MEAT AND POULTRY TRACEABILITY IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE A Document Overview for the FDA-FSIS Public Meeting

Guide Objectives Create an industry document that provides a unified approach to product traceability across the meat and poultry supply chain in the US and globally Minimize traceability differences among all fresh food sectors for ease of supplier and retailer implementation Use global data standards for barcodes and electronic messages

Background Partners include suppliers, retailers, industry trade associations, and GS1 US, a global standards organization Part of a Fresh Food Trade Association Round-Table initiative to provide coordinated traceability implementation guidance across all fresh food sectors – produce, meat, dairy, and seafood. Intended as a complementary guide to that issued for produce by GS1 in July 2009

Guide Covers: All Meat Supply Chain Segments, Except Animal Production: Suppliers (beginning with delivery of live animal) Processors and Distributors Food Service and Retail Channels All Meat Packaging Types: Case-ready, Fixed-Weight Case-ready, Variable Weight Store-Processed, Variable Weight All Meat Product Packaging Levels that addresses the Pallet, Case, and Consumer Item

Product Case Label Example Both human-readable and barcode-scannable trace data is addressed. GS1-128 Barcode with Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) and Lot #

Consumer Item Label Example Variable Measure Consumer Item Label Type 2 UPC-A Barcode with Generic Item Reference

Consumer Item Label with New Barcode Technology UPC-2 with 12 digits increased to 78 digits – can capture trace data at POS to consumer GS1 DataBar Barcode with GTIN and Sell-By Date (Available in 2010)

Next Steps Towards Publication Now integrating trade comments to create final document by January 2010. Release Final Draft as interim US guidance GS1 US will coordinate draft review with GS1 Canada and GS1 Mexico Depending upon response, will publish as an official US, North American, or global GS1 traceability document by late 2010

QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION Douglas Bailey Chairman, mpXML douglas.bailey@ams.usda.gov