Traceability existed long before modern technology was implemented

Traceability, Defined

Under EU law, "traceability" means the ability to track any food, feed, food-producing animal or substance that will be used for consumption, through all stages of production, processing and distribution.

Need for traceability

Traceability is a way of responding to potential risks that can arise in food and feed, to ensure that all food products in the EU are safe for European citizens to eat. It is vital that when national authorities or food businesses identify a risk they can trace it back to its source in order to swiftly isolate the problem and prevent contaminated products from reaching consumers. In addition, traceability allows targeted withdrawals and the provision of accurate information to the public, thereby minimising disruption to trade.

Past food crises, such as dioxin contamination and BSE, have illustrated the particular importance of being able to swiftly identify and isolate unsafe foodstuffs in order to prevent them from reaching the consumer.

The importance of EU-wide action

Since the internal market means that food and feed products circulate freely between EU countries, traceability can only be effective if common requirements are met across all Member States.

Mobile RFID Scanner (Dynasis)

Legal Framework

The EU’s General Food Law entered into force in 2002 and makes traceability compulsory for all food and feed businesses. It requires that all food and feed operators implement special traceability systems. They must be able to identify where their products have come from and where they are going and to rapidly provide this information to the competent authorities. The EU has published guidelines (available on the European Commission website) which require business operators to document the names and addresses of the supplier and customer in each case, as well as the nature of the product and date of delivery. Operators are also encouraged to keep information on the volume or quantity of a product, the batch number if there is one, and a more detailed description of the product, such as whether it is raw or processed. Specific requirements In addition to the general requirements, sector-specific legislation applies to certain categories of food products (fruit and vegetables, beef, fish, honey, olive oil) so that consumers can identify their origin and authenticity.

EU initiated world traceability standards

There are also special traceability rules for genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which ensure that the GM content of a product can be traced and require accurate labelling so that consumers can make an informed choice. In the case of animals, producers must now "tag" every one with details of their origin and, when animals are taken for slaughter, stamp them with the traceability code of the abattoir. The tools used (ear tags, passports, bar codes) may vary from one country to another but must carry the same information.