As part of the Food Safety Modernization Act, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a new rule requiring stricter controls over the monitoring of food products throughout the supply chain.
SCB: What is the nature of this new rule by FDA with regard to high-risk foods?
Fernandez: The new proposed rule for additional traceability is part of section 204 of the FSMA. It’s the last rule we’ve been waiting for from the Act, and it proposes three things to the industry.
One is a food traceability list, specific to high-risk foods that trigger mandatory product-tracing requirements for review and annual updating.
SCB: How has the food industry been preparing for the rule?
The second piece I would highlight is the work that was tasked to the Institute of Food Technologists, to go out and do tracing exercises with the industry to provide insight into what we know today as the FSMA. That’s where the idea of critical tracking events and key data elements came from.
GS1 was fortunate to be a part of that process, along with our industry players in food service, retail and the supplier base for fresh foods.
Fernandez: Critical tracking events are whenever there’s transformation of a food item.
SCB: What are the biggest issues and challenges with regard to food traceability today? Where in the supply chain does it become most difficult to ensure that?
SCB: Where are we right now with regard to establishing standards for food traceability? Is it a question of needing more development, or just gaining more acceptance of them?
Fernandez: Blockchain is one of several technologies that companies in the food system are looking at, to provide more visibility around the electronic dataset.
SCB: Blockchain seems helpful, but not absolutely essential to engaging in good food traceability.
Fernandez: RFID is being deployed inside of food cases today, giving visibility to the tracking of items.