Paris (France), 19 May 2026 – Kermené, a leading player in the agri-food industry and exclusive supplier to E.Leclerc supermarkets, announces the formation of a strategic partnership with Zetes, the recognised expert in traceability solutions and automation. In deploying the ZetesMedea Shipping Verification solution in its production facilities, Kermené has reached a new level in securing its flows and improving operational performance.
The critical importance of traceability in the ultra-fresh sector
With 4000 employees, turnover of 1.2 billion euros, seven production facilities, and almost 100,000 boxes shipped on a daily basis, Kermené operates one of the most demanding logistics chains in the agri-food sector. This means that, for Kermené, ensuring flawless traceability is not just an operational requirement: it is a commitment embedded in the company's industrial DNA.
Kermené used to see some errors of labelling or pallet composition occurring due to manual operations. In a sector where a single incorrectly tracked box can lead to a major health risk, the need for a robust, reliable, automated solution was fundamental.
Automated, accurate, and scalable control
Kermené chose the ZetesMedea Shipping Verification solution for its ease of integration and its robustness. The in-house teams can perform maintenance themselves, which fits perfectly into the company's industrial culture. Zetes installed 11 automatic pallet control camera gates on five production sites all over France, to ensure reliable and consistent control throughout the network.
Based on ImageID technology, the ZetesMedea Shipping Verification solution now checks every pallet before it goes out to the logistics platform. The cameras automatically read all the barcodes and check the number of boxes, the batch numbers, the use-by dates and the product catalogue numbers.
In addition, the system has been upgraded with AI: an artificial intelligence module, specially trained with images captured on the site, immediately detects any unlabelled box, missing parcel, or irregularity.
Upon validation of the operation, a pallet label is generated automatically, and all the information (data and images) is sent to the ERP systems, ensuring instantaneous and secure updating of traceability.
Immediate, measurable operational benefits
Since commissioning this system, Kermené has seen immediate, measurable operational benefits. Traceability is now 100% controlled, with every box identified and linked to its pallet, so there will be no more phantom boxes or shipping errors. Inspection time has fallen dramatically: whereas manual scanning could require up to 144 scans taking more than a minute, the Zetes solution completes this operation in 5 seconds.
These improvements have resulted in a significant rise in productivity, saving 5 FTE; personnel reassigned to higher value-added tasks. Finally, the reliability of the system secures quality control, providing real guarantees to Kermené for its highly sensitive ultra-fresh products.
A key component of Kermené's industrial excellence
“At Kermené, we work with true partners, not just suppliers Once we have chosen them, we go forward together in a long-term arrangement, with very exacting requirements. Zetes absolutely fits into this vision, bringing expertise, innovation, and responsiveness,” explains Arnaud Valet, Head of Tertiary Processing Plants and Supply Chain at Kermené.
“At Kermené, we work with true partners, not just suppliers Once we have chosen them, we go forward together in a long-term arrangement, with very exacting requirements. Zetes absolutely fits into this vision, bringing expertise, innovation, and responsiveness,” explains Arnaud Valet, Head of Tertiary Processing Plants and Supply Chain at Kermené.
This partnership is a major step forward for Kermené in its ambition to invest in cutting-edge technologies to guarantee flawless quality and secure its entire supply chain. With the ZetesMedea Shipping Verification solution, the producer now has one of the most efficient systems in the sector, capable of ensuring flawless traceability and total control of its flows, for the benefit of E.Leclerc stores and consumers.
- END -
About Kermené
Kermené, a subsidiary of the E.Leclerc cooperative since 1978, is a leading player in the French agri-food sector.
The company now has five production sites and two logistics platforms in Brittany. It employs more than 4000 people and produces 1200 different products. Kermené supplies fresh meat and deli meats to all E.Leclerc stores for their traditional, fresh packaged, and self-service aisles.
For more information, please go to: www.kermene.fr
