TRACEBACK - Integrated system for a reliable traceability of food supply chains |
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TRACEBACK was a four year IP project with the aim to create a standard European traceability system applicable to the entire food supply chain and involving its key players from field to shelf. The main objective of the TRACEBACK project was to develop a well functioning generic system for traceability and information handling within food chains. To achieve it a complete set of specifications and technological tools to improve the adoption of integrated cost-effective traceability systems connecting product and information flow along the entire food chain was developed. The main objectives: - Analyzing and defining the food chains and identifying its sensitive points where there are risks for contamination or loss in quality of the final product. - Development of sensors and devices for monitoring, identifying and avoiding specific contamination or situations that might cause damage and loss of quality in food chains. - Development of a system for compiling and handling information generated from the sensors used in the food chain. - Economic assessment of the feasibility of traceability technique in commercial situations. - Pilot testing of traceability system in commercial companies constituting whole food chains. TRACEBACK developed innovative models and tools to support the implementation of an ideal traceability system for the entire food chain, characterised by objectively connecting product flow and related information flow, ensuring available and reliable traceability information along the entire food chain, accommodating technologies currently adopted by all actors of the food chain without imposing any technology change. To fully validate the TRACEBACK approach, two complete food supply chains were set, using real companies already working together in an existing commercial relationships, in the areas of tomato and feed/dairy distribution. Additionally, it was of the main importance to keep the coherence among the results of the project and the existing standards (SSCC, GTIN, GTIN+, etc), ensuring the uniformity of global standards understanding, interpreting events in the food supply chain and therefore ensuring the high level of safety in relation to food product. |
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Added value for SMEs The traceability system created in TRACEBACK was designed to be applicable to the entire food supply chain by any players involved in supply chain. A set of specifications and technological tools worked out in the project was developed the way to improve the adoption of any traceability systems including low-advanced systems used by SMEs. Any SMEs could adopt universal and innovative traceability system: a system characterized by objectively connecting product flow and related information flow, ensuring available and reliable traceability information along the entire food chain, a system based on existing standards ensuring the uniformity of global standards understanding, interpreting events in the food supply chain and therefore ensuring the high level of safety in relation to food product, an innovative system to prevent food chain crises (such as those evidenced in recent years), and therefore allows the consumers to make more informed choices regarding the producers of the goods on their supermarket shelves, a system that can assure access to qualitative data, proving quality of products. |
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Download the project description in PDF |
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More information: www.traceback-ip.eu |
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