Food traceability has ceased to be a mere normative demand to become a powerful tool for transformation of the sector. In this context, Sodexo has launched an innovative digital identification system that allows to know, in real time, the complete journey of the ingredients that make up their menus. The project, developed with Banco Santander and the Specialist in Intelligent Tags Avery Dennison, has been launched in the city Santander, in Boadilla del Monte (Madrid), a complex where more than 6,000 meals are served per day.
This new technology allows Sodexo to track each ingredient from its origin to the dish, with unprecedented precision. Thanks to the use of unique digital identities assigned to each product as soon as they reach the facilities, the system offers detailed data on its origin, storage, transformation and final use in cuisine.
According to Laura Croci, Head of Retail Food Solutions in Avery Dennison, “the sector is not only evolving, but is being transformed promoted by technological advances, innovative labeling and digital traceability.” The solution adopted by Sodexo, he adds, “marks a new crucial reference point in the management of the food supply chain.”
The system also allows to maintain traceability even when the ingredients are modified or replaced during the culinary process. All this information is stored in the cloud, which guarantees total end -to -end visibility and allows data -based operational decisions to be made: from orders optimization to the improvement in product rotation.
The company displays a digital food identification system that improves the safety, sustainability and transparency of its menus at the Santander Bank headquarters
Bet on the local (and digital) product
One of the most remarkable aspects of the project is its impact on the local supply chain. Although many large suppliers already operate with digital systems, small producers do not always have access to these tools. The solution driven by Sodexo integrates them into the same system by assigning its own digital identities, regardless of their size or digitalization level.
This not only favors the exhaustive monitoring of proximity products, but reinforces the commitment to sustainability, encourages the consumption of fresh and seasonal foods, and supports local suppliers. A bet that is also aligned with the Santander Bank values in social responsibility.
Carina Cabezas, CEO of Sodexo Iberia, emphasizes that “this project is a sample of the role that innovation plays today in the restoration sector and how we can take advantage of all the potential offered by technology to optimize processes, improve security and be more sustainable.”
Less waste, more efficiency
In addition to guaranteeing security and transparency, digital traceability has a direct effect on the sustainability of the food system. The precise control over the life of the products allows to reduce food waste, better adjusting purchase volumes, improving menus planning and facilitating a more effective rotation of the ingredients.
In case of withdrawal of a lot by health alert, the system is able to almost immediately identify the affected products, avoiding unnecessary elimination of food suitable for consumption. All this contributes to a more efficient and responsible restoration, which looks at both the welfare of diners and that of the planet.
