The challenge to trace fresh produce

Food Safe and DTG will market and integrate the combined solution to global food producers thereby creating an integrated food-source management, marketing, source verification system, and food safety process from the producer to the consumer.

"We are intrigued by Food Safe's unique solution for safeguarding perishables and we look forward to working with Food Safe and major US grocery retailers and third party providers in offering a complete and reliable traceability solution along with Food Safe's current process to ensure maximum consumer safety and satisfaction which will effectively protect our customers' operations, reputations and businesses,"​ said Gordon Westwater, President of iPico North America.

"With the recent influx of mad cow disease and avian bird flu, there is a heightened awareness to see complete and accurate tracking and traceability for all food products that make it to our shelves. In addition to the traditional supply chain savings, the Food Safe solution will provide a complete protection solution."

Canada-based http://www.foodsafeint.com/ Food Safe and DTG are keen to exploit a perceived gap in the market. Food is one of the most mobile commodities traded internationally, and perishable goods are increasingly being shipped longer distances.

On top of this, consumers - and the law - are demanding greater assurances of food quality and safety. Both companies feel that they are well positioned to provide an RFID solution to track fruit and vegetable production simply and cost-effectively.

Unlike other traceability programmes, Food Safe claims to offer a proactive approach to food safety. The company claims that there is a growing international consensus that producers and food industry stakeholders require a reliable methodology and technology for verifying food production and food safety.

Stringent legislation, consumer concerns about food safety and growing pressure from retailers have forced food manufacturers to look at every possible means of ensuring traceability and efficiency throughout the supply chain. RFID is increasingly being seen as the most viable solution.

The importance of the concept is that it recognises the interconnectness of the food industry. It suggests that that closer collaboration between every aspect of the food supply chain is inevitable.

Legislation has been a significant driver. The recent US Bioterrorism Act and forthcoming EU legislation on traceability have added to the pressure on manufacturers to get their house in order and be able to trace products right through the chain. The problem traditionally has been a lack of investment in the food production sector.

This is now beginning to happen on the manufacturing side, through tracking and tracing and through closer collaboration with retailers. Industry experts believe that over the next few years, manufacturers will have achieved significantly tighter control over their processing and packaging operations.

Ultimately, it is in the manufacturer's long-term interest to invest in a system that can trace and organise operations from start to finish. The cost of compensation or a product recall means that the cost of installing an RFID systems is less of a factor than it ever was.