WASHINGTON -- Radio frequency identification technology (RFID) and the Electronic Product Code (EPC) could offer significant potential benefits to industry, consumers and society at large when fully implemented, Grocery Manufacturers of America here said in written testimony submitted last week to the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce Trade and Consumer Protection. While acknowledging that there are legitimate privacy implications concerning RFID and EPC, Mary Sophos, GMA's senior vice president and chief government affairs officer, noted that privacy guidelines for the use of these technologies were created by EPCglobal and endorsed by GMA's board of directors in January. While summarizing the development and potential benefits of RFID and EPC for manufacturers, retailers and consumers, GMA also pointed out that implementation at the item level is years away. For that reason, "enacting laws and promulgating regulations now would likely do more harm than good, as the benefits of these technologies have not been fully explored," Sophos said.
