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June 2011 The Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) Leadership Council and administering organizations are committed to fulfilling the promise the Leadership Council has made to deliver greater transparency, information, outreach and engagement. The PTI will soon communicate new ways to share information and engage with industry members who want to learn more or are working to implement the PTI. In the meantime, we wanted to share the following PTI updates with you on behalf of the PTI Leadership Council and working groups.
- Ron Lemaire, CPMA President
IN THIS UPDATE:
News: FDA's Taylor: Don't wait on FDA to implement traceability Are you waiting for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to finalize traceability regulations to implement the Food Safety Modernization Act before you begin implementing the PTI? That may put you behind the curve. Citing the produce industry as traceability leaders in the food industry, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods Michael Taylor recently told the PTI Leadership Council, "we know we are going to need to build on and embrace the work that industry has done." When informed that some industry members are delaying implementing the PTI until FDA regulations are finalized, Taylor discouraged that notion, responding, "When real progress is being made, we encourage that and don't want our process to be an obstacle." In other words: Don't wait, begin implementing the PTI now. Resources: Case label formatting best practices updated to provide field pack flexibility The PTI recently updated its best practices for designing PTI-compliant case labels, to help companies implement Milestone 4 (“Show human-readable information on cases”) and Milestone 5 (“Encode information in a barcode”). This best practice was updated in response to industry requests for technical guidance in developing the GS1-128 bar code and the addition of the four-digit voice pick code that helps overcome a major barrier to implementing the PTI within distribution centers using automated voice pick systems. This update to the best practice also amends its lot numbering protocol, in response to requests for more flexibility to accommodate field pack operations. You can view the updated case labeling best practices here. If you need assistance on case labeling, contact PMA’s Ed Treacy, United Fresh’s Dan Vache, or CPMA’s Jane Proctor or Angela Fernandez at GS1 US. Resources: Hybrid pallet labeling best practices updated with additional technical specifications To help the industry implement Milestones #6, "Read and store information on inbound cases," in this best practice revision the PTI has provided specific guidance on the recommended format, alignment and placement of the hybrid pallet label. The label also now includes the Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) bar code in a “picket fence” orientation.You can view the updated best practices here; for further assistance, contact PMA's Ed Treacy, United Fresh’s Dan Vache, or CPMA’s Jane Proctor or Angela Fernandez at GS1 US. Resources: Case studies offer why, how leading companies are adopting PTI
For more information on why and how leading produce companies are implementing the PTI, view new case studies now available on the PTI website's Resources & Tools page. Resources: Answering PTI's most frequently asked questions Why isn't our industry's "internal" current traceability capability enough? What are the benefits of moving to chain-wide, electronic traceability? What are the costs involved with implementing the PTI? What are the benefits? These are just some of the questions that are mostly frequently asked – and have now been answered – by the PTI. View these FAQs on the PTI website. Education: New PTI webinar series will offer implementation help Coming soon! The PTI administering organizations will debut a series of webinars this summer to help companies implement the PTI. Two educational tracks will be offered: one for beginners, and another for companies already in the midst of implementation. Speakers from across the supply chain will deliver the training. All webinars will be offered free of charge. If you can't participate in a live broadcast, all sessions will be recorded for playback from the PTI website. We will contact you with specific information, and instructions on how to register for these new educational events in the near future. Editorial: Don't confuse epidemiology, traceback The ongoing foodborne illness outbreak in Europe involving E. coli O104 demonstrates how critically important produce safety is to the health of consumers we feed, and to the health of the marketplace that we count on for our livelihoods. While the industry's injury is nothing compared to the human toll, the torrent of media coverage has added insult by often confusing epidemiology with traceback. The result is that the produce industry has been blamed for not being able to locate the source. In fielding calls about the outbreak in recent weeks, PTI spokespersons have worked hard to educate reporters that epidemiology comes first, traceback second. Our understanding is that once the food source of the illnesses was identified as bean sprouts, the traceback to the source farm went quickly. Our parting message to these reporters: Neither our consumers, nor our industry, can afford another devastating foodborne illness outbreak – and the responsibility for food safety starts with us. Communication: New ways to plug into the PTI are coming soon In the coming weeks, PTI will unveil several new ways for you to get PTI news, information and tools – and to engage directly with PTI representatives and colleagues. At the center of our communications plans is "PTI FYI", a new blog that will serve as an online repository for the latest PTI news and information. An Official PTI LinkedIn group, Facebook page, Twitter feed and YouTube channel will also be launched to connect you with PTI representatives and other industry members. We will provide more information and instructions on how to sign up for these new tools in the near future. In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments, please contact a PTI spokesperson. |
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