NFC BARCODE: "A revolutionary wireless tag, based on printed silicon technology"

Printed electronics specialist Thinfilm is to introduce low cost NFC time and temperature sensors that can be incorporated into the packaging of food products and other perishable items, to enable consumers, distributors and merchants to use an NFC phone to check that a product has been kept at the required temperature all the way through the supply chain.

Global packaging producer Bemis Company and safety specialist Brady Corporation have signed up to use the new smart labels.

The development of the sensors follows the company's acquisition of Kovio's printed NFC tag technology. This will be combined with Thinfilm's existing printed systems technology to produce tags that can be cost-effectively added to products and packaging.

"The Temperature Label has a expected selling price of about US$0.50, or just under a dollar with wireless functions," Thinfilm told NFC World.

"The first Temperature Label will only feature threshold detection, such as upper and lower bounds," the company added. "Later products will add more functionality."

"The sensor label is part of a platform where other types of sensors can be used as well, depending on the customer's needs," Thinfilm continued. "Some time in the future, it will be possible to have a sensor on the inside that can pick up gasses, humidity etc.

"We have entered agreements with the Bemis Company and Brady Corporation regarding our Smart Sensor labels. We expect to demonstrate simple sensors with NFC read capability by year end."