New guidelines for improving traceability of fruits and vegetables have been set forth by the GS1 and the International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS). This joint initiative is in response to the demand from the fresh produce industry for better traceability of fruits and vegetables.
The guideline, known as the Global Traceability for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Implementation Guide, gives the produce industry practical ways to implement traceability practices using GS1’s standards. Global standards will help firms quickly identify contaminated products and effectively deal with product recalls.
The guide gives details on how to label the products that must be traced. For example, case labels will show the product’s Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) and associated batch or lot numbers with GS1-compliant bar codes. Case bar codes will conform to GS1-128 symbology. The bar codes allow quick and accurate world-wide identification of the product at any point in the supply chain.
The guide is available for download at the GS1 website. For more information, visit www.gs1.org/gsmp/kc/traceability.
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