaller shops and retailers," he said.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)
