Evolving pressures in the food industry are increasingly presenting challenges to achieving sustainability and compliance while maintaining profitability. It’s clear, however, that one of the most effective paths is through traceability in the supply chain. Innovations are revolutionizing how we track and manage food products, offering unprecedented opportunities to optimize freshness, location and routing—key factors in boosting harvest-to-home efficiency.
Regulatory mandates are one challenge, especially the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Rule 204 requiring end-to-end traceability for high-risk food items by January 20, 2026. The rule also presents opportunities for success beyond mere compliance. Traceability technology, when done right, is not only a compliance solution for retailers and food service companies, but also helps them meet environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals, satisfy consumer demand for transparency and reap eye-opening cost-savings.
Game-changing results from leveraging traceability technology are spanning pork production (Union Farms), seafood supply chains (Culinary Collaborations and Wegmans Food Markets), produce distribution (Ocean Mist) and restaurants serving billions of hamburgers (Golden State Foods and their customer McDonald’s). From achieving carbon neutrality to ensuring the freshest products reach consumers, traceability standards are proving instrumental in more efficient, sustainable and transparent food systems.
Building a common language for supply chains
“A strong foundation of data is crucial for an interoperable supply chain,” said Liz Sertl, senior director, Supply Chain Visibility, Community Engagement, with GS1 US, the leading nonprofit information standards organization. “Currently, supply chain information is stored and shared in disparate ways, leading to outdated data persisting and getting lost in email chains meant to resolve issues.”
This issue is being addressed in part by the wide adoption of GS1 standards in supply chains, but organizations may not be using them to their full extent, according to Sertl. For instance, packaging and data maintenance teams may be aware of the standards, but the broader supply chain and legal departments may not be. Using this common language can be a boon for trading partners.
A united approach to traceability brings benefits like lower fees and streamlined processes, Sertl said. “All organizations are different, and they don’t need to choose the same solution providers, but when you start with that base of GS1 standards, everyone throughout the supply chain can build on that handshake of information — that’s really powerful.”
Technologies such as electronic product code information systems (EPCIS) quickly capture data for products moving rapidly through the supply chain. Radio frequency identification (RFID) and 2D barcodes, including QR codes, capture and store information along the chain, beyond product identifiers. “This extra information, such as expiration dates and recipes, can be powerful for consumer information,” Sertl said.
Traceability pioneers: Real-world applications
Businesses that have adopted GS1 standards have had trailblazing success. For instance, Golden State Foods and their customer McDonald’s launched an RFID system to manage retail and warehouse inventory and monitor product freshness. This led to a more efficient, digitized supply chain, benefiting Golden State and their downstream partners.
“This was a huge win for them, but RFID may not be the right solution for everyone,” Sertl said. “The key is to start by working together with all your trading partners to understand the problems and then determine the right solutions.”
Culinary Collaborations has revolutionized seafood safety and sustainability with “bait to plate” tracing using the GS1-128 barcode. It captures crucial data points, including harvest dates and lot information, ensuring comprehensive product visibility. The company employed EPCIS for data capture and sharing throughout their supply chain.
From the moment a fish is caught, lands on a boat, is processed and goes through complex import and export systems, each node is meticulously monitored. “It is so illuminating to see what can be unlocked at each of those steps,” said Sertl.
Culinary Collaborations actively shares information at industry events to help others more readily meet these new standards for transparency and sustainability, Sertl added.
Wegmans Food Markets leveraged interoperability within the seafood industry, setting new benchmarks for sustainability, food safety, quality and ESG goals. Their use of GS1 standards streamlined data collection, and their supply chain responsiveness soared. This allowed Wegmans to make more informed purchasing decisions and quickly provide verifiable data on organic certification or carbon emissions claims.
Transforming agriculture and animal farming
GS1 standards are also transforming agricultural operations, as with Ocean Mist, which implemented GS1-128 barcodes for case labeling. This includes crucial information such as Global Trade Item Numbers® (GTINs®), harvest dates and lot details. “With greater transparency and accuracy, they’re solving problems,” said Sertl. Building that strong foundation may be painful at first, but you become future proof, with a base you can grow from.”
In the realm of animal farming, Union Farms tackled the challenge of capturing environmental impact data in pork production. “Their case study section, ‘Diary of a Pig,’ includes things such as how many times a person checked on the animals, how much water was used for feeding and cleaning and readings for temperatures and humidity.”
Tracking this data yielded remarkable results. “They achieved carbon neutrality, and they can prove it,” said Sertl. They also increased productivity and profitability (carbon credits brought an average added profit of $10 to $15 per ton of carbon per acre) and positioned them to sustain and improve the family farm for future generations.
Industry resources: Simplifying traceability adoption
As organizations navigate the complexities of new practices, collaboration and education can help.
“We can share what’s already been done and best practices,” said Sertl. “Whether it’s a webinar, a newsletter, or a one-on-one conversation, companies can start using the standards and realizing the benefits.”
The result: the rewards of improved practices and an environment where knowledge and resources are shared for the greater good.
