Food Traceability

As supply chains become increasingly globalized and complex, the ability to track and trace products from farm to fork becomes more difficult, even as it becomes more important. Three things you can do to improve:

Tools for product identification must become increasingly robust to accommodate wider and more complicated supply and distribution channels.  

Food recall systems need to be adaptable to expanding distribution networks.

Enhancing visibility at each point in the supply chain and expediting the food recall process are at the heart of food traceability and tracking strategies.

GFSI And Food Traceability

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) was launched in May 2000, in response to a string of damaging food safety incidents, growing consumer uncertainty, and the need for global collaboration on food safety standards.  GFSI is coordinated by the Consumer Goods Forum, which includes 200 retailers, 200 manufacturing companies and 150 countries, and seeks to enhance efficiency in the food supply chain by minimizing disparities and emphasizing collaboration between various international food safety systems.  This is reflected in GFSI’s tagline: Once Certified, Accepted Everywhere.

GFSI recognizes specific food safety schemes (standard + management system = scheme) based on a specific set of criteria.  These criteria are built upon the frameworks of many systems:

Regulatory legislation and food law

Codex (joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Program), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles

Standards such as ISO 22000

Industry best practices

In terms of traceability, all GFSI recognized schemes outline a minimal level of upstream and downstream traceability for food.

Specifically, The Standard Shall Require:

That the supplier develop and maintain appropriate procedures and systems to ensure identification of any out-sourced product, ingredient or service

Complete records of batches of in-process or final product and packaging throughout the production process

Record of purchaser and delivery destination for all product suppliers

Supply Chain Visibility

Food safety relies heavily upon visibility throughout the supply chain – from suppliers to primary production, processing, manufacturing, transportation and distribution to retail or food service.