FoodLogistics.com |

Newark, DE: The United Fresh Produce Association (UFPA) along with Produce Marketing Association (PMA), and the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA), has formed a joint Produce Traceability Initiative to drive broad adoption of consistent traceability best practices throughout the produce supply chain. PMA, CPMA and UFPA are combining forces to focus on the urgent need to use existing standards for the most effective trace back and trace forward practices between supply chain partners—from field to fork.

So far at least twenty-seven companies, including major food retailers, food-service entities and produce growers, have joined the Produce Traceability Initiative. The companies include Wal-Mart Stores, Kroger, Food Lion, Wegmans Food Markets, Sysco, U.S. Foodservice, C.H. Robinson, Maturipe and Tanimura & Antle.

Other associations representing key retail and foodservice buyer segments of the North American food industry have also expressed their intent to participate; these include Food Marketing Institute, National Restaurant Association, International Foodservice Distributors Association, and Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors.

“The CPMA and PMA work on traceability to date has provided a good roadmap for the industry,” says United Fresh president Tom Stenzel. “Now, it’s critical to drive industry support to actually implement some of these systems that can provide the traceability we need, without inefficiencies or costs that could be imposed upon us by well-meaning legislators or regulators who don’t understand our industry.”

An announcement will be made later this month with the names of industry leaders appointed to lead the new initiative. For more information, please contact United Fresh Vice President of Marketing and Industry Relations Amy Philpott, 202-303-3425.