Danilo Oliynik, general manager of returnable transit packaging (RTP) company Linpac Allibert, said: "Very little of the interest in RFID is actually translating into hard investment in the UK. Investment generally in RTP is still very depressed as a result of the ongoing recession, and the industry is still a long way behind the levels enjoyed in 2007."

RFID awareness remains strongest in northern Europe, including the UK, but all of Allibert's current RFID-related projects for food are with overseas retailers. Norwegian customer Norsk Lastbaerer Pool (NLP) is planning to introduce over 3M RFID trays, plus a third as many pallets, for grocery retail.

NLP emphasises the benefits for keeping track of assets, and so reducing supply chain losses. But Oliynik says: "The higher-order rewards come from the ability to capture data: knowing what's in a container, where it is, when it left its departure point and when it will arrive at its destination."

Allibert still has a non-exclusive trading relationship with Intellident, although the RFID unit was sold in December to Chamonix Private Equity, along with Linpac's Storage Systems, Environmental, Recycling and Metal Decorating units.