FRESHINDEX NEWS

LET’S TALK ABOUT: INTRODUCING THE FRESHINDEX –THE DYNAMIC BEST-BEFORE DATE WILL BECOME REALITY IN AUGUST 2019!

Just a few months remain until the start of the field trial where the FreshIndex Dynamic Expiry Date (DED) will be introduced to selected stores in METRO Germany (Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart and St. Augustin). During the last year the FreshIndex consortium teams made huge efforts to prepare the DED and are ready to prove its benefits for B2B and B2C users.

CURRENT STATUS OF THE FIELD TRIAL DESIGN:

 

Do you want to be part of the FreshIndex Trial?
If you offer innovative quality measurement solutions or rapid tests for food safety and data quality there is still time to join the trial. To showcase your solution during the field trial in METRO, please contact the project coordinator Matthias Brunner: m.brunner@tsenso.com

AS FOLLOWS, THE COMPONENTS OF THE TRIAL ARE DESCRIBED:

FreshIndex Cloud

The Cloud unites data that is collected and measured along the entire product supply chain namely initial product hygiene, temperature data from sensors, data from METRO ProTrace and laboratories. Additionally real time validation from rapid test devices is also included.
The DED is calculated using the initial product hygiene, temperature data and food models.

Temperature monitoring with tsenso Sensors

The essential part of the DED calculation is gapless temperature monitoring along the supply chain. This is obtained with tsenso sensors placed on each pallet.

Traceability with METRO PROTrace

The PROTrace cloud for product identification and traceability holds data on production, logistics (such as arrival and departure times) and sales quantity. The PROTrace cloud delivers the required data to the FreshIndex Cloud where it is matched with sensor data.

Validation of results

Accuracy of the DED calculation will be supported by data from rapid test devices and laboratory measurements at each point along the product supply chain. The data will be made available in the FreshIndex Cloud.

FI B2B Frontend

The relevant departments (for example logistics, quality) get an alert when temperature is out of range or shelf life is nearing expiration / has expired. A detailed overview is given of the shelf life of all products in all warehouses and stores plus details on the physio-chemical & microbiological properties of each batch of product.

FI B2C Consumer App

The B2C application makes the FreshIndex and its Dynamic Expiry Date accessible to end consumers. When customers scan the barcode of a product, they will not only get the DED and information on the actual freshness of the product, but also information on the sustainability (CO2 footprint), as well as product and producer details.

EXPERIENCE THE FRESHINDEX IN ACTION

A roadshow to present the project in selected METRO stores will take place during August and September and will focus on the pork products in the trial scope. An information booth will be available where customers will be given smartphones with the B2C Application. They will be able to scan the products to check the dynamic expiry date. Using an anonymous questionnaire prepared by project partner Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (H-BRS) customers will be interviewed on site in order to understand how they perceive the application and whether they appreciate the added value of a dynamic expiry date application. The road show will start in Stuttgart (Korntal) followed by St. Augustin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg (Altona) and ending in Berlin. We will bring you the exact dates in our next newsletter.

Meanwhile, we will be ramping up the activities and preparing the operational teams in advance of the field trial. We are looking forward to bringing you more news in our next mailing!

Until then,
Your FreshIndex team

FRESHINDEX BEHIND THE SCENES

Meet the project partners: METRO

METRO is a leading international wholesale company with food and non-food assortments that specialises on serving the needs of hotels, restaurants and caterers (HoReCa) as well as independent traders. Around the world, METRO has some 24 million customers who can choose whether to shop in one of the large-format stores, order online and collect their purchases at the store or have them delivered. METRO in addition also supports the competitiveness of entrepreneurs and own businesses with digital solutions and thereby contributes to cultural diversity in retail and hospitality. Sustainability is a key pillar of METRO’s business. METRO has been the sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the last four years. The company operates in 36 countries and employs more than 150,000 people worldwide. In financial year 2017/18, METRO generated sales of €36.5 billion. In September 2018 METRO AG initiated the divestment process for the food retail chain Real with its 34,000 employees.

 

Meet the faces behind:​

	Oliver Teschl represents Traceability within the Supply Chain domain of METRONOM. An Austrian born Physical Engineer, his career in METRO started in 2004 and has been a solid track in retail innovations. His field of expertise ranges from RFID via digital couponing to traceability which is ideal as his role in FreshIndex makes sure that logistical and cool chain information is available across all steps of the supply chain within all affected IT systems. With that in mind, he sees the FreshIndex as “a groundbreaking opportunity to automatize supply chain processes based on real-time freshness information and thus reduce food waste by moving towards a dynamic shelf life”.
	Mathias Möhring represents the Quality Assurance Department of METRO Germany where he has worked since 2013 as food expert for meat and processed meat. He obtained his Masters in Ecotrophology specialising in qualitative and safe production and marketing of food. He also trained for three years as a chef. Mathias’ technical and practical background with a grounding in wholesale quality management is a great contribution to the team. He says that “the FreshIndex is an opportunity to know more about the fresh meat items concerning their microbiological state and real shelf life. For example, if the FreshIndex is shorter than the given expiry date we could better manage our stock and reduce food waste”.
	Nikolaos G. Bessas represents the Global Supply Chain Quality Assurance Department of METRO AG. Originally from Greece, he has 15 years of professional experience in food safety and quality assurance. His areas of expertise cover food manufacturing, food safety authorities, wholesale, international supply chains and research. Nikos was involved at an early stage in the project with helping Tsenso to understand the meat supply chain in METRO. He brings his diverse experience and know-how to the project and is interested to see how this will shape the future of freshness management across the supply chain.
	Sarah Blanchard represents the Corporate Responsibility department of METRO AG where she is the METRO FreshIndex project lead. A Zimbabwean born and raised Food Technologist, Sarah loves innovative technologies that support sustainable food systems. Prior to joining the CR department she headed up Innovations in Global Quality Assurance where she led the digital quality strategy, developing and implementing new tools across 24 countries and experimenting with new analytical technologies. Before joining the METRO headquarters in Düsseldorf, Sarah looked after Asia Region QA and Own Brand. She has worked in the UK, Japan, Ukraine and Singapore and brings 22 years of international foodservice and wholesale experience to the project. Sarah says “this combination of IoT, quality data and traceability to deliver a real-time freshness presents a groundbreaking opportunity to examine the way we look at shelf life, ensuring customers have maximum use of the product and preventing food waste”.