TRADE ASSOCIATE UPDATE

HarvestMark helps shippers comply with the Produce Traceability Initiative

Consumers want to know where their food comes from. Producers want to comply with traceability requirements. Fortunately, a solution is all in a little sticker that’s available now. A product with a sticker containing the HarvestMark code makes it a snap to learn exactly where and when it was harvested, packed and shipped. HarvestMark, from FFVA trade associate member YottaMark, was designed to help speed response to a food safety event and narrow the impact of future recalls.

With HarvestMark codes, consumers can learn more about the foods they buy and can give direct feedback.

And growers, packers and shippers have access to new levels of product, quality, and distribution data that can help improve overall operations, drive efficiency and build ongoing trust and loyalty.

Hundreds of millions of produce packages have already been enabled with HarvestMark codes, implemented both at the case level and the individual package level. Case-level traceability is quickly becoming a requirement. The Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI), sponsored by the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, Produce Marketing Association and United Fresh Produce Association, is designed to help the industry maximize the effectiveness of current traceback procedures, while developing a standardized industry approach to enhance the speed and efficiency of traceability systems for the future with an eye toward achieving supply chain-wide adoption of electronic traceability of every case of produce by the year 2012.

HarvestMark solutions were created to make case-level traceability simple to implement. Designed by working closely with growers, packers, repackers, shippers and retailers, the HarvestMark case-level solutions have been proven in a wide range of harvesting and packing workflows. They feature pre-printed, bulk-print, or print-on-demand solutions, both field-packed and line-packed, presented in a wide variety of templates and galleries to meet buyer and industry compliance requirements quickly and cost effectively.

At the item level, HarvestMark essentially puts the farmer in the kitchen by making it possible for a food item to tell its story anytime, anywhere. Consumers can learn more about the specific brand - including the farm location, grower profiles, food safety notices, nutrition and regional information - and are able to provide direct feedback. In addition, consumers will soon be able to track products using a HarvestMark iPhone application.

YottaMark also offers a way for producers to stay current in the world of traceability. Its monthly newsletter, Traceability Insider, reports the latest news on HarvestMark as well as commentary, insight and information on the latest issues and trends impacting the industry. Subscribe today or read the latest issue.  

To learn more, visit the HarvestMark Web site or contact Julie Stocker, Florida regional account executive at (772) 664-4198. Southern Corporate Packers,  Sun State Produce, Westlake Produce, and  Wm. P. Hearne Produce are some of the leading Florida grower-shippers employing HarvestMark.