Traceability in food and agricultural products
What is traceability?
Also known as the ‘one-step-back-one-step-forward’ principle, traceability is the ability to identify the origin of food and feed ingredients and food sources, particularly when products are found to be faulty. A traceability system allows an organization to document and / or to locate a product through the stages and operations involved in the manufacture, processing, distribution and handling of feed and food, from primary production to consumption. It can therefore facilitate the identification of the cause of nonconformity of a product, and improve the ability to withdraw or recall such product if necessary and prevent unsafe products from reaching the customers.
Importance of traceability in the food and agricultural sector:
Today, food safety is a worldwide concern due to a number of food safety scandals. Outbreaks related to Escherichia coli, African swine fever, highly contagious diseases such as avian flu in poultry, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and foot and mouth disease in livestock, presence of dioxin, and micro-organisms like Salmonella, Norovirus, Campylobacter, Listeria, Clostridium have resulted in heightened public and private attention to food attributes. Moreover, as increasing number of people undertake international travel, these outbreaks have the potential to reach pandemic proportions.
Characteristics of traceability systems:
A traceability system is the totality of data and operations that is capable of maintaining the desired information about a product and its components through all or part of its production and utilization chain (ISO 2007). A traceability system records and follows the trail as products and materials come from suppliers and are processed and distributed as end products (ISO 2005). Therefore, the basis of all traceability systems is the ability to identify things that move along the supply chain.
The basic characteristics of traceability systems are as follows:
- identification of units / batches of all ingredients and products;
- registration of information on when and where units / batches are moved or transformed; and
- a system linking these data and transferring all relevant traceability information with the product to the next stage or processing step.
These characteristics, i.e., identification, information and the links between supply chain participants are common, irrespective of process or product involved. However, the traceability systems may differ in the amount of information recorder, how far (back or forward) the system tracks the information and the degree of precision with which the system can pinpoint the movement of a particular product.
Types of traceability:
Implementing a traceability system within a supply chain requires all parties involved to link the physical flow of products with the flow of information about them. Adopting uniform industry requirements for traceability processes ensures agreement about identification of the traceable items between parties. This supports transparency and continuity of information across the supply chain.
External traceability:
This requires all traceable items to be uniquely identified, and information to be shared between all affected distribution channel participants. The identification of products for the purpose of traceability may include assignment of a:
- Unique product identification number; and
- Batch/lot number
To maintain external traceability, traceable item identification numbers must be communicated to distribution channel participants on product labels and related paper or electronic business documents. This links the physical products with the information requirements necessary for traceability. External traceability allows tracing back (supplier traceability) and tracking forward (client traceability).
Internal traceability:
Internal traceability means processes must be maintained within an enterprise to link identities of raw materials to those of the finished goods. When one material is combined with others, and processed, reconfigured, or repacked, the new product must have its own Unique Product Identifier. The linkage must be maintained between this new product and its original material inputs (such as batters, breading, seasonings, marinades, salt, packaging materials, and many other inputs) to maintain traceability. A label showing the Lot Number of the traceable input item should remain on the packaging until that entire traceable item is depleted. This principle applies even when the traceable item is part of a larger packaging hierarchy (such as cases, pallets, or shipment containers).
Effectiveness of traceability systems:
In all cases, traceability depends on the correct collection and recording of relevant data, coordinated within the context of a food safety management system. Analytical tests (e.g., DNA tracking or forms of mass spectrometry to verify origin) may be able to be performed to verify data. A traceability system is effective when food products can be completely traced across the food supply chain. The information should be readily accessible in order to know what, how much and from where product/s need to be recalled in case of food safety issues.
How to implement traceability requirements:
There are several means and methods to achieve traceability. There is a tendency to not always well define the required standard, leaving room for the organization(s) concerned to establish its/their own methods. Thus, other than checking whether the required quality system elements are in place, most organizations verify the effectiveness of traceability based on tracking and tracing exercises i.e., measuring the ability to provide information within defined time periods. So called “input / output” analyses are utilized to verify numbers, volumes or weights of inputs, outputs and waste balances.
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