The International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association (IDDBA), the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and GS1 US have released a new implementation guideline for leveraging GS1 global standards for traceability business processes in the dairy, deli and bakery supply chain. The Traceability for Dairy, Deli & Bakery US Implementation Guideline is available at www.gs1us.org/industries/fresh-foods/dairy-deli-bakery/guide.

The guide was developed with input from industry stakeholders to provide best practice recommendations to help dairy, deli and bakery manufacturers, exporters, wholesalers, suppliers, distributors, retailers, foodservice operators and service providers improve product traceability processes by leveraging GS1 Standards.

“Companies that implement the guidelines can establish an effective traceability program by identifying, capturing, and sharing product data along the supply chain leveraging GS1 Standards,” says Angela Fernandez, vice president, grocery retail and consumer packaged goods at GS1 US. “By utilizing GS1 Standards for external product traceability, the entire industry will see improvements in supply chain visibility, business efficiency and food safety.”

The guidelines apply to all types of dairy, deli and bakery products, demonstrating precise “how to” instructions for product identification, use of batch/lots numbers, barcodes and other standards needed for traceability processes. It also includes a section on recalls with steps supply chain participants can follow should a product withdrawal or recall occur.

Additionally, to support the industry in implementing the traceability guidelines, GS1 US has developed the GS1 US Dairy, Deli, & Bakery Traceability Readiness Program that includes educational webinars, interactive tools and resources, and a community of industry peers and standards experts with whom industry professionals can share industry best practices and discuss implementation challenges.

To learn about the GS1 US Dairy, Deli & Bakery Traceability Readiness Program, visit www.gs1us.org/DDBreadiness.