Demand for traceable products keeps growing

Demand continues to grow for traceable products such as identity-preserved field crops, and that growth brings some challenges now and for the future, says Lee Steinhauer, SSGA Market Development Project Manager.

Earlier this month, Steinhauer attended a virtual webinar by the Institute of Food Technologists entitled “Traceability in the Age of Supply Chain Digitization.”

Steinhauer reports that the primary goals for food traceability are food safety, improved public health, and better FDA response times.

One of the main topics was on the increased demand for traceable products. A lot of this focus is currently on aquaculture, but demand is quickly being required for all commodities, especially specialty grains. Some countries and products are requiring increased regulation and rules related to traceability information.

The biggest challenges at this time include the inconsistent regulatory landscape, the money required for hardware and software to be effective, and incompatible software that prevents the sharing or exchanging of data throughout the globe. It is projected there will be significant changes over the next 12-36 months with increased regulation and implantation on food traceability.

“I was a grain merchandiser and can definitely see the importance and challenges with food traceability,” Steinhauer said. “Logistics are a major part of farm to fork, and being able to trace those products adds value and confidence in the product to the end user. Transportation delays or damaged equipment can cause the quality of food and products to be compromised. With traceability implementation this could be monitored by buyers and sellers, as well as verifiable origination. To make this achievable, there would need to software that is compatible on a global level and have a level of simplicity to use.”