Smart, efficient food traceability with Digimarc

Consumer and retailer expectations, insurance mandates, and regulatory requirements necessitate that consumer goods companies and food manufacturers communicate precisely when and where products were produced – and connect those products featuring variable, serialized identities to the industrial Internet of Things (IoT) traceability.

US-based digital watermarking technologies provider Digimarc makes use of more of the package, label, or shipping box, making scanning faster and easier. It repeats many times across a package, label, or corrugated box. It enables variable, serialized identities to be included in graphics with limited space for QR codes or DataMatrix alternatives. Digimarc’s solutions help businesses in a wide range of industries meet challenges in critical areas, such as brand protection, sustainability, efficient traceability, and much more. Digimarc’s digital identity can be applied to material and media of all kinds, including packaging, labels, audio, fabric, and more.

According to the company, Digimarc Platform enables smart, efficient food traceability in the field. Digimarc solutions claim to help to improve supply chain visibility with more complete and accurate data capture. Enables strategic recalls based on granular and timely information. Saves time by simplifying processes and minimizing handling. Digimarc platform claims to deliver efficiency and traceability; quickly associate an employee badge, multiple items, and corrugate tray; and simultaneously scan multiple items with a smartphone.

Serialized packaging delivers accountability, reduces risk

Digimarc supports traceability initiatives. Product traceability across the global supply chain is increasingly essential for consumer brands and food manufacturers to promote consumer safety, mitigate risk, and gain real-time insight into product locations in warehouses and distribution centers. Digimarc for packaging supports these business needs with batch-lot and item-level traceability by applying serialized or custom identifiers and additional data to product packaging with variable data printing (VDP).

Flexible printing options

Digimarc serialization can be applied using digital presses, laser etching systems, and industrial inkjet devices. Digimarc supports consumer brands, including farm-fresh produce suppliers and fresh food and beverage manufacturers that utilize inkjet systems and are eager to meet sustainability and Agriculture 4.0 traceability goals.

Improved first-pass read rates

Many manufacturing, warehouse, and distribution environments utilize assembly lines and conveyor belts to automate their processes. Identifying items on the first pass is critical to accurate, real-time, automated decision making. Applying Digimarc identities to containers via inkjet printers provides data redundancy and a larger area to scan improved read rates. Several Digimarc customers have reported as much as a 30% increase in first-pass read rates over Data Matrix and QR codes.

Faster scanning

In many business environments, manual scanning using handheld devices is critical to efficient operations. Slow or unsuccessful scanning not only impacts employee or associate productivity but can affect accuracy across your supply chain. According to the company, controlled studies have shown Digimarc scans packaging and labels significantly faster than many traditional barcodes, including QR, Data Matrix, and GS128 codes, saving time at every step in the supply chain.

Reduce costs

Compared with traditional UPC/EAN barcodes, DataMatrix, or QR codes, Digimarc requires significantly less ink on product labels. By as much as 69% over DataMatrix, this reduction in ink usage delivers meaningful savings on ink costs at scale when printing millions of labels annually.

Traceability partners

Digimarc partners with the Internet of Things (IoT) traceability platforms Evrythng and Sperantus to help companies pinpoint the progress of products across the globe and support track-and-trace initiatives. Digimarc detection capabilities are integrated into provenance data and the status of Digimarc-enhanced products throughout the supply chain.