RFID Tags for Food Traceability & Safety

RFID tags for the food sector: mandatory traceability in critical environments

In the food sector, lot traceability is not optional: it is a regulatory obligation imposed by EU Regulation 178/2002 and must function even when the tag operates in high-humidity environments, CIP/SIP sanitation cycles with aggressive detergents, cold chain temperatures or pasteurisation processes. A traceability failure is not just an audit problem: it can translate into an uncontrollable product recall, with direct impact on food safety and brand reputation.

Standard RFID tags cannot withstand these conditions: they degrade within weeks and generate unreliable reads at critical process points. Wintag designs RFID tags specifically certified for food contact: resistant to CIP/SIP sanitation cycles, verified across the full thermal range from cold chain (−25°C) to pasteurisation, and documented for BRC, IFS and SQF supply chain audits.

Our customers cover the entire supply chain: food and beverage manufacturers, cold chain logistics operators, container and food equipment manufacturers who need to integrate the tag into their products as an OEM component, and HACCP consultants supporting companies in implementing supply chain traceability systems.

RFID traceability in the food supply chain: from regulatory burden to operational advantage

Critical environments: CIP/SIP, cold chain and IP69K protection

Resistance to CIP and SIP cycles: detergents, steam and high pressure

Food production lines are sanitised with CIP (Clean In Place) and SIP (Sanitise In Place) cycles: concentrated alkaline detergents, organic acids, high-temperature steam and high-pressure rinses. Wintag tags are designed to withstand these cycles with IP68/IP69K waterproof encapsulation, chemically inert materials and construction without cavities that retain residues — a critical requirement for BRC and IFS audits.

Cold chain: from −25°C to pasteurisation

The tag applied to a pallet in a cold store at −25°C must be readable when that pallet transitions to ambient temperature or passes through a pasteurisation tunnel. Chips and substrates are selected and verified for the full thermal range of the customer's specific production cycle — not for standard laboratory conditions.

Humid environments and wash-down: IP69K as minimum requirement

In food plants with frequent wash-down, the tag is exposed to high-pressure water jets at close range. The IP69K standard certifies protection against these jets (80–100 bar pressure, 80°C temperature): for many food plants it is the minimum acceptable requirement, not an optimum.

MOCA certification and EC Regulation 10/2011: no migration towards food

What are MOCA and EC Regulation 10/2011?

MOCA (Materials and Objects in Contact with Food) is the regulatory framework defined by EC Regulation 1935/2004, establishing general requirements for all food-contact materials. EC Regulation 10/2011 specifies requirements for plastics, setting global and specific migration limits for authorised substances. An RFID tag with MOCA certification is manufactured with materials for which it has been verified that no substance migrates towards food in quantities representing a health risk for the consumer or altering the organoleptic characteristics of the food.

Wintag RFID tags are MOCA certified

All Wintag tags intended for direct or indirect food contact are manufactured with materials compliant with EC Regulation 1935/2004 and, where applicable, EC Regulation 10/2011 for plastics. Technical compliance documentation is available for every production batch, ready for supply chain audits and retailer qualification requests.

Detectable Blue Plastics: Foreign Body Prevention in food plants

Why blue is the food industry standard

Highly visible blue plastics are the standard for preventing physical contamination in food plants. A blue fragment is immediately detectable both by the naked eye and by automated inspection systems (optical inspection, machine vision). In the event of accidental tag breakage, the fragment does not blend with any food ingredient or product, making contamination identification immediate.

Optical, X-ray and metal detector detectability

Detectability depends on the type of inspection system in line. Blue plastic guarantees optical and visual detectability. For X-ray detectability a version with integrated radiopaque component is required. For metal detector detectability, the tag must contain metallic material. Wintag manufactures versions specific to each inspection system, testable with your equipment before the series order.

BRC, IFS and SQF compliance for Foreign Body Prevention

Major retail audit standards (BRC Global Standard, IFS Food, SQF) require documented Foreign Body Prevention policies. The use of RFID tags in detectable blue material is documentable as a technical control measure in the HACCP plan and in Foreign Body Prevention protocols presented to auditors.

