The upcoming PMA (Produce Marketing Associations) Foodservice Conference & Exposition 08 will major on three of today’s hottest topics: food safety, food traceability and sustainability. To find out how food safety may affect buyers and sellers in the future, attendees can find out the status of food safety legislation and regulations, and hear updates on industry. Speakers will also dig deeper into sustainability and food traceability, discussing how PMA is approaching the multifaceted issue and sharing research of consumer attitudes on the subject. Experts will discuss how the fresh produce supply chain will address the produce-specific aspects of it, and help us understand what our customers expectations are.

A new report by the Food Standards Agency has specifically picked out Scotland’s red meat assurance scheme as a prime example of good traceability and animal welfare methods throughout the world. The recently published report (Review of uptake of FSA Food Assurance Scheme Guidance by UK Scheme Operators) is an overview of development of the UK’s various assurance. The report notes that the red meat Quality Assurance scheme, managed by industry body Quality Meat Scotland, has developed significantly since 2002. Food Traceability and animal welfare are areas where the scheme is leading the way in the world.

Traceability of raw materials used in the manufacture and processing of food products is increasing becoming a requirement of doing business rather than management nice to have. Foods scares, such as the BSE crisis and the Foot and Mouth epidemic have raised awareness as have issues related to being able to trace the use of Genetically Modified produce.

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Foodtrace EU a project about traceability. It affects all businesses and agencies involved with food. It relates to how we identify every single item that passes through the supply chain. Traceability is both recognised, and the concept established, within the European Union and legislation came into force in January 2005. (more…)

Worldwide demand for food safety is going to increasingly drive investment in food safety initiatives. Consumer and industry concerns are growing following several well-publicised food borne illness outbreaks, food product recalls and the discovery of contaminants in a variety of imported and exported food products. The fastest growth area is most likely to be in improvements to the traceability infrastructure as companies adopt new advances in traceability technology, such as the specialist food traceability computerised solution, FoodTrace online from Traceall.

Traceability and local sourcing local are what’s hot on the UK restaurant scene at the moment. In any dining room worth its salt you’ll see menu references to where in the British Isles a piece of beef, a carrot or a humble potato have originated from. And this year’s main industry Chef conference is including traceability as a significant theme.

The EU General Food Law Regulation 178/2002 established from 1 January 2005 the minimum traceability requirements for all food and feed businesses. In addition to these the Food Standards Agency has now developed Traceability guidelines which recognise the benefits that internal traceability systems can bring to consumers and industry. These guidelines are aimed at encouraging greater adoption of such systems and now cover whole chain traceability and animal feed because these are integral parts of a ‘farm to fork’ approach. (more…)

The issue of traceability alongside identifying all the steps in the production of food which may cause a public health hazard is central to establishing a system that ensures the production of safe foods (see HACCP). For example if animals are slaughtered in unsanitary abattoir conditions (more…)

Most Food Traceability systems only offer pallet, case or tray level traceability. FoodTrace from Traceall is one of the few to offer the traceability granularity to the ingredient level, within product, batch and job, which is required for effective and fast product recall (more…)

A recent Asian Poultry Conference reinforced the key role reliable global brands and companies play a in minimising the painful surprises of feed and food ingredient safety and quality, and guaranteeing food safety and traceability to consumers in the amidst of global consolidation of the feed and food chain.