Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Cross-Functional Food Innovation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • Newsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Food SafetySustainability

Track and Trace

IFT’s Global Food Traceability Center Launches Tool for Data Standardization

Data collection in food manufacturing
Getty Images
Photo courtesy: Getty Images / yoh4nn
September 25, 2025

IFT’s Global Food Traceability Center has launched the Traceability Driver, an open-source tool to strengthen interoperability across the food value chain. 

The Traceability Driver is designed to make it easier for existing traceability software systems to transform their data into standardized formats, supporting sustainability and supply chain integrity by enabling seamless data exchange.

The Traceability Driver automates the conversion of traceability data into compliant formats and comes with a fully functional, pre-built API for efficient sharing. It is deployed locally, meaning organizations retain full control over their data while benefiting from interoperability. By reducing the effort and cost of meeting existing data standards, it allows organizations to focus on their core operations while maintaining alignment with global requirements. As an open-source module, it can be installed by an existing software system to share traceability data in a standardized, interoperable way.

EXPLORE MORE

Food Safety Sustainability

“By designing traceability regulations around common global standards, governments can unlock the use of scalable, open-source tools like the Traceability Driver,” says Blake Harris, managing director of IFT’s Global Food Traceability Center. “This kind of solution not only makes it easier for industry and their technology partners to comply but also supports harmonization with other regulations and industry practices, enhancing interoperable, end-to-end traceability that strengthens the integrity of global supply chains.”

As part of the Traceability Driver’s development and testing, Koltiva — an agritech company helping make global supply chains traceable, inclusive and climate-smart —beta-tested the tool with its system in order to pass the GDST’s First Mile Aquaculture Capability Test. Before implementing the Traceability Driver, Koltiva was faced with the common challenge of aligning its traceability data with GDST and EPCIS (Electronic Product Code Information Services) standards – EPCIS is GS1’s standardization method for tracing supply chain events.

Documented in this case study, installation of the Traceability Driver was quick and easy, and the tool helped accelerate compliance efforts with the entire process — from installation to passing the test —taking roughly one month. Koltiva estimates a 60% reduction in development time in comparison to the initial planned three to four months needed to build and develop its own APIs as well as the reformatting of its data.

“The Traceability Driver’s potential extends far beyond the seafood industry as it is designed to be adaptable and scalable for other commodities that follow EPCIS-based standards, making it a versatile solution for diverse traceability challenges across multiple supply chains,” Harris says.

KEYWORDS: data collection data management traceability

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Bread going through conveyor belt in manufacturing plant.

    The State of Food Manufacturing in 2026

    Food and beverage manufacturers encounter significant...
    Processing
    By: Alyse Thompson-Richards
  • FE Top100 Food & Beverage Companies hero, gold lettering with black background.

    FOOD ENGINEERING’s 2026 Top 100 Food and Beverage Companies

    See where the world’s leading food and beverage companies...
    Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
    By: Alyse Thompson-Richards
  • CJ Schwan’s Salina facility.

    Recipe for Growth: How CJ Schwan’s Powers Pizza Production with People and Automation

    Blending advanced automation with purposeful design, this...
    Cross-Functional Food Innovation
    By: Alyse Thompson-Richards
Manage My Account
  • eMagazine
  • Newsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Food Engineering audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Food Engineering or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Illustration of businessman standing in the middle of a large scale, balancing between two green dollar signs at each end, one larger than the other. Blue background with very small white clouds.
    Sponsored by3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc.

    6 Questions: Before You Buy Food Processing Equipment

  • Construction crews use aerial lifts to install insulated wall panels inside an industrial facility.
    Sponsored byBurns & McDonnell

    Food Manufacturing’s Growth Calls for Integrated Project Delivery

  • Close-up of a group of freshly baked stuffed empanadas being transferred onto a conveyor belt.
    Sponsored byDorner

    Smarter Line Design Improves Food Manufacturing Efficiency and Throughput

Popular Stories

Maple Leaf Foods photo

Maple Leaf Foods to Consolidate Plant Protein Production

Illustration of businessman standing in the middle of a large scale, balancing between two green dollar signs at each end, one larger than the other. Blue background with very small white clouds.

6 Questions: Before You Buy Food Processing Equipment

Bread going through conveyor belt in manufacturing plant.

The State of Food Manufacturing in 2026

An image of baked bread on a conveyor belt with text promoting the 2026 State of Food Manufacturing report.

Events

January 1, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Food Process Engineering and Technology, 3E

Food Process Engineering and Technology, 3E

Combining scientific depth with practical usefulness, this book serves as a tool for graduate students as well as practicing food engineers, technologists and researchers looking for the latest information on transformation and preservation processes as well as process control and plant hygiene topics.

See More Products
Promo for the 2027 Plant of the Year Award


CHECK OUT OUR NEW ESSENTIAL TOPICS

Alternative Protein Automation Cleaning/Sanitation Fabulous Food Plants

Food Safety Maintenance Strategies OEE

Packaging Sustainability

Related Articles

  • IFT Global Food Traceability Center receives research grant

    See More
  • FDA launches challenge to push traceability tool development for food safety

    Preparing for FSMA 204: Food Traceability and Data Standardization

    See More
  • Report ranks global food traceability regulations

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 3rd ed.jpg

    Food Process Engineering and Technology, 3E

  • statical.jpg

    Statistical Process Control for the Food Industry: A Guide for Practitioners and Managers

  • Functionalizing Carbohydrates for Food Applications

See More Products

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • April 25, 2013

    Food Plant of the Future: Global Food Safety Impact on Facilities

    On-Demand: SQF 2000, FSMA, ISO 22000/PAS220 and other standards continue to gain traction in an attempt to create safer foods and beverages. 
View AllSubmit An Event
×

Elevate your expertise in food engineering with unparalleled insights and connections.

Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Food Master
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • Newsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2026. All Rights Reserved BNP Media, Inc. and BNP Media II, LLC.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing