Over the years, due to globalisation, advances in food preservation techniques and refrigeration, and increased consumer demand for esoteric, exotic ingredients, the global food supply chain has become increasingly intertwined and complex.
As such, ingredients and meals come to the UK from all four corners of the globe, and go through several stages, pass through many hands, and endure plenty of air miles, to get here.
This is where a food traceability system comes in. For a food business to be profitable, accountable and responsible, it’s essential that they know exactly when, where and how their food has travelled. To explore a little further, here are 5 reasons why food traceability matters for your business.
FIRSTLY, WHAT IS FOOD TRACEABILITY?
First of all, let’s get familiar with what food traceability is. The term simply refers to having the ability to find out detailed, clear information about the origin of any ingredient or food product, as well as the steps it has taken in its journey to your food business, your fridge or your plate.
This is achieved through advance recording on inventories and keeping proper documentation. In recent years, technological advancements have made food traceability much more intricate – in the not too distant future, it’s predicted that by simply scanning a price or identification tag, the consumer or buyer will be able to access a wealth of information regarding the origin of an ingredient.
The world, it seems, is our ever more traceable oyster.
WHY FOOD TRACEABILITY IS IMPORTANT
Let’s take a closer look at why businesses should be prioritising this and investing in a quality food traceability system to ensure they’re keeping up with the times and are able to access the most up-to-date information on their ingredients.
ENSURES FOOD SAFETY & ACCOUNTABILITY
Research by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) published in 2020 estimated that there are around 2.4 million cases of foodborne illness in the UK each year.
It’s vital, then, for consumer safety, that dates all along the supply chain are clear, correct and quantifiable. This enables the endpoint in the process (the restaurant, chef, baker) to understand just how long the ingredient or food product they’re intending to serve has been in circulation. This ensures safety for the consumer.
Food traceability also matters for a restaurant’s accountability should a customer fall ill, helping to identify what may have possibly caused the illness (and more importantly, ruling out who/what didn’t cause it), and offering evidence that due process and health and safety procedures were followed by the establishment in question.
Finally, food traceability can help food providers send back expired, out-of-date or damaged goods and receive a refund without a fractious dispute with suppliers.
REDUCES FOOD WASTE & SPOILAGE
This more intricate tracking of precisely where your food has come from, who has handled it, and, decisively, when it was shipped, helps a food business reduce their waste in several ways.
Firstly, restaurants and other food providers are able to better time their orders to ensure ingredients and other food products arrive at their peak (or even slightly before that time).
Secondly, by being able to track exactly where an ingredient is along its delivery journey, restaurants and other food providers can write menus that best make use of what’s already in stock and anticipate what’s going to be in stock soon with greater precision.
Finally, by knowing precisely what’s arriving and when – now possible through technological advances in food traceability – a food business can ensure that they don’t over order, thus reducing food waste and protecting the business’ bottom line.
ENSURES TRANSPARENCY FOR THE CONSUMER
We’ve all encountered the term ‘farm to table’. But what if that farm doesn’t actually exist, and is instead a form of deception used by multinational corporations?
Several recent exposés in the UK have revealed that many of our high street stores and supermarkets use ‘fake farms’ to give the impression of British, artisan operations rather than mass-produced, battery farmed products.
This is why food traceability is vital for the discerning consumer keen to enjoy food products that have been raised properly and kindly, and sourced ethically.
Precision within food traceability also reassures the consumer that the human rights of producers, farmers, growers and more have been respected along the food supply chain.
The demands of consumers have changed over recent years, and for food businesses, offering this transparency will likely lead to brand loyalty later down the line.
ENHANCES CREDIBILITY AND OVERALL BRAND
When you are honest and transparent with customers, this is something that is going to boost your brand overall. You become a trusted brand that allows consumers to learn more about your processes through having a food traceability system.
In doing so, they become more engaged with your product, as well as gaining an appreciation for your supplier relationships, efforts to source sustainably and your premise’s potential close proximity of the farms, growers and suppliers you use.
All of this can lead to the overall image of your offering as being a premium product, helping you extol the benefits of eating more locally, and, in turn, leading to the potential for higher prices. Everybody wins.