Industry Needs for Traceability Systems

Traceability systems may be designed to include varying levels and approaches to improving breadth, depth and precision. A longstanding function of traceability has been to differentiate one supplier from another by providing their buyers and prospective buyers the assurances of a detailed and well-implemented program.
Exactly how much breadth, the degree of information regarding the product’s production attributes, is needed in a particular time frame is a matter of debate. In the heat of a crisis, such as an outbreak investigation, it is easy to overload the investigators with too much information.
Depth of traceability is related to the logic of requiring one-step back, one-step forward at each point in the supply chain. A significant, but manageable, barrier to a one-step concept are those commodities, such as mature green tomatoes, that may be co-mingled at various points from initial packing to re-pack operations.
Lastly, the precision of the traceability system will be largely dependent on how the industry collectively - or its members individually - wishes to define a functional lot and the scope of the losses if a lot is withdrawn or recalled. The balance between segregation and practicality in handling products that are not precision-manufactured but subject to the influences of season, soil type, variety and other factors remains to be worked out in full.
My next blog will discuss the key elements required in a successful quality-based traceability system - so be sure to check back in!