TRACEABILITY OF FOODS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN

TRACEABILITY OF FOODS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN

Jyotiprabha Mishra

Scientist (Animal Science)

Krushi Vingyan Kendra,Chipilima, Sambalpur,

OUAT, Odisha

 

Introduction

            Food safety is a of big concern in India due to the inconsistent and unpredictable nature of food safety monitoring system, for instance the case of antibiotic in honey, growing use of milk adulterants and tainted meat. Sadly, the EU in the past has put a temporary ban on export of some fruits and vegetables such as alphonso mangoes, eggplant, the taro plant, bitter gourd and snake gourd owing to presence of fruit flies, antibiotic residues, cadmium and vibrio .  Similarly,  in 2012 the FDA found salmonella in sampling strips of frozen tuna fish exported from India and therefore recalled it . In 2010, the export of bovine meat from India to Russia experienced ban and restrictions were imposed on trading food products from the country. Thus, in order to assure quality of our food products and prevent economic, trade impediments, it is necessary to execute a proper traceability system in place. Livestock traceability is the ability to  and the mechanism design for tracing of an animal product along all steps of production chain, back to the holding of origin of live animal from which the product was derived (FAO 2007). Traceability is the method that can guarantee the identification of animals or animal products within the food industry(DALVIT et al 2007). Livestock traceability intends to establish a network of meat animal producers ,processors and related stakeholders

• Traceability: Ability to trace and follow a food through all stages of production, processing and distribution.

Traceability from farm to fork

The traceability from farm to fork is important when considering the safe production of our food. Any movement of cattle, pigs, sheep, goats or deer must be done under licence.  Bovine farm animals (cattle) wear ear tags to ensure traceability. The ear tag number of an animal is linked to its own personal passport. The passport details information of parentage, birth and all movements an animal undertakes up to slaughter.This information is recorded electronically making it easily accessible at any time when the information is needed. Traceability steps must cover animal production at the farm, processing in meat plants and other food premises, distribution to wholesalers and retailers and right through to the moment the food is placed on the consumer’s table. Tracing of animals can provide greater confidence in certification schemes, especially regarding their disease free status. Once the animal is slaughtered, the carcass is tagged. The tag includes details of the animal’s individual ear tag number from which we are able to pin-point which farm the animal is from. The batch/unique reference number, which can be found on the carcass tag, is used throughout the production process to follow the movements of a product at each point of the supply chain. Product traceability is the process of maintaining records of all materials and parts from purchasing to finished goods where a unique number identify a part, batch, or a finished product. Traceability in the food industry must aim to create a link between the various steps in the entire food chain, so-called “from farm to work”

Abattoir

Abattoirs are legally required to ensure that the animals are treated to high welfare standards throughout the process. Humane slaughter is ensured by protecting animals from avoidable excitement, pain or suffering. Staff must be trained and the facilities provide adequate ventilation, light and shelter to protect from adverse weather conditions. Abattoirs are also audited and inspected to check they meet the food hygiene and safety standards.

What does the meat label tell us?

Country of slaughter (site approval number)

Country of origin

Handling information

Accreditation

Product safety information

The product can be traced back to its last place of processing and audits identify where its been farmed or produced.

Key feature

• A key feature of any traceability system is the ability to
• clearly identify that which is to be traced.
• Ideally the product identifier should: – uniquely identify the unit or batch; –
• be secure; –
• be permanent; –
• retain identity throughout the product life-cycle; –
• be simple to read and capture identifying data; –
• not hinder its host
• Other benefits
• In conjunction with GAP, GMP, HACCP, traceability can reinforce emphasis on prevention instead of only reacting or responding to breaches in food safety.
• Traceability systems applied correctly, with supporting information and communications technologies (ICTs), enables businesses to make more informed management decisions, leading to increased market penetration, and reduced operating costs.
• Visibility of information provided by traceability systems enables businesses to utilize their resources and processes more effectively and efficiently and increase their long-term profitability.
• Correctly implemented, traceability can reduce out-of date product losses, lower inventory levels, quicken the identification of process and supplier difficulties, and raise the effectiveness of logistics and distribution operations. x Improved customer confidence also helps with branding and improved brand equity.
• Traceability can help prevent contamination or mixing with lower value produce, guaranteeing product authenticity.

The basic characteristics of traceability systems

• Identification of units / batches of all ingredients and products; registration of information on when and where units / batches are moved or transformed; and  a system linking these data and transferring all relevant traceability information with the product to the next stage or processing step
• Traceability types
• External traceability :This requires all traceable items to be uniquely identified, and information to be shared between all affected distribution channel participants.
• The identification of products for the purpose of traceability may include assignment of a: Unique product identification number; and  Batch/lot number.
• External traceability allows tracing back (supplier traceability) and tracking forward (client traceability).

