'Lettuce' deliver on food traceability: new guide released

The origin of the food we consume has become increasingly important to consumers and industry alike. Significant supply chain interruptions around the world, coupled with extreme flooding within Australia, has resulted in a shortage of fresh produce, including organic, driving up prices and frustrating shoppers who may not realise why the shelves at the local supermarket are empty or when to expect the next lettuce delivery.

‘The Australian Guide to Implementing Food Traceability: Organic Produce’ is a user-friendly how-to guide for tackling traceability across the organic produce supply chain. It was developed by Deakin University’s Food Traceability Laboratory in partnership with industry partners Woolworths Group and GS1 Australia.

“Produce is an increasingly important part of Australian food supply, and we developed this guide to give Australia’s organic farmers assurance that their product is handled well and remains in premium condition as it makes its way to local retailers or to overseas markets,” said David Downie, Chair of Deakin’s Food Traceability Laboratory.

“Now more than ever, food traceability is crucial. Consumers want to know the origins of produce from farm to fork, why there may be a shortage, if a product is recalled and, with a notable increase in sales of organic produce since the start of the pandemic, it is vitally important that accurate traceability information is available every step of the way.”

The guide is one of three developed by Deakin to assist Australian businesses to be able to achieve end-to-end traceability.

Traceability supports the tremendous effort growers put into their premium certified organic products as they are delivered to consumers in an increasingly complex food supply chain that is now both global and inherently dynamic. Visibility along the supply chain improves the speed and accuracy of food recalls and it’s a cornerstone of actions to curb threats of substitution or contamination in storage or distribution.

Australia’s fresh produce organics industry contributes approximately $2.6 billion to the Australian economy each year and the market is projected to continue to grow. Australia is also the world’s largest holder of agricultural land under certified organic management, with over 23 million hectares of soil now organic.¹

Nicole Villiers, Head of Business Solutions at Woolworths Group, said: “For the organics market generally, and particularly for fresh produce, trust is an imperative. The pandemic has only increased consumer interest in having greater visibility over where their food originates and how it’s grown.”

Joanna Bunting, Future Traceability for Agricultural Trade Principal Director, said: “Traceability is not just about the origin of the product, but what happens to the product as it moves through the chain. Accurate and timely traceability systems show consumers that Australian products are safe and sustainable from paddock to plate, driving our access to premium international markets.”

‘The Australian Guide to Implementing Food Traceability: Organic Produce’ and other guides are available for download free from Deakin University’s Implementing Food Traceability website.

_{1. The Australian Organic Market Report 2021}

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/JackF