Home > Implementation Guideline for Packers/Re-packers

This section is intended for Packers and Re-packers, where the traceable item may be a Trade Item (packaging product) that goes to Retail Point-of-Sale (POS Trade Item) or a Trade Item (packaging product) that does not go to a Retail Point-of-Sale (Non-POS Trade Item).

Examples of Packers/Re-packers are:

• Agricultural Cooperative
• Packing House
• Retail Pack House (e.g., Produce, Poultry, etc.)
• Retail Store (which re-packs or re-labels

Identification of the organization:

Packers/Re-packers need to use the Business Identification number (BID) to identify the organization they manage and then share that number with suppliers and customers. The BID is allocated by the Ministry of Health or any other designated government agency which maintains the National Business Registry for Food Operators.

Individual BIDs can be assigned to represent the organisation as well as any individual trading subsidiaries.

Capturing production inputs:

To enable traceability, packers/re-packers must maintain records of essential information related to the product they receive (e.g. produce, packaging material, etc.).

Information that must be recorded when buying or receiving, and retained:

Suppliers deliver their products in bulk using various containers or bags for transport (Trade Items). Common examples of Trade Items include bags, totes, bins and trailers. Each Trade Item must be traceable. For this reason, each Trade Item should carry a tag or label that shows the information about its content. This information guarantees uniqueness across all growing companies providing the product. Each time a product is received for packing, the following information must accompany the tag or label attached to the Trade Item:

• Supplier´s BID (Farm Id)
• Supplier´s name
• Commodity name and, where applicable, variety name
• Lot number (typically harvesting date)
• Code for date marking as required by relevant legislation
• Quantity

Packers/Re-packers must also retain a copy of the Sales Receipt given by the Supplier (or given by the Packer/Re-packer to the Supplier in the absence of). The Sales Receipt copy shall have at least the following information:

• Supplier/Seller name
• Supplier/Seller contact information
• Supplier BID
• Customer name
• Customer BID
• Product Description (Brand name if applicable, including variety
• Lot number or other batch identifier of the good (i.e. harvesting date)
• Quantity and packaging information
• Date of transaction
• Origin Address: Address from where the good was delivered
• Destination Address: Address of receiving location/trading partner
• Name and contact information of the transporter
• Any other information deemed appropriate by the Competent Authority

It is recommended to also record the receiving information in a record keeping system (paper or electronic form). In this case it is recommended that the following information is included:

• Sales Receipt number
• Product identification number (if available)
• Name of person who received the product
• Name of person who dispatched the product from the supplier

Identification of trade items and packer/re-packer information:

Each time a Trade Item is created and destined for a subsequent trading partner, this must be identified. Examples of Trade Items include trays, bags, cartons, pallets and others.

To assist customers with their subsequent traceability, Packers/Re-Packers shall attach to their Trade Items a label, in human-readable format, with all relevant traceability information. Products are labeled at the time of packaging or distribution.

There are two types of Trade Items that can be created by a Packer/Re-Packer:

• POS Trade Items: Trade items that go to Retail Point of Sale (POS). Normally Consumer Units.
• Non-POS Trade Items: Trade items that never go to Retail Point of Sale (POS). Normally industrial products, logistic units, bulk products and others.

Depending on the type of Trade Item there are different requirements to identify them and to label them. 

Identification of production batches/lots:

All packers/re-packers must assign a batch/lot number to products they create. The batch/lot number itself can vary from one organization to another, depending on the precision desired. For example, a batch/lot number can represent a day’s packing or the product packed from an individual packing line. Packer/re-packer batch/lot numbers must be internally linked to the original grower/harvest information.

It is important to remember that the batch/lot number relates to the scope of products that may be implicated in a recall and this needs to be considered during assignment.

How to identify Non-POS Trade Items:

For packers and re-packers, outbound Trade Items are typically bags, cases or containers. To identify Non-POS Trade Items, the use of at least the Business ID (BID), the Commodity name and the associated production batch/lot number is required.

Guidelines for labeling Non-POS Trade Items:

Each Non-POS Trade Item should provide the following data in human-readable format:

• Packer/Re-packer Name
• BID
• Commodity name and, where applicable, variety name
• Batch/Lot number (it is recommended to use the packing date)
• Code for date marking as required by relevant legislation
• Quantity
• Additional information required by relevant legislation (e.g., weight, price, Country of Origin, etc.)

