Walmart and Avery Dennison launch RFID-enabled labels to boost food freshness

Walmart has partnered with Avery Dennison to introduce radio-frequency identification (RFID) labelling to fresh food categories including meat, bakery and deli, in a move set to transform inventory management and reduce waste.

The innovation tackles a long-standing challenge of applying RFID in high-moisture, cold environments such as meat cases. The new sensor technology, developed and tested by the two companies, enables item-level tracking of fresh products for the first time.

By giving each product a digital identity, associates can track freshness in real time, rotate stock smarter and reduce unsold food through smarter markdowns.

“We believe technology should make things easier for both our associates and our customers,” said Christyn Keef, VP of Front End Transformation for Walmart US. “By cutting down on manual work, we’re giving our associates more time to focus on what really matters – helping our customers.”

The solution is expected to improve both availability and quality for shoppers, while supporting Walmart’s wider sustainability commitment to halve operational food loss and waste intensity globally by 2030.

Julie Vargas, VP and GM of Avery Dennison Identification Solutions, added: “Supporting Walmart with first-to-market RFID innovation across multiple fresh food categories underscores our mutual commitment to people and the planet.

By giving each item its own digital identity, associates instantly know the freshness of the foods they are handling, enabling better inventory management and resulting in less waste.

This is a landmark moment for the industry, and chimes with our own personal milestone as Avery Dennison celebrates 90 years of helping to solve some of the world’s most complex challenges.”