Wal-Mart, Labeling and the PTI

If you are in the produce business, chances are you’ve paid at least some attention to the Produce Traceability Initiative – generally referred to as the PTI. We have certainly spoken with many people over the last couple of years, but PTI compliance has tended to be somewhere on the horizon and doesn’t seem to have gotten the mind share it really deserves.

When Wal-Mart announce a month or so ago that it was planning on having produce suppliers comply with PTI, it must have come as a wake up call to the industry. Wal-Mart’s letter to suppliers is posted on the Produce Traceability website – you can see it here.

As you can see in the letter, Wal-Mart is asking that all fresh produce delivered to a Wal-Mart (or Sam’s Club) distribution center be labeled with a case label that meets the PTI standard. Product delivered after November 1st, 2013 will be noted as being out of spec. Starting January 1st 2014, any items arriving without the correct labeling will be rejected.

Sounds pretty tough, and not much time to get into line. The good news is that we can help.

If you are labeling your cases automatically, our ID Technology Printer Applicators are perfect for printing compliant case labels and applying them just where they need to be. We can provide you with high quality labels too. If you prefer to use high resolution inkjet printing for your case marking, we have you covered there too.

We have also produced a BarTender label template that includes that pesky VoiceCode to help you get started – actually, I’ll happily send you a copy of the label template to help you get started.

So, if you find yourself suddenly confronted with a demand for PTI compliance, give me a call at 603-598-1553 x237, we’ll try and make it easy for you!