Traceability System for Agricultural Products using RF-ID and Mobile Devices

Koji SUGAHARADept. of Information Science and

TechnologyNational Agricultural Research Center,

Japan

July 5, 2004

Background of the development

• Food safety problems in Japan– BSE (beef), Residual pesticide (vegetable),

Deceptive labeling of food products, ...– More consumers have been interested in food

safety.

• Establishing food traceability– Needs to improve reliability of

food production and distribution processes– Risk management in the accidents on food

products

Development of food traceability systemsUrgent national projects by the government (MAFF)

Virtually Identified Produce System (VIPS)A basic scheme of web-based traceability system

National Food Research Institute

SEICA

Integrated traceability system for agricultural products

• Production process management system– On-site data input using mobile phone and PDA– Easy input method to select the item menus

• Distribution process management system– Correct identification of product lots based on RF-ID– Relationship of lot ID in dividing and mixing lots– Web-based remote database system -- VIPS

• Product information disclosure system– Displaying each product’s data to consumers - VIPS– Utilizing ID labels, barcodes, and RF-ID tags

Production process management system for agriculture, “AFAMA”

JAITEA and NARC http://www.afama.ne.jp/

Displays on a mobile phone

(on-site inputting)A display on a PC

browser(inputting the

schedules)

Inputting records about farm works and agro-material applications(pesticides, fertilizers, machines, ..)

GIS-based farm diary systemAvailable for using PDA and PC

http://riss.narc.affrc.go.jp/resources.html

Farm field map

Diary data display

Input

For PDA

For PC

Integrated traceability system using RF-IDLinking different DBs based on product ID of RF-ID tags

Farm Home

transportingtransporting sortingsorting deliverydelivery salessalescultivationcultivation harvestharvest shippingshipping

Production Process DB

Production data Distribution data

Distribution Process DB

Linkage based on

product ID

Farmers, carriers, retailers, and consumers can refer each product’s production and

distribution data.

RF-ID

A case of the system experiments

• Fruit traceability system project– By Yamagata Prefectural Government, since 2003– Items: Pear (Nov.), Strawberry (Feb.), Cherry (Jun.)– Cooperative partnership

Farmers, a wholesale market, a co-op store, and consumers in Yamagata Prefecture

For sales at the storeInternet-connected terminals(PC) with RF-ID readers

For home delivery　Pasting 2D-barcode & URL labels to the productsBrowsing with web-accessible mobile phones or PC

Inputting the production data by a farmerBy accessing “AFAMA” with a mobile phone

Mobile phone

RF-ID tag (barcode label), and RF-ID readerRecording each product’s data on the distribution process

RF-ID chip and tag coated with PET

2D-barcode & URL printed label

PDA & connecting RF-ID reader

The barcode codes the same URL string.

“-chip” by Hitachi Ltd.Each of these chips has unique

ID.

A RF-ID reader and a tag attached to a boxRecording relationship of the fruit lot ID and the box ID

in box packing of pear fruits

RF-ID tag

Shipping strawberries from the marketAttaching RF-ID tags to the boxes, URL labels to the packs.

RF-ID tag

Each product’s web page for consumers

Subjects of development

• Identification of product lots– Making relationship of lot ID in dividing or mixing lots– Automation system to attach and read RF-ID tags– More efficient data input on each of fields and crops

• Linkage among different databases– Distributed DBs and data exchange systems – Web service to refer products’ data among the DBs

• Effective application of RF-ID– Reducing the operational costs

RAM type --> Reuse of boxes and attached RF-ID tags– Improving efficiency to check products’ ID and data

ROM type --> Faster reading ID and recording to the DB