The Produce Traceability Initiative launches Traceability Technology Working Group

The Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI), consisting of numerous key members, has created a group to prepare for implementing section 204 of the FSMA.

PTI, consisting of Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA), GS1 Canada, GS1 US, International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) and its many volunteer industry members, has launched a new working group titled, Enhancing Traceability Through Technology, to help industry prepare for traceability implementation and address the pending requirements for section 204 of the Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) Proposed Rule for Food Traceability. Details about the workgroup can be found via the redesigned PTI website (www.producetraceability.org), which was recently enhanced to better serve the growing needs of the produce industry today and into the future.

“We are entering a new era for produce traceability,” noted PTI Leadership Council co-chair, Tim York.  “As the industry seeks to comply with the new Rule it was essential that the PTI consider how best to achieve compliance in the short and long term.”

Steve Roosdahl, PTI Leadership Council co-chair, added: “To prepare industry for traceability implementation success, the PTI leadership brought industry together to consider what future implementation might include.  That evaluation resulted in the establishment of the Enhancing Traceability Through Technology Working Group that seeks to offer best practices for leveraging the tools and technologies that enable efficient data capture, premise identification and data sharing, which continue to evolve.”

The new working group will focus on three core areas:

• Traceability
  • Develop data sharing best practices
  • Investigate a potential repository for lot number definition schemas
• Global Location Number (GLN)
  • Review GS1 global GLN guidance and consider North American industry requirements
  • Develop education, as needed
• Next Generation Data Carriers for PTI Label
  • Review existing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) guidance and determine specific needs for the produce industry
  • Investigate the potential of two-dimensional (2D) barcodes on PTI Labels

Working group participants, including more than 50 members of the sponsoring organizations, will collaborate to provide produce traceability guidance and assist industry in implementation decisions.