YottaMark, Inc., a leader in unit-level brand security and marketing solutions, today announced that its HarvestMark™ fresh food traceability solution is compatible with the emerging industry standard recommendations made at the recent Produce Traceability Initiative kick off meeting.
Leaders from PMA, CPMA and United Fresh along with representatives from more than 30 companies from a broad cross section of the produce supply chain met on January 9th to convene the Produce Traceability Initiative with the goal of developing an action plan to establish a consistent whole-chain traceability solution. The group reached agreement on several important elements. In addition to endorsing GS1 and beginning at case-level initially, the Committee encouraged companies to move toward item-level coding where feasible, as many produce products are now packaged for the consumer, thereby offering a viable option for providing traceability to the item level.
HarvestMark delivers case-level and item-level produce traceability information to wholesalers, distributors and retailers via a secure Internet portal. Available anywhere, anytime, the system allows shippers to tailor the information that each constituent is able to see. This instant information delivery can speed trace–forward and trace-back transactions in response to a suspected food borne illness or recall event. HarvestMark supports the GS1 standard, and handles data such as product ID, lot number, pack date and country of origin, which are among the list of mandatory and optional data elements highlighted in the PMA’s Traceability Guide. Produce brands seeking easy implementation of the recommendations can take advantage of HarvestMark for quick deployment. The solution leverages unique data collection tools and business practices that accomplish traceability without requiring scanners, PCs, or software in the field. Item-level harvest data collection has zero impact on picker and packing productivity, and works with a wide range of packaging formats and practices.
“New trace back technologies that not only increase the speed and efficiency of trace backs, but also put the appropriate tools in the hands of all members of the value chain, can only be good for the industry and the consumer,” said Devon Zagory, Ph.D., senior vice president, Food Safety & Quality Programs at NFS Davis Fresh.
HarvestMark also provides a platform to communicate directly to the end-consumer, in their kitchen, or in the produce aisle via the HarvestMark Kiosk. HarvestMark brings consumers traceability, transparency (e.g. to sustainable practices), and assurance; and gives growers critical distribution chain information and a powerful tool to respond to recall or foodborne illness events. Brand owners and retailers control the information that is displayed, such as origin, organic certifications, promotion of their food safety practices, images of the ranch or grower, and other marketing promotions.
“Today, an effective traceability solution is critical for increased security, accountability and efficiency in the supply chain,” said J. Scott Carr, president and CEO of YottaMark. “We know that consumers want more information about the products they purchase. HarvestMark provides both an essential traceability platform, and a new means of marketing. We are pleased that the HarvestMark solution capabilities parallel the recommendations issued by the produce industry leaders. We look forward to continuing to support the Traceability Initiative’s efforts around developing a standardized approach to traceability.”
About YottaMark, Inc.
YottaMark’s mission is to easily capture relevant item-level information about products and make that information instantly accessible and useful to anyone, anywhere in the world.
YottaMark provides the most secure and simple to deploy unit-level brand security and real-time channel intelligence solutions in the market. YottaMark’s powerful technology platform delivers effective product authentication and unit-level traceability to help brand owners increase consumer trust, build new levels of channel intelligence, and drive sales.
YottaMark’s codes are now protecting millions of dollars of branded goods. Leading companies in the fresh produce, pharmaceutical, electronics, and consumers packaged goods industries rely on YottaMark to increase security in the channel and inspire trust in their brands.