Food and CPG Industry Leaders Endorse Privacy Guidelines for New Technology 1/16/2004
From: Richard Martin of the Grocery Manufacturers of America, 202-337-9400 or rmartin@gmabrands.com WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The boards of directors of the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) today endorsed guidelines designed for use by companies engaged in the large-scale deployment of Electronic Product Code (EPC). The principles will help ensure that consumers' privacy rights are protected as EPC is implemented over the next several years. Electronic Product Code is an emerging system that uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to automatically collect identifying information. The technology is currently being used for applications including highway toll payment systems and security pass cards. EPC has the potential to be used on many everyday consumer products as they move through the supply chain from factories through distribution centers and into retail stores. As EPC evolves, it promises to offer significant benefits to consumers and companies including faster, more efficient removal of expired products or recalled products and more rapid delivery of products to retail shelves. "These guidelines, developed by EPCGlobal for the use of our industry, are an important step in the development of EPC and RFID," said GMA CEO and President C. Manly Molpus. "As the industry adopts these technologies, we are committed to doing so in a way that protects consumer privacy and offers consumer benefits. GMA and its member companies will continue to participate in discussions about the responsible use of EPC and RFID in the consumer packaged goods industry." The guidelines cover four areas: -- Consumer notice: Consumers will be given clear notice of the presence of EPC through the use of an EPC logo or other identifier on products or packaging. -- Consumer choice: Consumers will be informed how to discard, disable or remove EPC tags from purchases. In most cases, plans are for the EPC tags to be part of the disposable product packaging. -- Consumer education: Consumers will be able to easily to obtain accurate information about EPC and its applications. Companies using EPC tags at the consumer level will help consumers understand the technology. -- Record use, retention and security: As with conventional bar code technology, companies will use, maintain and protect records generated through EPC in compliance with all applicable laws. Companies will publish their policies regarding the protection of any consumer specific data generated through their operations. The guidelines were created by EPCGlobal Inc., which develops and oversees standards for the EPC network. EPCglobal also provides a global number registry service for electronic product codes in the supply chain. The guidelines will continue to evolve as advances in EPC and its applications are made and as consumer research is conducted. ------ Grocery Manufacturers of America is the world's largest association of food, beverage and consumer product companies. Led by a board of 42 Chief Executive Officers, GMA applies legal, scientific and political expertise from its more than 140 member companies to vital public policy issues affecting its membership. The association also leads efforts to increase productivity, efficiency and growth in the food, beverage and consumer products industry. With U.S. sales of more than $500 billion, GMA members employ more than 2.5 million workers in all 50 states. |