Marks and Spencer has begun using radio frequency identification tagged metric trays for delivering produce to its stores to ensure customers “even fresher food”.

The tags enable staff and suppliers to read pallet-load information upto six times faster, thus speeding short shelf life lines through the supply chain.

M&S food business unit director Justin King said: “We will see how this works on produce and roll it out to other categories after Christmas.”

So far 1.5 million trays have been tagged with a further two million to be filtered into stores over the next 18 months.

The multi-million M&S project runs alongside a general upgrade of supply chain and delivery equipment, geared towards reducing costs and driving buying efficiencies.

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