While committing itself to the principle of providing accurate information to consumers, the government has warned that there are "real practical difficulties in establishing traceability to identity method of slaughter to the point of consumption".
Although participation in this particular plan is voluntary, it may soon become compulsory to provide traceability of some sort.
"This raises concerns in relation to the traceability of meat ingredients and products entering the food chain, " it said, but noted that the findings posed no risk to public health.
But Bonanni says, increasingly larger businesses are also contacting Sourcemap to see how they can use the technology to improve the traceability of their products.
We also need to provide full traceability for all shipments.
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In a statement, the UFU president said Northern Ireland farmers had invested in a "birth to farm gate" traceability system in the local red meat sector, which was complemented by the Farm Quality Assurance Scheme.
Cost-effective electronic identification and traceability of sheep must be developed and delivered to the industry as a matter of urgency.
But apart from safety, the new traceability software should also allow packers and shippers to combine their tracking functions with marketing exercises.
And if something nasty did happen to slip through, the rigorous traceability and labeling requirements would allow swift identification and removal from the market of the offending foods.
In October 2007 producers in the United States and Canada joined forces to launch a plan called the Produce Traceability Initiative.
In 2008, for instance, when the European Union restricted Brazilian meat, alleging breeders weren't complying with EU traceability measures, JBS took advantage of its Australian subsidiary to export to Europe. (Brazilian beef exports to the EU resumed in 2009.) No Brazilian meat producer can export cuts to the U.S. because of U.S. safety rules.
In response to consumer preferences for ethical and sustainable sourcing, traceability, and quality, companies have also made bold sustainability commitments that implicate smallholder value chains.
But mounting concern about this lack of traceability has prompted the food industry itself, as well as the American government, to take action.
It said priorities have changed since and the legislation needs to better reflect modern food safety, new technologies and rules on the traceability of food.
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