The way food travels throughout the supply chain from farm to fork is undergoing a serious change to align with the new ways consumers think and shop. Consumers want to know more about their food and where it comes from, which represents a major opportunity for food manufacturers and their trading partners to implement effective traceability programs. Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers can work together to not only deliver on expectations for transparency, but ensure a safer food supply chain. With so much national attention on foodborne illness outbreaks, now is the time for food companies to evaluate the effectiveness of current traceability programs, or accelerate the development of one if it has not yet been implemented. Putting traceability on the back burner could mean risking extensive brand damage.
To develop an effective traceability program, companies should focus on achieving supply chain visibility. By creating consistent and interoperable data-sharing environments, supply chain visibility enables trading partners to uniquely identify and trace products throughout a product’s life cycle. Supply chain visibility is one of the most important opportunities for the entire retail industry to lead their own evolution. Let’s look at some ways the industry can move from being reactive to proactive on food traceability.