Traceability, a safety issue in the food industry

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Nowadays, it is essential to know what you are eating and where it comes from, allowing you to have greater confidence in the quality of food products. One of the ways found to ensure that all this information is recorded is through food traceability systems. With these platforms, it is possible to record all the processes and stages of food products in minute detail, so that their entire history is known.

What is food traceability?
After several events that negatively impacted the confidence and safety of the food industry, on January 28, 2002, the European Union defined the obligation to carry out correct traceability of food products throughout the chain.

The concept of traceability was thus defined as the possibility of jamaica whatsapp number database the trail of a specific food or ingredient so that it can be found or controlled at any stage of the product, whether in manufacturing, processing or distribution.

In other words, traceability is characterized by being a record of the history of a given product from its raw material to its distribution, allowing any element in the chain to know what the product is, where it came from and where it went.

What is traceability for in the food industry?
With traceability in the food industry and distribution sector, it is possible to comply with product safety requirements and maintain quality throughout the entire production and distribution chain. In addition, it allows the identification of processes and the path of food, ensuring agility and assertiveness in the event that it is necessary to withdraw a product from the market.

For the producer, this is also a way of increasing the sharing of responsibilities throughout the food chain, allowing identification throughout the various stages of production, reducing waste, enhancing the brand and increasing the loyalty of consumers looking for food with a certificate of origin.

Types of traceability
When we talk about food product traceability, 3 distinct types of product monitoring and evaluation can be considered: upstream, internal and downstream.

In the case of upstream traceability, the path of products to the origin of their raw materials is analyzed, such as suppliers, reception dates and batches and quantities received.

In downstream traceability, the person to whom the product was sent is monitored, with data such as the shipping and delivery dates, the products and batches sent and the customers to whom the products were sent being recorded.

Finally, in internal traceability, all data relating to the transformation of products is recorded, from the moment they are received until they are sent to the customer.

Advantages of traceability
When traceable food products, there are several advantages that companies can enjoy in their activity.

Improved relationship with suppliers – As it allows the origin of products to be traced, it ensures product quality and increases trust in suppliers.
Compliance with identification standards – Enables standardization of product data recording
Added value to the product – Presents all the information about the origin of the product, increasing its value and the quality perceived by the customer.
Food safety and quality – Information regarding the origin and production of food is available for consultation, facilitating adjustments to production and quality control processes.
Quick identification of defective batches – If there is a need to withdraw a product from the market, it becomes simpler to identify all customers who received a certain batch of the product.
How is food product traceability carried out?
Traceability in the food industry allows the recording of information regarding the origins and destinations of products through a unique traceability code for each batch sold.

This code will accompany the product throughout its life cycle, recording all the processes and stages it has gone through.

This data can then be consulted by any member of the distribution chain to ensure its origin and quality.

With traceability systems, companies can ensure total control over the products sold, which is a way of guaranteeing the quality of the products produced.

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