Why Food Traceability Matters

Importance

As the global food trade continues to grow more diverse and complex, traceability in the food supply chain has become a priority of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in recent years. Here’s why:

• Ensures consumer health and safety – Consumers are protected from health hazards caused by contamination through prompt announcements of product withdrawals and recalls.
• Mitigates problems and minimizes trade disruptions – Entrepreneurs, from growers to distributors, benefit from this system because they can locate and remove defective products from the market quickly and cost-effectively.
• Combats food fraud – Food counterfeiting, adulteration, substitution, and other forms of food fraud can be stopped when an effective traceability process is in place.
• Reduces food waste and promotes food security -A good traceability system for food manufacturing can eradicate the trillion-dollar problem of food waste. Ultimately, solving global food insecurity is a real possibility.

How Does it Work?

The food traceability system ensures that any food product is safe at every step of the production process. If a problem is discovered in any phase of the supply chain, appropriate actions can be taken promptly, and future occurrences of any problems can be prevented. Here’s a basic blueprint of what the system may look like:

Comprehensive Preparation

The various businesses involved in the supply chain, from the grower of a specific ingredient to the grocer in the retail shop, have all the salient information about themselves and the end product. Below are some must-haves in the system:

• Ingredients from various suppliers
• Batch or lot numbers
• Traceability information (business name, address, transaction dates, and quantities)
• Complete record of all information (made available when requested)

If anything comes up that would require a product withdrawal or recall, everyone on the team is ready to deal with it.

Immediate Response

If a raw material is identified as contaminated, production may pause, or a new grower or producer may be sourced. If the end product is found to be problematic, the process of locating and recalling it will be much swifter.

Safe Recovery

The general public is immediately informed of withdrawals and recalls. Subsequent solutions like replacement or refund are also communicated. Aside from promoting consumer trust and confidence, the brand gets to restore its reputation.

Preventive Measures

Since issues are quickly identified and solved through the traceability system, measures can be put in place to prevent these from happening again.

Who Guarantees Food Traceability?

Regulatory bodies all over the world, in cooperation with the FAO and the WHO of the United Nations, are doubling down in setting stricter protocols because global food trade has become easier.

In the United States, several agencies work together to ensure food safety and quality for American consumers. FDA food traceability systems involve the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Environmental Protection Agency, just to name a few. But this massive endeavor will not succeed without the other stakeholders.

All participants in the supply chain—farmers, factory workers, transporters, importers, and retail workers—should ensure that proper traceability. They are responsible for establishing a system apt for their industry and incorporating technology that makes the process more efficient, such as comprehensive labeling, barcodes, and RFIDs.

Consumers, the ones on the receiving end of the supply chain, are also stakeholders. Given the right information and safety assurances, they can make better decisions for themselves and help report problems that may arise.

Challenges

Food traceability benefits everyone. But this will only work if everyone is truly involved every step of the way. Unfortunately, that is not the case in all industries due to some issues:

No Traceability

Some companies, particularly those in developing countries and those considered small businesses, provide little to no information about their products. Without transparency, it will be hard to pinpoint the root cause of a problem.

Lack of Communication Among Participants

Because the food supply chain involves numerous participants, open communication is a must to prevent errors, minimize waste, and lessen inefficiency in the system.

Inventory Failure

Proper inventory management is a very important step in maintaining food quality, controlling costs, and reducing waste. Regular and more efficient checks are a must.

Aside from transparency, using up-to-date technology is one way to guarantee proper traceability. Creating networks where all participants can communicate, organize tasks like inventory checks, and even manage costs is a great way to make the system work.