March/April 2023 - 20

PMMI
THE ASSOCIATION FOR PACKAGING AND PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES
Digital platforms help power
traceability, increase food safety
Despite industry
By Jorge
Izquierdo
Vice President of
Market Development,
PMMI
efforts to maximize
food safety, it's not
uncommon for produce
to be associated with
a recall related to
cases of foodborne
illnesses. In recent
years, onions, romaine
lettuce, sprouts and
fresh salads have
been recalled for this
reason.
Recalls are expensive,
potent ial ly devastat ing to brand
reputation and challenging to execute.
It's not easy to identify and locate affected
product, especially if it was used as an
ingredient.
Digital
technology can provide
traceability and help pinpoint exactly
which packages need to be recalled. With
this technology, a QR (quick response)
code or radio frequency identification
tag provides each package with a unique
identity. By scanning the code or tag, the
stakeholder - e.g., wholesaler, retailer,
consumer - learns about the origin of
the product and whether that package
needs to be recalled.
The scan of the QR code also can
provide other information like quality
certifications, recipes, and the product's
sustainability profile. In addition,
the code opens the door to two-way
communication - purchaser to brand
owner - by allowing the consumer to
give feedback about the product.
Digital platforms also simplify food
safety and quality management by
automating data collection and analysis.
Since issues can be identified more quickly
and addressed proactively, produce
processors reap numerous benefits. Digital
platforms can:
* Yield more sellable product
* Reduce inventory
* Improve food safety
20 MARCH/APR I L 2 023
* Increase shipping accuracy and
efficiency
* Enhance brand protection
* Simplify regulatory compliance
* Lower testing costs
* Minimize the risk of a recall
* Prevent waste
To further support the visibility and
agility needed for traceability, labeling
functions are shifting toward digital,
frequently cloud-based, platforms where
the technology eliminates labeling errors
associated with manual processes and
simplifies the online integration of
printers, coders, cameras, and sensors.
Cloud-based platforms are rapidly gaining
share. In fact, the 2022 Gartner technology
report predicts, " cloud-native platforms
will serve as the foundation for more than
95% of new digital initiatives by 2025 -
up from less than 40% in 2021. " (1)
Transitioning to digital technology
also will help produce processors comply
with the Food Safety Modernization
Act (FSMA) section 204, Enhancing
Tracking and Tracing of Food and
Recordkeeping, and its supporting
regulation, final rule on Requirements for
Additional Traceability Records for Certain
Foods. The latter is a key component
of the FDA's New Era of Smarter Food
Safety blueprint, an initiative the agency
announced in July 2020 to enhance
traceability, improve predictive analytics,
respond more rapidly to outbreaks of
foodborne illness, address new business
models, reduce contamination of food,
and foster the development of stronger
food safety cultures.
The requirements specified in the final
rule will make it possible for stakeholders
to identify and remove potentially
contaminated food from the marketplace
and thereby minimize the number of
foodborne illnesses and/or deaths more
quickly. (2)
The final rule establishes traceability
recordkeeping requirements, beyond
those in existing regulations, for persons
who manufacture, process, pack or hold
foods included on the Food Traceability
List (FTL). With some exceptions, the
FTL includes fresh cucumbers, melons,
peppers, sprouts, tomatoes, and tropical
tree fruits; fresh herbs; fresh and freshcut
leafy greens; fresh-cut fruits and
vegetables; and ready-to-eat deli salads
(refrigerated).
Based on a risk-ranking model, the
list can be expanded as needed using
FDA's notice and comment rulemaking
process. Records for these products must
contain Key Data Elements associated
with specific Critical Tracking Events
and provide information to FDA within
24 hours or a timeframe agreeable to
the agency.
The addit iona l recordkeeping
requirements apply not only to the foods
listed on the FTL but also to products that
contain the listed food as an ingredient,
if it remains in the same form (e.g.,
fresh) in which it appears on the list. The
final rule is scheduled to take effect on
Jan. 20, 2026. (2)
In another effort to reduce foodborne
illness, FDA is developing a series of
Prevention Strategies to Enhance Food
Safety that target specific commodityhazard
pairings. The first three in the
series focus on bulb onions, imported
enoki and wood ear mushrooms, and
infant formula.
During the strategy development
process, FDA food safety experts engage
with industry, state, international, and
other partners to:
* Review outbreak trends associated with
certain commodities
* Explore environmental factors that
may contribute to contamination in
various locations, such as facilities or
in more open landscapes like farms
* Review issues related to specific
foodborne hazards to identify potential
See PMMI, Page 21
March/April 2023

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