What's Up-And-Coming In Food Traceability?
By Melissa Lind, contributing writer
Tracking and traceability has become much more important in the food industry because of both increasingly-stringent regulatory demands and the desires of consumers to know where, when, and how their food came to the table.
As the food industry’s supply chain continues to expand globally, measures to monitor and report issues during supply-chain movement are becoming more complex. Traditionally, food-industry participants have relied on regional or national standards for track and trace procedures, but in the future, this will not be a viable approach. Traceability cannot continue to be a side product of technology platforms, but may rely on stand-alone systems that can be integrated with other management platforms at a low cost for implementation.
One change that may offer potential for tracking on fresh foods is DNA Testing. DNA testing is already in its infancy with a number of methods already available and more emerging, including DNA-based barcoding and examination of the DNA of the specific product. Tracking methods based on DNA rely heavily on technology, which is now emerging as a cost-effective measure. The challenge to this sort of hi-tech solution is in adoption of the methods. Many industry participants are reluctant to buy-in to an unproven process that is not required by law. Fresh food producers may be hesitant to take the next step until advancing regulations require participation.
While some food-industry experts express the belief that DNA testing and other hi-tech methods are inevitable, developing technology is a long way from adoption due to high costs and the unfamiliarity with processes. Despite those who are less-than-enthusiastic about wholesale adoption, proponents point to existing technology such as DNATREK, a spray-on, edible barcode which rather than a reliance on carton labels or individually applied stickers, can be applied directly to the food’s surface.
Barcoding used on fresh products provides all the traceability data that barcoding used on other food types can provide and offers the same immediate reading. Proponents claim it provides a lower-cost method than currently-used systems and will satisfy the needs and requirements for a wide audience, including regulators and consumers.
In addition to data about the origin and transport of food products, future food labels may also incorporate information about the food’s requirements with regard to environmental storage and shipping. Actual monitoring devices may be incorporated into labeling and packaging, eliminating the guesswork involved in current methods of container shipping. Intelligent labels and packaging may also offer additional real-time tracking through cellular and satellite systems, which allows participants to react immediately to an in-transport event, rather than waiting for data reporting.
We may barely be able to recognize traceability methods in a decade or so. However, it is imperative for the track and trace industry to evaluate developing technology for integration into current technology. This will allow them to meet current and future requirements of both regulators and consumers in a constantly-expanding food supply chain. Movement away from pen-and-paper methods of traceability, or even computer systems which rely heavily on manual data input, is inevitable. However, changes may need to be forced by regulations, unless food processors can clearly see a positive cost to benefit ratio.