Wiliot has announced a major new food safety initiative that will leverage industry partnerships and ambient Internet of Things (IoT) technology to create completely transparent and traceable food supply chains—which is an objective of increasing importance as the compliance date for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Food Traceability Final Rule grows near. The initiative is based in a partnership between Wiliot and industry solutions providers iFoodDS and Trustwell, which will incorporate Wiliot’s ambient IoT data and technology into their respective food safety and compliance software platforms.

Ambient IoT is a battery-free wireless technology that is being incorporated into multiple wireless standards, such as Bluetooth, 5G Advanced, 6G, and Wi-Fi, enabling the power of the internet and the Artificial Intelligence (AI) to be used for food safety applications at a fraction of the cost of legacy technologies. The technology enables a new, real-time inventory paradigm that not only benefits food safety and traceability rule compliance, but it can also facilitate more efficient store operations and is competitive against omni-channel competition in quality and value. Empowered by the capabilities of ambient IoT, Wiliot envisions a future where the food industry moves beyond QR codes, advance shipping notices, and electronic documentation to a new traceability paradigm that is fast and real-time, and reduces the cost of manual labor and technology infrastructure.

Wiliot’s battery-free ambient IoT Pixels can attach to any food product or packaging to connect the item to the internet and embed it with intelligence. Once attached, products push out item or case-level information about their location, temperature, carbon footprint, and other factors—equipping food retailers and companies with detailed, real-time data that is now required as part of the Food Traceability Final Rule.

Trustwell’s software and consulting solutions are focused on a mission to increase transparency across the supply chain, giving food companies the tools they need to remain ahead of industry regulations. The company brings together two products—FoodLogiQ and Genesis—to help food businesses exceed compliance and set a new standard for safety, transparency, and quality.

iFoodDS helps food companies deliver traceable, high-quality products to consumers. iFoodDS’ connected traceability, quality, and food safety solutions give companies visibility and insight into their supply chains, reducing food waste and optimizing inventory quality.

Wiliot is already working with iFoodDS and Trustwell on a series of Food Traceability Final Rule compliance pilot projects, in partnership with some of the U.S.’s largest food companies. These collaborations will continue to scale throughout 2024.