Applicable regulations in the food sector

Choosing an RFID tag for a food plant is never purely technical: it must take into account the regulatory framework in which your facility operates. Wintag products are designed to support compliance with:

• EU Reg. 178/2002: mandatory "one step forward, one step back" traceability throughout the food supply chain, with RASFF rapid alert system in the event of a recall.
• HACCP (Codex Alimentarius): identification and control of critical control points (CCP), with automatic digital documentation of interventions and control measures.
• ISO 22000: food safety management system integrated with HACCP, auditable through traceability data collected via RFID.
• EU Reg. 1169/2011: traceability of consumer information and product labelling throughout the supply chain.
• EC Reg. 1935/2004 and EC Reg. 10/2011 (MOCA): certification of materials in direct or indirect contact with food, including migration limits for plastics.
• BRC, IFS, SQF: retail audit standards requiring documented traceability and verifiable Foreign Body Prevention policies.

Are you a manufacturer of containers, trays or food equipment?

Many of our customers in the food sector are not food processors directly, but companies that manufacture containers, trays, baskets and plastic equipment for the food industry — and need to integrate an RFID tag into the product before delivery. For these customers the tag is not an optional accessory: it is a component of the finished product, and must be MOCA certified just as the container itself. Their end customer (the food processor) will explicitly require it at the supply chain audit.

• MOCA-certified tags for production integration: we supply tags with compliance documentation to EC Reg. 1935/2004 and EC Reg. 10/2011, ready to be declared in the finished product's technical file.
• Detectable blue plastics available: for manufacturers who must comply with Foreign Body Prevention protocols required by their end customers' retailers (BRC, IFS, SQF).
• Verified industrial wash resistance: tags tested for CIP/SIP cycles with the customer's declared detergents, not only under standard laboratory conditions.
• Continuous OEM supply: scheduled deliveries based on production volumes, with guaranteed material and encoding consistency over time — fundamental for maintaining MOCA certification of the finished product.
• Integration test samples: we validate the tag on the specific container in terms of readability, wash resistance and compatibility with the end customer's readers, before the series order.

How Wintag works in food & beverage

Before proposing a tag, we analyse the production process: which detergents are used in CIP/SIP cycles, what is the temperature range from cold storage to the thermal phase, how the tag is fixed to the container or packaging, which reading system it must be compatible with. Only then do we define material, shape, application method and encoding structure.

• Custom MOCA-certified tags: dimensions, shape, substrate and inlay chosen for the real operating conditions of the plant, with compliance documentation to EC Reg. 1935/2004.
• Chemical and thermal resistance verified with real process fluids: samples tested with the customer's specific CIP/SIP detergents and in the actual thermal range of the process, before series supply.
• Detectable materials available: blue plastic for optical and visual detectability, versions with radiopaque component for X-ray, versions with metallic component for metal detectors.
• GS1 encoding for supply chain traceability: GIAI or SGTIN structure configured for compatibility with ERP, WMS and retailer traceability requirements.
• Prototypes and field tests: before series supply, we produce samples to test in your real environment — including the specific sanitation conditions of your plant.

RFID tags for a food plant? Tell us your operating conditions →

Frequently asked questions about RFID tags for the food sector

What does "MOCA certification" mean for an RFID tag?

MOCA identifies Materials and Objects in Contact with Food, governed by EC Reg. 1935/2004 and, for plastics, EC Reg. 10/2011. An RFID tag with MOCA certification is manufactured with materials verified for compliance with global and specific migration limits towards food. Wintag provides technical compliance documentation for every production batch, ready for BRC, IFS and SQF audits.

Do RFID tags withstand CIP/SIP cycles with alkaline detergents and high-pressure steam?

Yes, if designed with the correct material and encapsulation. Concentrated alkaline detergents, high-temperature steam and chlorinated solutions in CIP/SIP cycles rapidly degrade standard tags. Wintag selects epoxy or polyurethane resin encapsulations with IP68/IP69K protection, verified for chemical resistance to the customer's specific sanitisation agents. Validation is performed through test samples before series supply.

Are detectable blue RFID tags compatible with X-ray and metal detector inspection systems?

It depends on the version. Standard blue plastic tags guarantee visual and optical detectability (visual inspection and machine vision), but not X-ray or metal detector. For X-ray detectability a version with integrated radiopaque component is required; for metal detectors, a version with metallic component. Wintag manufactures all three versions and provides samples to test with inspection systems already in line before the series order.

How does RFID support product recall management in food?

RFID traceability makes product recalls precise rather than massive. With every unit uniquely identified from production to distribution, it is possible to identify exactly which specific lots were distributed, which distribution points or logistics centres hold them and which have already been sold — without having to withdraw the entire period's production. Documentation for EU RASFF notification is already structured in the system and available within minutes of opening the case.