FoodLogistics.com |

Newark, DE: Thirty-four major produce suppliers have just endorsed a new plan developed by the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) that will create a common standard for electronic produce traceability by the end of 2012.

The plan will create widespread acceptance of a standardized system of case bar-coding for all produce sold in the United States. This will allow product to be tracked throughout the distribution chain. Experts say the plan will provide much-needed assistance to public officials when they need to quickly trace back produce.

The plan is being administered by the Produce Marketing Association (PMA), the United Fresh Produce Association (United Fresh) and the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA). The 34 companies that endorsed the plan are members of the PTI's steering committee that was established in late 2007 to develop industry traceability best practices.

"We've seen the need for supply chain-wide, electronic traceability across the industry so that we're able to trace product more quickly and efficiently than we can now," notes Cathy Green, PTI steering committee chair, and COO of Food Lion LLC.

Some of the companies endorsing the initiative include:

C.H. Robinson Company Worldwide, Eden Prairie, MN.

Driscoll's, Watsonville, CA.

Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc., Oviedo, FL.

Food Services of America, Woodburn, OR.

Food Lion, Salisbury, NC.

Fresh Express, Salinas, CA.

H-E-B, San Antonio, TX.

International Foodservice Distributors Association, McLean, VA.

Mann Packing Company, Inc., Salinas, CA.

National Grocers Association, Arlington, VA.

Naturipe Farms, LLC, Salinas, CA.

Safeway, Inc., Pleasanton, CA.

Supervalu/W. Newell Co., Urbana, IL.

Sysco Corp., Houston, TX.

Tanimura & Antle, Salinas, CA.

The Kroger Co., Cincinnati, OH.

The Oppenheimer Group, Coquitlam, B.C., Canada.

U.S. Foodservice, Inc., Rosemont, IL.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville, AR.

Wegmans Food & Pharmacy, Inc., Rochester, NY.