Internal traceability :

• Internal traceability means processes must be maintained within an enterprise to link identities of raw materials to those of the finished goods.
• When one material is combined with others, and processed, reconfigured, or repacked, the new product must have its own Unique Product Identifier. The linkage must be maintained between this new product and its original material inputs (such as batters, breading, seasonings, marinades, salt, packaging materials, and many other inputs) to maintain traceability.
• A label showing the Lot Number of the traceable input item should remain on the packaging until that entire traceable item is depleted. This principle applies even when the traceable item is part of a larger packaging hierarchy (such as cases, pallets, or shipment containers)
• In India, the fruits and fishery supply chain has been systematically developed to cater to the export requirements for EU, US and other trading partners.
• Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has taken several initiatives for quality assurance of Indian agricultural and processed products which are exported specially with respect to traceability.
• EIC- Export Inspection Council, under Ministry of Commerce and Industry under the Export (Quality Control & Inspection) Act 1963 has undertaken several initiatives to digitalise the supply chain and certification system for official control of export of seafood which includes aquaculture farms and sea caught.

Effectiveness of traceability systems

• In all cases, traceability depends on the correct collection and recording of relevant data, coordinated within the context of a food safety management system.
• Analytical tests (e.g. DNA tracking or forms of mass spectrometry to verify origin) may be able to be performed to verify data.
• A traceability system is effective when food products can be completely traced across the food supply chain. The information should be readily accessible in order to know what, how much and from where product/s need to be recalled in case of food safety issues.

Factors affecting traceability

Major factors

• Supply chain structure and organization: – degree of collaboration between actors of the supply chain; – number of actors of the supply chain that achieve internal and external traceability – ability of actors of the supply chain to identify product origin; – ability of actors to manage traceability systems; – compatibility between actors.
• Destination of a product; Identification of traceable lot unit;
• Time needed to trace a product;
• Credibility of traceability method;
• Data identification methods and data standardization
• Extent to which a traceability system is incorporated in an already existent and functional information management system and/or a quality/safety assurance system; x Legislation on traceability.
• Food receipt: In relation to food receipt, a food business must be able to provide information about what food, it has on the premises and where it came from. It must be able to provide the following information relating to food
• on the food premises: the name and business address in the country of the vendor, manufacturer or packer or, in the case of food imported into the country, the name and business address of the importer in the country; and the prescribed name or, if there is no prescribed name, an appropriate designation of the food.
• This means that a food business must not receive a food unless it is able to identify the name of the food and the name of the supplier.
• Food recall: A food business engaged in the wholesale supply, manufacture or importation of food must have a system, set out in a written document, to ensure it can recall unsafe food. The system should include records covering: Firm identification, Production records – Product code – Code to ID plant where packaged – Production line – Date code – Time (Hour, Minutes, Seconds) x volume or quantity of products manufactured or supplied

Challenges in implementing traceability

• Cost
• Skills and implementation
• Multiple requirement
• Traceability within the
• framework of food safety
• management systems
• Traceability in the food industry must aim to create a link between the various steps in the entire food chain, so-called “from farm to work”.
• These steps must cover animal production at the farm, processing in meat plants and other food premises, distribution to wholesalers and retailers and right through to the moment the food is placed on the consumer’s table.
• Animal identification is one of the component of the meat traceability
• Traceability is much more comprehensive concept of tracking the movement of identifiable products throughout the market chain
• A complete traceability system must enable both forward and backward traceability ,forward traceability is tracing the product forward from gate to plate and backward traceability is tracing back from plate to gate

SCENARIO OF LIVESTOCK TRACEABILITY:

• International scenario: developed countries across the world have already implemented livestock traceability system a decade ago
• In European countries ONE STEP UP,ONE STEP DOWN traceability programme is followed
• the Australia has its own national livestock identification system to keep track of the livestock  from birth to the slaughterhouse
• INDIAN SCENARIO:
• In India, animal husbandry department of Maharashtra established Maharashtra animal identification and recording authority the authority was established with the aim to record the production and reproduction performance of livestock and registration of premises
• All the livestock owners and farms registered under MAIRA systems are given priority benefit in the government schemes.
• National research center on meat has established livestock traceability database but focusing only on buffalo meat industry
• In Gujarat national dairy development board has established a traceability system for farmers of cooperative union
• No initiative has taken so far in India regarding developing a traceability system for Indian pig industry

LIVESTOCK OWNERS:

• Premise registration and animal identification are the basic pre-requisite of the traceability system.
• Willingness and active involvement of the livestock owner is extremely crucial.
• Owners must tag their animals and transmit data pertaining to birth, death and movement of animals to concerned authorities.
• Adequate support system must be provided to enhance the confidence among livestock owners so that they can understand the system and aids in its implementation.
• Financial support for the purchase of consumables must be provided by the government and they should be encouraged for their active participation.

