Traceability is a fundamental concept for all supply chain players. It requires the correct collection and coordination of data.
The Codex provides a set of internationally agreed-upon standards for international trade in foods. These standards aim at lowering technical trade barriers, while ensuring food safety.
Until recently, traceability regulations were lenient for many segments of the industry. However, as FSMA requirements continue to roll out, that leniency is ending.
1. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
GMOs are genetically modified organisms whose DNA has been altered using modern gene technology. They have a wide range of uses including improving crop resistance to diseases and herbicides, creating food with improved nutritional value and increasing yields for farmers. The use of GM crops can also help to reduce the reliance on chemical pesticides and herbicides, which is beneficial for the environment. However, some people are concerned that the introduction of GM foods may pose health risks. These concerns are centered on the possibility that inserted genes could produce toxic substances or cause allergic reactions. In addition, the insertion of genes into plants can produce secondary and pleiotropic effects that could affect human health.
Currently, most GMOs are used in processed food and feed. Some of these foods are labeled as containing GM ingredients and a system of traceability has been implemented that requires documentation of all steps in the manufacturing process. This is designed to allow for the identification of any GM ingredient in a sample and to determine whether or not this material has caused any adverse reaction. Sampling protocols for testing GM products for their presence or absence are standardized and include methods like quantitative competitive PCR, real-time PCR and ELISA systems. These techniques are designed to detect the presence of transgenic proteins in a sample.
The sensitivity of these techniques is related to the size of the protein that is being detected and the amount of protein that is present in the sample. Consequently, there is a need for better technologies that can detect smaller amounts of protein and that are capable of operating under harsh conditions such as those encountered during food processing.
Many consumers are concerned about the safety of GM foods. According to a 2015 poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, 57% of respondents believe that eating GM foods is unsafe. This belief differs by gender with women being less likely than men to believe that GM foods are safe to eat. The poll also found that political ideology plays a role in opinions about the safety of GM foods with Republicans and those who lean to the Republican Party being 21 percentage points less likely than Democrats and those who lean toward the Democratic Party to believe that GM foods are safe.
2. Pesticides
The use of chemical pesticides in food production is a global issue that can cause contamination that may be harmful to health. Unsafe chemicals present in food can lead to acute poisoning such as diarrhea or long-term diseases such as cancers.
Food traceability allows the food industry to locate any potentially contaminated foods and halt their distribution immediately. This allows the public to be alerted of a potential danger and protects the reputation of the food business involved in a recall.
Traceability is a vital part of a national food control system and is used to track products through each stage of processing, packaging and distribution. It’s important for all stakeholders in the food supply chain to understand and get behind traceability as regulations tighten, especially as FSMA rolls out.
The FSMA requires FDA to designate which foods require additional recordkeeping and traceability. As a result, the agency is focusing first on areas and foods of highest risk. Produce is a key area, and a lot of progress has been made in terms of tracking and tracing produce, Dowling said.
These traceability systems allow companies to log all the steps of a product’s journey from field to store and back again, making it easier for the FDA to identify the source of any problems. However, a number of issues can prevent traceability from being effective. For one, many of these recordkeeping systems are manual and rely on multiple parties for input, which can make it difficult to find data quickly in the event of a contamination. Additionally, bad actors can manipulate these records to suit their own purpose and cause major delays in identifying a problem.
While the majority of traceability efforts are focused on large scale companies, all players in the food supply need to get behind it. After all, the risk of unsafe foods affects low-income consumers, small growers and society in general, not just those involved in the production of food. Whether you’re a fisherman off the coast of Africa or a global corporation sourcing ingredients, traceability can benefit everyone by strengthening planning for supply and demand, improving sustainability and climate goals and providing a nudge towards greater social and environmental justice in the way they operate.
3. Microorganisms
Microorganisms are the tiny organisms that live in the environment and interact with other living systems. They’re important for fermenting foods and treating sewage, as well as for producing biofuels and enzymes. They make up the human microbiome, a group of bacteria and other microorganisms that reside in our digestive tract and are vital for good health. Microorganisms are also responsible for many infections and diseases, which is why hygiene measures like washing hands and cooking food thoroughly are so important. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek and Lazzaro Spallanzani are credited with being the first to study microorganisms.
Most people associate microorganisms with disease, but the reality is that most microbes are beneficial. For example, Candida albicans, a fungus that lives in the intestine and mouth of 50% of humans, is not harmful, but can cause illness if the immune system is compromised. There are countless other examples of beneficial microbes that help digest our food, recycle nutrients and aid in the carbon and nitrogen cycles.
These microbes are found in the ocean, soil and other natural ecosystems and provide essential services that maintain these complex ecosystems. However, some microorganisms can be dangerous to human health, such as E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes. These pathogens can grow in the intestines or stomach, where they are harmless, but can also invade the body’s cells and attack tissues.
A common way that harmful microorganisms get into foods is through cross-contamination. This happens when a person handles raw foods (such as meat and poultry) that contain pathogens and then touches other foods or kitchen tools without washing their hands. Foods can also become contaminated through drippings from raw food on to surfaces or utensils.
Traceability is key in ensuring that consumers and producers are protected from these risks. For example, traceability will allow the industry to target the specific product that may be contaminated, which minimizes the risk of wider outbreaks and the costs associated with recalls. In addition, it will enable consumers and growers to be reimbursed quickly and easily for any products they have purchased.
4. Bacteria
Bacteria are free-living single-celled organisms that are found practically everywhere on Earth. They are the most common cause of food-borne illnesses. They grow in places that are warm, moist and have plenty of food. They also thrive on scabs, scars, skin, the mouth and nose, room-temperature foods, and in other areas of the body that are easily disturbed. They are prokaryotes, lacking well-defined nuclei and membrane-bound organelles, but with chromosomes composed of one closed DNA circle. They come in various shapes and sizes, from minute spheres and cylinders to flagellated rods and filamentous chains.
Some bacteria produce substances that are toxic to other bacteria, or to humans. These include the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism, and Salmonella, which causes salmonellosis. Other bacteria produce chemicals that cause food to spoil faster than it should.
The most common way bacteria get into food is by cross-contamination. This can happen when raw food or its utensils touch ready-to-eat foods that aren’t cleaned correctly. It can also occur when raw food is stored at too high a temperature or when it’s left out for too long. With Food Assurance Services, however, you won’t have to worry about bacteria in your food with the help of quality management and assurance systems.
Infections from eating contaminated food can be serious or even life-threatening. Some types of bacteria can lead to urinary tract infections, ear infections, eye infections, pneumonia, meningitis, stomach ulcers and other ailments. Others, like Salmonella and E. coli, can cause severe diarrheal diseases and other illnesses that can be fatal if not treated promptly.
Most bacterial food contamination is caused by unsafe food handling practices. This can include not cleaning hands or food-contact surfaces well, letting food sit out for too long, and not using refrigeration properly.
Traceability can help reduce bacterial contamination in the food supply chain. It allows food businesses to target the specific food products that may be affected by a problem and respond quickly to minimize disruption to trade and public health risks. It also provides a solid foundation for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems, which are designed to identify and control potential food safety hazards before they make people sick.
