Members of the Idaho Potato Commission participated in the first demonstration of Reduced Space Symbology bar code technology at the Fresh Summit Show in Philadelphia this week.
Introduced earlier this year, RSS technology improves the labeling of meat and produce. It will be able to encode manufacturer and item IDs, weight, extended price as well as optional traceability from the grower to point-of-sale.
Pat Kole, counselor to the IPC, said it would show Idaho's innovation and willingness to work with the industry to guarantee a system that optimizes profits throughout the produce supply chain.
The demonstration was presented by the Idaho Potato Commission, Sinclair International, the world's leading provider of production solutions, and PSC-which provides innovative data-collection solutions for the retail supply chain worldwide.
The PSC Magellan SL scanner, which will be needed to read the tiny on-the-potato stickers, sets the industry standard for multi-plane scanner/scales. PSC introduced the first bar codes in 1974.
"Partnering to educate the grocery and produce industries about the benefits of RSS demonstrates our commitment to the new technology.that will help retailers create supply-chain efficiency and the ability to increase customer service and professional levels," said Edward J. Borey, president and CEO of PSC Inc. of Portland, OR.
Sinclair Systems is a worldwide leader in the produce-labeling field, and recently made a major breakthrough, being the first company to provide stickers which will adhere to wet potatoes.