Meat processor:

• Abattoir acts as a critical link in livestock traceability system.
• Abattoir receive animals from various places for slaughter leading to meat production if the slaughter animal is tagged then the meat processor should maintain its identity during slaughtering, dressing and packaging of meat (kondaiah).
• Traceability code should be placed over the label of meat package.

TRADERS AND TRANSPORTERS:

• Ideal traceability system requires record maintenance by the traders and transporter of the animal
• Transporters must provide information to the authorities regarding the animal transport
• Even though they keep the animal for short period their active contribution is essential for the effective functioning of livestock traceability system
• CONSUMERS:
• Traceability involves cost and its implementation will definitely add on to the product
• Enhancing awareness regarding the quality issues of meat and the benefits of traceability among the consumers would ensure them to pay the extra cost for the livestock traceable products
• At present awareness among the consumers on the quality issues is minimal and requires extensive awareness programme

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN IDEAL IDENTIFICTION METHOD:

• Animal identification method must be easily readable even when in contact with moisture or stain
• Electronic identification enables number reading even though numbers are invisible to eye
• Identification method must not unnecessary induce pain in animals
• Tags must be centrally produced and distributed to the farmers so as to maintain uniformity

BRANDING:

• It is a traditional, permanent and cheaper method of identification mark on the animal skin either by cold (less painful) or hot process
• Major disadvantage of branding is devaluation of hide and difficulty in reading of long numbers, distortion of brand as animal grows
• It is a traditional, permanent and cheaper method of identification mark on the animal skin either by cold (less painful) or hot process
• Major disadvantage of branding is devaluation of hide and difficulty in reading of long numbers, distortion of brand as animal grows

Prevalent approaches for traceability

• Bar code is an optical machine-readable representation of data. Originally, barcodes represented data in the widths (lines) and the spacing of parallel lines and may be referred to as linear or 1D (1 dimensional) barcodes or symbology’s.
• Every country has its own code for identification and the data is stored between these lines. Since it is a one-dimensional system, it stores less data as compared to the quick response data matrix which is a 2-dimensional data capture mechanism.
• The practice of using barcodes in India is basically for pricing of the commodity but not for tracing and tracking the product.
• The quick response (QR) code is one of the traceability systems that has been introduced to the food industries as a two-dimensional barcode. The QR code can be embedded with text, video, advertisements, personal information etc. The QR code can be integrated into user’s smart phone applications, where it can scan and decode information and messages about products that the QR code provides

RFID:

• In recent years, RFID technology has become popular for the identification of items in the management of global supply chain. Radio waves are employed by RFID technology to identify objects automatically.
• This is accomplished by identifying and storing a serial number with other relevant information, on a microchip that is attached to an antenna. This bundle is called an RFID tag.
• The antenna enables the chip to transmit the identification information to a reader. The reader converts the radio waves reflected back from the RFID tag into digital information that can be passed on to an enterprise information system.
• RFID can empower a broad spectrum of application and can be used in upstream warehouse and distribution management down to retail  outlet operations.
• Therefore visible tags have now been developed to contain electronic RFID  encoding system at its base for reading tag both visually and by electronic means

BARCODED TAGS:

• Barcode is a machine readable optical label that contains information regarding the item to which it is attached
• Code can be read by using a barcode scanner
• Barcode method involves additional cost of computer, software and scanner

ICAR-NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTRE ON MEAT 

• Hyderabad, has established livestock traceability database-main focus is buffalo meat industry
• India is number one buffalo meat exporter however its export is limited to developed countries to address this issue NRCM has developed traceability system under ICAR funded research project
• Country can enhance market access in international markets by implementing traceability system
• At first the animal is identified by RFID ear tags and the no. is read by RFID reader and the same identification tag is continued throughout the entire process
• They established a database with the support of Infovet pvt ltd Mumbai which enables storage of information of animal, farms, abattoir, veternarians meat processing plant
• Database provides provision for recording of performance of animals and different farm activities
• It also provides provision for creation of farm activity reminder system for efficient management of herd
• Information regarding postmortem and ante mortem inspection is also recorded in database
• The database provides separate enrollment form for farm, abattoir and meat processing plant and the farm and abattoirs should be registered online and the farms are given serial no according to their registration
• The details should be filled and submitted
• By considering all these a traceability code is given which is internationally accepted
• Identification code for animal farm, abattoir, meat product processing plant and retail units. A format for coding has been developed by NRCM keeping in mind ease of identification and allotting and the code is based on Postal Index (PIN) as base. Identification code devised and its different portions are as mentioned below:
  g. 500092 (01/02/03/04/05/06) 001
  Code will have three different components Component 1) First six numbers which will be the PIN of the location of the farm/ abattoir/ processing plant/ retail unit.  Component 2) Next two numbers will indicate the type of operation.

