International Food Chain Integrity and Traceability Project

After detailed analysis of the supply chains between Australia and the US, a pilot solution demonstrating real-time compliance to a range of risks is not only considered achievable but essential in order to be seen as global leaders and preferred trade partners. This project will deliver significant and lasting benefits to Australia’s domestic and export dairy and beef supply chains.

Victorian farmers can expect greater recognition of the quality of their beef and dairy products in international markets as a groundbreaking supply chain system prepares for trial.

The Brumby and Rudd government-sponsored International Food Chain Integrity and Traceability Project aims to assure product safety, integrity and control on every step of the journey from farm or factory to ultimate consumer.

Convened by the Victorian Freight and Logistics Council, the first phase of the project investigated two specific food product supply chains linking local producers to US markets, via the ports of Melbourne and Philadelphia.

The result is a system for monitoring in real/near time product integrity, track and trace, pedigree and custody. The buyer can thus be assured of these credentials for the product while the supplier can confidently provide information, gain more visibility and control, and better manage the product once it leaves the farm or factory.

Project director Joe Giblin, of Icon Global Link, is confident this end-to-end supply chain system assurance can be achieved.

“We were pleased with the high level of monitoring already being recorded and this system provides integration of that data into a ‘dashboard’ for managers,” Mr Giblin said.

“A range of applications and systems already in use in the businesses will input reports into the system at critical control points, proving compliance with a range of standards set by customers and regulators.

“In the transport operations, we can record compliance with chain of responsibility regulations and report to management by exception. This information is then available to regulators and customers. For example, the system can avert multisample testing because it can demonstrate the security of the product and continuously receive monitoring data. That way, if a temperature limit is exceeded, the ‘use by’ date can be advanced or other action can be taken to avoid wastage,” he said.

“Our aim is not to replicate existing systems, but to provide a spine linking these systems and passing forward information with the movement of the product along the supply chain.”

VFLC chairman John Begley praised the contributions of the project steering committee and the bodies that supplied vital funding, noting the council was pleased to draw industry and government together to test a world-leading concept.

“The VFLC is proud to lead this kind of innovation in supply chain,” Begley said. “Overseas buyers are very demanding and our Victorian products need to maintain their share in a highly competitive global marketplace. We now compete not just on the quality and price of our products but on the competency of our supply chains — and this system will provide a technology solution to help us comply efficiently, while catering for the biosecurity issues we need to address.”

The next stage of the project is the completion of joint Australia–US industry trials, after which an industry education program will be undertaken, sponsored by the US industry—government partnership on biosecurity.