New ISO standard on traceability of fish products to improve food safety

A new ISO standard on the traceability of finfish products, ingredients often used in dog and cat food formulas, is expected to improve food safety by supplying stakeholders throughout the supply chain with accurate information about the origin and nature of these products.

The new standard, ISO 12875:2011, Traceability of finfish products - Specification on the information to be recorded in captured finfish distribution chains, specifies the information to be recorded in marine-captured finfish supply chains in order to establish traceability. The new standard specifies how traded fishery products are to be identified, and the information to be generated and held on those products by each of the food businesses that physically trade the products through the distribution chains.

Institute of Food Technologists leads pilot food traceability programs

The Institute of Food Technologists will lead two pilot programs for the US Food and Drug Administration designed to test and study various food product tracing systems. The purpose of the pilots is to identify methods to rapidly and effectively trace food products throughout the supply chain, so that products can be quickly identified and removed from the marketplace during a food-related outbreak to minimize the number of consumers affected.

Under an existing contract with FDA, IFT will conduct both the processed food and produce pilots required by the Food Safety Modernization Act, involving multiple stakeholders throughout the food system. IFT will focus on data use and how data collection processes impact the speed and accuracy of traceback during an outbreak.
In the first phase of the pilot programs, systems currently used for identifying, capturing, storing and sharing data will be tweaked to facilitate data analysis. The second stage will use supply chain data to determine if interfaces between existing systems are sufficient enough to trace a product forward and back along the supply chain, as well as will evaluate the costs and benefits to companies and society.
"Our work for FDA over the past 12 years lays a solid foundation for us to conduct these pilots," said IFT Executive Vice President Barbara Byrd Keenan. "Since 2008 IFT has been recognized as a resource for product tracing information, linking the food science community with technology providers, supply chain professionals, public health officials, and others with a shared commitment to product tracing and food safety." 

Companies interested in participating or learning more about the study may contact Caitlin Hickey at chickey@ift.org or +1.202.330.4985 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              +1.202.330.4985      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Virtual Petfood Forum: Innovation is Four days away!

What innovations are happening in petfood that could help you continue to drive your business forward? Find out by signing up for Virtual Petfood Forum: Innovation on October 21. You can learn from experts, network with industry peers and leading suppliers from around the world—all for free and without leaving your office or home.

Think of Virtual Petfood Forum as an online event where petfood nutrition, safety and regulatory, production and packaging professionals along with veterinarians, nutritionists, technical consultants, sales professionals, C-level executives, business owners and buyers can engage in real-time interaction via chats, group chats, e-mails, Twitter or the exchange of electronic business cards.

Plus, this event will feature five industry experts sharing their knowledge on:

·         Innovation in nutrition and ingredients by Serge Boutet, agronomist and manager of petfoods and nutrition for Mondou Ltd. in Canada. Boutet has focused his career on developing unique petfood products, which in his mind starts with innovative ingredients. In fact, he says his suppliers often come to him first with their new ingredients.

·         Innovation in petfood packaging by Scott Whiteside, PhD, associate professor of the Department of Packaging Science and associate director of the Center for Flexible Packaging, both at Clemson University. Dr. Whiteside works with numerous companies on food and packaging issues. He believes some of the most innovative packaging in recent years has been happening in petfood, and he’ll share some of his favorite examples.

·         Innovation in marketing: exploring social and online media by Julie Lenzer Kirk, CEO and chief muse of Path Forward International, which works with businesses and entrepreneurs to help them improve, grow and succeed. Lenzer Kirk is a regular on Twitter and uses it, along with other social networking formats, to connect with her clients and help them market their companies and products.

·         Innovation in petfood processing by Mian Riaz, PhD, director of the Food Protein R&D Center at Texas A&M University. Dr. Riaz and his team hold several extrusion seminars each year, including one focused on petfood, and keep up-to-date on the latest advances in equipment, processes and techniques.

·         Innovation in petfood safety by James Marsden, PhD, Regent’s Distinguished Professor of Food Safety and Security and associate director of the Biosecurity Research Institute, both at Kansas State University. His research has focused on the safety of food products, particularly controlling dangerous bacteria and other contaminants in meat. He’s now applying his learning to petfood.

Registering for Virtual Petfood Forum: Innovation gets you access to these live presentations—including live Q&A with each speaker—plus the sponsor center and networking lounge. You can enter and leave the event throughout the day as your schedule allows—or, if you can’t participate at all on October 21, you can access an archive of the event for 90 days afterward. Visit www.wattevents.com.

Register online!

Visit www.wattevents.com to register for free to Virtual Petfood Forum: Innovation on October 21. You can enter and leave the event as your schedule allows—or access an archive for 90 days afterward.

Traceability for today

Consumer concerns over their pets' health are advancing the developments of petfood traceability standards. Read the full article in Petfood Industry.