01: Buffalo farm;
02: Abattoir;
03: Meat product processing plant;
04: Abattoir with processing;
05: Meat retail unit;
06: Meat product retail unit;
07: Meat & products retail unit;

• Component 3) Last three numbers will be the serial numbers of farm/ firm be allotted upon registration.
  g. Buffalo farm located in Chengicherla, Hyderabad with pin code 500092 will have following code: 50009201001; Abattoir in Chengicherla, Hyderabad will get code: 50009202001
• Food business operators placing on the market a product of animal origin must include:

(a) A health mark.

(b) Or an identification mark.

List of mandatory labelling information:

(a) the name of the food;

(b) the list of ingredients;

(c) any ingredient causing allergies or intolerances used in the manufacture or preparation of a food and still present in the finished product, even if in an altered form;

(d) the quantity of certain ingredients or categories of ingredients;

(e) the net quantity of the food;

(f) the date of minimum durability or the ‘use by’ date;

(i) the country of origin or place of provenance;

(j) instructions for use where it would be difficult to make appropriate use of the food in the absence of such instructions;

(k) with respect to beverages containing more than 1,2 % by volume of alcohol, the actual alcoholic strength by volume;

• Traceability code can be put on to the meat packages after slaughter
• Using the code the retailer and consumer can trace back the origin of meat through sms or through internet database
• Purchaser or retailers can retrieve information of abattoir farm and origin details of meat by using SMS
• Traceability code can be messaged to 09645221221 in the following format (eg LS 62224333)

What farmer will get by becoming part of traceability system?

• Opportunity to get animals numbered and identified
• Record animal related information online
• Production data
• Reproduction Data (Artificial Insemination, Pregnancy diagnosis, Calving)
• Health status (Vaccination, Deworming, Diseases Testing, Treatment)
• Get regular updates on essential activities on the farm through SMS
• Become part of this National initiative and opportunity to interact with other farmers
• Can upload information on expected number of animals up for sale. Processor can approach the producer based on this information.

 

BENEFITS OF LIVESTOCK TRACEABILITY SYSTEM:

OWNERSHIP ASCERTAINMENT:

once the animal is registered and ear tagged it will be easy for the livestock owners to provide their ownership, apart from controlling theft it will help in reducing inconvenience associated with acquiring transportation clearance of animals from the authorities

EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF DISESE CONTROL (PROGRAMME):

• if a disease is detected during the meat inspection, traceability system would enable tracking of its farm-of-origin(johnston2005)
• Once the source is identified, focus disease control programme could be implemented and adjoining farmers of the area could be also alerted about the health threats

IMPLEMENTATION OF DEVELOPED SCHEMES

• Traceability system would support centralized availability of information about the farmers, farms along with contact details such information would help in effective implementation of government schemes

LIVESTOCK CENSUS:

• Availability of information at the centralized database would ease such efforts and increase accuracy of livestock census results

MARKETING OF LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS:

through the traceability system one can avail contact details of the farmers, persons willing to sell animals and those willing to purchase

FOOD QUALITY ASSURANCE:

Quality and safe meat which is free from the physical, chemical and biological hazards can be ensured only by the quality control and assurance protocols spanning through the abattoir

Traceability based quality assurance programme help in documentation of food safety hazards

Traceability system will help in effective monitoring of the health programme and targeted implementation of the quality control schemes

 

MOLECULAR MEAT TRACEABILITY:

• Molecular meat traceability is system that enables traceability verification by comparing labeled meat sample with reference sample preserved during slaughter process
• Pre requisite for molecular meat traceability is keeping reference sample of each batch of product till the period of use
• Molecular meat traceability is based on variability in DNA among individuals
• Important features of DNA which makes it suitable for meat traceability:
• DNA is unalterable and remains same throughout the life DNA is stable to different treatments of processed foods
• DNA is present in every cell of the organism
• DNA traceability is not mere sample DNA analysis rather it involves comparison of market sample with live animal sample preserved
• Hence, blood, tissue or hair follicle samples are collected from animal prior or during slaughter of animal and preserved
• Analysis of the extracted DNA from the reference sample and corresponding meat sample using DNA markers authenticates and verify the traceability claims of meat sample

Conclusion

• At present world supply chain are getting complex with variety of food available beyond geographical boundaries and seasons.
• The role of reliable information about the product origin, travel history till it reaches the plate of consumer are of utmost importance.
• Traceability system provides greater transparency to the path of food and its ingredients but also essential requirement for managing food recall in case of food safety breach across the globe.
• In India, the most commonly used traceability technologies are alphanumerical codes, Hologram, Barcode, RFID tag, and the GI tag focused more towards end product identification and sales management.
• https://www.pashudhanpraharee.com/community-based-interventions-for-control-of-zonotic-diseases-in-india/

 

http://boutique.oie.int/extrait/caporale.pdf