The Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) Leadership Council recently met to refuel industry discussions due to recent events having put a new spotlight on traceability, including recent foodborne illness outbreak investigations, release in Canada of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations and projects exploring the benefits of Blockchain for the food supply chain.
The PTI Leadership Council’s discussions included the importance of ongoing industry collaboration on traceability, and being able to track produce’s “last mile,” according to PTI Leadership Council Co-Chair Doug Grant of The Oppenheimer Group. “The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) romaine outbreak investigation, combined with an increasing number of fresh produce recalls, highlight the need to be able to trace our products through to the retail level. And having more buyers step up and implement PTI at distribution center and store level will also send a strong vote of confidence to our supply chain about the need for and value of traceability,” adds Grant.