product identification data to be
encoded on labels in a common for-
mat that can be read by each receiv-
ing and shipping facility—including
DCs—along the supply chain.
Essentially, that would allow food
handlers at every stage of the
process to capture detailed tracking
data for their electronic records with
the swipe of a bar code.
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dards for improving supply chain efficiency and visibility across multiple sectors.) Specifically, each case must be
labeled with a 14-digit GS1 Global Trade
Item Number (GTIN), which will identify the “manufacturer” or grower, and a lot
number identifying the batch from which
the produce came.
As for when all this will take effect, the
deadline’s coming up quickly. The PTI’s
leadership has set a target of achieving
“supply-chain wide adoption of electron-
ic traceability of every case of produce by
the year 2012.”
David Senerchia, director of new busi-
ness development for printing and label-
ing specialist Zebra, says the initiative
promises to take tracking and tracing to
the next level in terms of both speed and
efficiency. “The Bioterrorism Act
required a trail of custody, but no
specifics on how you did it as long as you
could do it,” he says. “But a number of
events made it clear you had to do it rel-
atively quickly, and that made people
think about how they have to have elec-
tronic data capture. Growers picking
product five or six years ago were not
labeling the case, though they were keep-
ing records. Now, the case can go from
field to the local retailer or a full-scale
distribution channel and at each point,
we can store data in a common way that
all parties in the supply chain can share.”
In addition, the PTI allows the industry
to get a jump on new food traceability
mandates included in the Food Safety
Modernization Act, signed into law by
President Obama early this year. “The law
gives the Food and Drug Administration
increased authority to develop and
enforce regulations,” says Senerchia. “The
industry wants to get ahead of that.”
Products shown:
T5000r Thermal Bar Code Printer with ODV T4M Thermal Bar Code Printer PrintCart
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LABELING IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS
With that 2012 target date looming, labeling and printing specialists have been
under pressure to bring suitable equipment to market—specifically, portable
printers and labelers that can stand up to
use in fields and orchards as well as labels
that can withstand rugged handling and
remain readable. But equipment suppliers
have stepped up to the plate. For instance,
Intermec, a manufacturer of printers and
