About 200 of its Chicago-area restaurants and its Chicago distribution centre are putting radio-frequency identification (RFID) to the test. Chipotle Mexican Grill is a US-based chain of Mexican restaurants.
The restaurant chain has teamed up with the RFID Lab at Auburn University to develop this test, which will use RFID technology to improve traceability and inventory systems.
The chief corporate affairs and food safety officer at Chipotle Mexican Grill, Laurie Schalow, stated: “We have been developing our RFID program for two years and see this innovation as the next evolution of traceability and food safety.”
With the help of our suppliers and restaurants, we’re eager to put this new technology to the test and improve our robust traceability program. “
Chipotle has announced that the RFID labels will be used on five different Chipotle suppliers’ meat, dairy, and avocado products.
During the test, RFID-enabled case labels will be used for the ingredients, which will be scanned by RFID readers that complement existing scanners in the restaurants.
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When it comes to food safety and quality, Chipotle expects to be able to respond quickly with this new technology.
In order to track ingredients from suppliers to restaurants through serialisation, Chipotle claims to be the first restaurant chain to use an RFID label system.
An RFID software provider named Mojix has worked with the firm, as well as a materials science and RFID innovator named Avery Dennison, as well as an RFID reader and encoder solution provider named Zebra Technologies.
According to Chipotle Mexican Grill’s Chief Restaurant Officer, Scott Boatwright, “RFID labels transform inventory management into an automatic, digital function that optimises restaurant operations and gives our Restaurant Support Centers access to inventory data in real-time.
“This integrated technology improves the experience of our employees in participating restaurants and also benefits our supply partners.”
Earlier this month, Chipotle teamed up with Miso Robotics to create Chippy, an autonomous kitchen assistant, specifically for the purpose of making tortilla chips.
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