The agriculture sector in Australia is witnessing the first production implementation of GS1-based traceability, marking a milestone in maintaining the safety and quality of citrus fruits for consumers, both domestically and abroad.
The full-scale deployment of GS1 QR codes at Mildura Fruit Company is a result of a previous pilot program funded by Agriculture Victoria, with participation from peak industry body Citrus Australia.
Citrus Australia chief executive Nathan Hancock said the program emphasised the importance of developing robust traceability systems and GS1’s role within this process.
“The official recommendation of Citrus Australia to our industry members is to build traceability systems into their businesses, sooner rather than later and they should do so using GS1 standards," said Hancock."GS1 standards provide a solid foundation for future development, consolidation with system changes and integration with supply chain partners.”
Agriculture Victoria Policy Executive Director Sarah-Jane McCormack said the importance of traceability for the agriculture sector cannot be understated.
“Agriculture Victoria is proud to have supported this milestone achievement for enhancing traceability, ensuring food safety and supporting the sector to meet market access requirements around the world,” said McCormack.
The recently implemented US FDA Food Traceability Rule serves as an example of the growing global emphasis on traceability regulations, where companies in the food supply chain are required to provide traceability data back to the farm within 24 hours in an electronic format, enabling producers and packers to respond quickly and efficiently to potential foodborne illness incidents and mitigate risks of food fraud.
QR Codes powered by GS1 on citrus products, along with technology by solution provider Trust Codes, were used to achieve the milestone, as QR Codes can be easily scanned by consumers and supply chain partners with everyday smartphones, eliminating the need for special apps or scanning devices.
With GS1 Digital Link encoded in the QR Code, consumers and supply chain partners are connected to the internet, where they access product authentication statements, origin, brand stories and more. The consumer can also participate in surveys, games and feedback, creating an unprecedented two-way flow of information between consumers and producers in real-time, wherever they may be in the world.
