It has been a year since Pick 'n Pay was under the spotlight with allegations of an extortion campaign targeting stores in the group. At the time, CEO Sean Summers issued a statement saying that "the company was being blackmailed by an individual who threatened to place poisoned goods on store shelves". Security at stores around the country was stepped up and the lines that had been threatened by the extortionist were withdrawn from the shelves. By August though, all recalled lines were back on store shelves. After extensive testing, toxicologists and forensic experts found that the affected products had not been deliberately contaminated with cyanide and were safe for consumption.
What the 'extortion' saga did manage to do, however, is heighten people's awareness of security in the retail industry.
Deloitte (a member of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu) reports that consumer concerns have increased over the safety of the food they eat. (Source: Deloitte)
Some of the issues of concern include allergies to certain foods, genetically modified foods and sloppy slaughtering processes. In an attempt to govern the laws of food processing, manufacturers and retailers are implementing RFID technology into their supply chains.
For consumers, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags will be placed on all food products and will contain information about the product such as the ingredients, warnings for allergies, nutritional information, expiration date etc.
The tag will also contain information about the supply chain: when the product left the factory, where it was delivered, how long it was in transit before it reached the retailer - this information will only be accessible to the retail sector.
Implementing RFID technology can be applied to various industries and with many advantages. Some examples include tagging your children at an amusement park to track them at all times, taking stock, tracking and monitoring dangerous goods at all times, etc.
Deloitte will be displaying its RFID products and services at the only RFID conference in Pan Africa, which is taking place from 3 to 5 August at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
Safety in court
A total of R75 million has been allocated in this year's budget to improve security measures at courts, according to Justice Minister, Brigitte Mabandla. The Minister is reported to have said it was the government's intention to furnish all courts with a basic standard of security, such as metal detectors, with supplementary measures in locations where additional security risks were identified. The Star reported on 15 June that "as a result of the justice department's restructuring and the high importance placed on security at courts, a security directorate had been established in the director-general's office."
Prevention is better than cure (pardon the age-old cliché) but the irony is that crime drives the evolution of technology, which is what Hi-Tech Security Solutions is all about. This month we focus on security in the retail industry and offer some interesting reads on bar coding, RFID, asset management and security seals, among others.
Till next month,
Lynne Larsen
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