Identification of POS Trade Items:

To identify packaged products that go to a Point-of-Sale (POS Trade Items) the use of at least the Business ID (BID), the Commodity name and the associated production batch/lot number is required. Some retailers also may ask for the use of a GS1 Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) to identify trade items, so the use of this standard identification in addition to the Commodity name is recommended.

Global Trade Item Number:

The Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) is a standardized and globally unique way to identify items traded in the supply chain. Where there is a requirement to accurately order, invoice, price or receive your product, the GTIN is the basic enabler. The GTIN provides a common language to support multiple business practices, including traceability. Where a product is sold under a brand name, the brand owner is responsible for assigning the GTIN. 

Assigning a GTIN to the traded items produced by a company:

Where product is sold under a brand name, the brand owner is responsible for assigning the GTIN. If the organization is the brand owner, the first step is to apply for a GS1 Company Prefix with a GS1 representative (normally the Bureau of Standards). If the company producing the item is not the brand owner, then brand owner’s GTIN must be used.

Guidelines to Label POS Trade Items:

Labels provide the means for identifying POS Trade Items to other trading partners. The label shows the product identifier (i.e., Product Identification number or GTIN if available) and associated batch/lot number in an easy-to-read human-readable form and, if required by the customer (usually retailers), should also provide product information using a GS1-compliant bar code. This ensures that the POS Trade Items can be identified quickly and accurately at any POS, anywhere in the world.

Each trade item label should provide the following data in human-readable format:

• Grower/Packer´s Name
• BID
• Commodity name and, where applicable, variety name
• GTIN
• Batch/Lot number (the use of packing date is recommended)
• Code for date marking, as required by relevant legislation
• Quantity
• Additional information required by relevant legislation (e.g., weight, price, address, best before date, Country of Origin, etc.)

Traceability Information to be recorded:

Traceability data is recorded (paper or electronic form) to ensure that the traceability link is maintained. The following list represents the minimum data required to ensure traceability between suppliers (i.e., growers) and trading partners (i.e., customers) of a company.

• Packer/Re-Packer´s Name
• Packer/Re-Packer´s BID
• Product Description (Brand name if applicable, including variety)
• Lot number or other batch identifier of the good (i.e. Packing Date)
• Shipped from location identification (i.e. shipping address)
• Shipped to location identification (i.e. address of receiving location/trading partner)
• Date of dispatch/shipment
• Name and contact information of the transporter
• Any other information deemed appropriate by the Competent Authority

It is recommended that the following information should also be recorded:

• Product identification number (GTIN, if available)
• Sales Receipt number
• Name of person who received the product
• Name of person who dispatched the product

Additionally, the organization must retain a copy of the Sales Receipt given to the Trading Partner (i.e., customer). The Sales Receipt copy shall have at least the following information:

• Packer/Re-packer’s Name
• Packer/Re-packer’s contact information
• Packer/Re-packer’s BID
• Customer´s name
• Customer’s BID
• Product Description (Brand name if applicable, including variety)
• Lot number or other batch identifier of the goods (i.e. harvesting date)
• Quantity and packaging information
• Date of transaction
• Origin Address: Address from where the goods was delivered
• Destination Address: Address of receiving location/trading partner
• Name and contact information of the transporter
• Any other information deemed appropriate by the Competent Authority

It is recommended that the following information should also be included:

• Sales Receipt number
• Product identification number (GTIN, if available)
• Price
• Name and signature of person who received the product
• Name and signature of person who dispatched the product from the supplier

Business scenarios for packers/re-packers:

The process starts when the packinghouse receives the produce the packaging material and other inputs. The packaging material and inputs may be received from multiple suppliers (manufacturing companies) and the produce from local farmers. All the packaging material, inputs and produce may contain multiple batch/lot numbers. In the packinghouse the following activities are conducted on the product:

• Sorting/grading
• Packing (under Target Packers’ Brand)
• Cooling
• Storing
• Selling
• Shipping

When packing, a label with the product name/description, product identification number (GTIN if applicable) and batch/lot number is assigned.

After the final products are prepared, these are sent to be displayed in the store.

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