Key technological factors for successful RFID systems applicationin food supply chain management

This work deals with the effects of different food products on the feasibility and the performances of UHF electronic identification using a semi empirical model. The calibration of commercial antennas was firstly performed and modelled following classic theoretical Friis equations. Then, in the same conditions (i.e. in controlled environment semi-anechoic chamber), the comparison among the power tuning required for different combinations of transponders and food product coupling allowed to determine experimentally critical factors which could degrade transmission performances. The semi-empirical approach based on theoretical models as well on experimental collection of data to find a solution presented in this paper could be used for a wide spectrum of food packed items RF identification, each characterized by different composition and packing material.