First anti-theft label created for direct contact with fresh produce

The combination of Checkpoint’s Food-Safe EAS labels, certified for direct contact with food, and Sealed Air Cryovac Smartpak vacuum shrink bags, is also anticipated to allow retailers to reduce inventory shrinkage of cheese and fresh products.

 According to Checkpoint Systems, the
idea came from concerns about increasing theft of fresh products,
particularly cheese. In Italy, for instance, Parmigiano Reggiano has
a shrink rate of about 9 percent. The combination of the Checkpoint
and Cryovac solution is a good example to combat grocery shrinkage.

Checkpoint’s collaboration with
Sealed Air Cryovac in Italy began in early 2007. The companies
initiated a label and source tagging program designed to protect
food, such as meat and dairy products. Checkpoint laboratories
produced the first RF-EAS Food-Safe label – the only label to date
that has received European authorization and ISEGA certification, for
direct contact with dry, moist and fatty food products. The label
also meets all FDA guidelines for direct food contact.

Sealed Air Cryovac then set up a
manufacturing system to integrate Checkpoint’s Food-Safe anti-theft
label inside its Cryovac vacuum shrink bags. The integration makes it
difficult to tamper with product packaging and defeat the anti-theft
label.

The first tests were conducted with
Parmigiano Reggiano in Italy for a six-month period to determine the
effectiveness of Checkpoint’s label source tagged and integrated
into Cryovac vacuum shrink bags. The first market request to Sealed
Air Cryovac was for two million packs for the protection of
Parmigiano Reggiano alone. However, it is expected that the system
will be applied to other types of ’softer’ cheeses and to
packaged cold meats. These products represent a significant
percentage of those displayed in supermarkets’ refrigerated food
cabinets.

Initial studies have shown that this
RF-EAS source tagging program may cut down inventory shrinkage of
dairy products from 9 percent to 1 percent.

Cryovac Packaging believe that this
technology will be of great benefit to retailers and represents the
beginning of technology improvements in the fresh food sector.