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Food Traceability
PLEASE COMPLETE THE TRACEABILITY
SURVEY & FAX IT IN. THANKS!
IS FOOD TRACEABILITY AN ISSUE FOR YOU?
Traceability? Every participant in the fresh foods supply
chain has a system in place for tracing incoming and outgoing products. After
all, the 2002 Bioterrorism Act requires one step back and one step forward tracing.
For the most part today's tracing systems are in-house developed, non-automated,
and often do not integrate efficiently with trading partners up or down the
supply chain. Today the question is, does your traceability solution continue
to meet your needs? Can you track the source of every ingredient in a comingled
product? Do your case or bulk level tracing systems carry all the way down to
the packaged items in your deli and bakery counters?
IDDBA has been collaborating for several years with other
fresh foods trade associations to address these issues. We co-developed the
Industry Roadmap: Building the Fresh Foods Supply Chain of the Future
– go to (www.iddba.org/pdfs/roadmap.pdf).
This Roadmap proposes to apply to the fresh foods industry the same industry
standards for identifying, marking, and tracing that are solidly in place for
fixed-weight packaged goods. The Roadmap lays out in detail a standards-based
solution that applies to all categories of fresh foods.
But that's only the first step. We need an industry-wide
plan to migrate all of us from our current non-standard product tracing systems
to a single system that works throughout the supply chain. Do we need a deli
system, a bakery system, a fresh meat system, and a produce system? Maybe, but
the ultimate goal is a single system that supports all categories of fresh foods.
Since this work requires significant commitment and resources, the best approach
might be to solve this problem one food category at a time, as each industry
decides that the benefits justify the cost.
Since publication of the Roadmap, the Produce Marketing Association
and its partners have pioneered a case level solution for their membership.
They have initiated and driven the Produce Traceability Initiative (www.producetraceability.org)
through to an action plan to provide automated, standards-based, case-level
traceability for all produce products. Implementation of this plan entails seven
steps, the first of which has already been accomplished, and the last of which
is scheduled to be complete in 2012. The PMI Action Plan lays out specific steps
to automate electronic traceability through the supply chain. It offers a blueprint
for other perishable categories. Here are the milestones that we face as we
tackle the traceability issue.
| 1 |
Obtain Company Prefix Company prefixes are assigned
by GS1, and each producer must have one. |
1st Quarter 2009 |
| 2 |
Assign GTIN Numbers A GTIN combines the company prefix and an item
reference number to uniquely identify each case-level product. |
1st Quarter 2009 |
| 3 |
Provide GTIN Information to Buyers Producers/brand owners provide
their GTINs (and related data) to their customers. |
3rd Quarter 2009 |
| 4 |
Show Human-Readable Information on Cases Suppliers print human-readable
GTINs and lot numbers on each case. |
3rd Quarter 2010 |
| 5 |
Encode Information in a Barcode Suppliers encode the GTIN and lot
number in a GS1-128 barcode, which is placed on each case. |
3rd Quarter 2010 |
| 6 |
Read and Store Information from Inbound Cases Each supply chain
partner reads and stores the GTIN and lot number from each case received
(one step back). |
2011 |
| 7 |
Read and Store Information on Outbound Cases Each supply chain
partner reads and stores the GTIN and lot number from each case shipped
(one step forward). |
2012 |
The Produce Traceability Initiative has developed a
toolkit that lists best practices for each step of the PMI Action Plan, for
use by individual companies implementing the plan. All this can be seen in detail
on the Produce Traceability Initiative (www.producetraceability.org)
website.
PLEASE COMPLETE THE TRACEABILITY
SURVEY & FAX IT IN. THANKS!
MINI TRACEABILITY SURVEY
The Produce Traceability Plan from PMA is very well done and
offers a jumping off point for all perishables. To help us determine the next
steps for the industries IDDBA represents, we need more info. We know that you're
busy but we're hoping you would take just a few minutes to complete this
very quick little survey and fax it to us at 608.238.6330. It takes a
little more thought than just checking a box.
These are not easy questions to answer. Any change from the
product identification and traceability systems currently in place will be expensive.
There may be other more critical requirements for system-level investments.
After all, our current homegrown traceability systems (almost always) do the
job. You can be assured that as a member of the Fresh Foods Trade Association,
the IDDBA is remaining involved in this issue. We are ready to assist in leading
a traceability initiative for our members when the time for change arrives.
But we need your help. Your responses are very important and very much appreciated.
Thank you.
(click here for print
friendly PDF of the survey)
1) Do the deli and bakery sectors need to lead or to follow
the other fresh food sectors?
2) Is it better to step out ahead now or wait for government-imposed
traceability mandates, and possibly dictated solutions?
3) Is traceability needed all the way down to shelf-ready
consumer items, or does case-level traceability suffice?
4) May we contact you for clarification? Name_________________
Phone ___________________
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