Consumer confidence in food safety depends on packaging

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August 4, 2008 - With Salmonella outbreak in its fourth month, it’s been difficult for consumers to know what to buy with attention initially centering on tomatoes, later on peppers. Succession of warnings, difficulty identifying product variety and where it was grown leave many consumers simply avoiding all tomatoes, peppers. Although country-of-origin labeling rules, taking effect 30 September 2008, should help reduce confusion, growers, packers, importers, food processors, regulators need to do more to ensure food is traceable from field to fork. Traceability depends on careful record keeping throughout supply chain as well as some method of identification on produce packaging, perhaps produce itself. Produce marking options include pressure-sensitive label with identification number or barcode, laser coding such as Natural Light Labeling System from Durand-Wayland, Inc., LaGrange, GA, or FoodMark system from Datalase Ltd., Widnes, UK. Options for distribution packaging, pallets include barcode labels or radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. US Senate considers FDA Food Safety Modernization Act of 2008, which would require stronger agricultural practices for fresh fruits, vegetables, give Food and Drug Administration mandatory recall authority. On industry front, Food Traceability: Securing the Food Supply Chain workshop at RFID World 2008 conference, 8-10 September 2008 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV, describes product traceability project undertaken in Hawaii, discusses integrating paper trail with product trail, temperature monitoring in supply chain.
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