The one thing that one can learn of the Fresh Produce industry is that it’s a dynamic world. Just had our Spring Board meeting in Chile where we also visited some Chilean Fresh Produce companies. A lot of innovations are here already implemented. Modern facilities ready to serve the market with safe and tracked & traced fresh fruits.

Looking around the world a lot is happening. The US industry is moving forward with the Product Traceability Initiative. Implementing tracking & tracing on container/box-level fully compliant to the GS1-standards from field to fork.

In Europe two projects are moving forward. Last year the German GS1 Obst & Gemuse gruppe started the process for Product classification ( GS1 GPC) and now is going to finish a new Guideline for GTIN (global trade item numbers) in fresh. A guideline from retail and industry when a product gets his own GTIN.

Also in Europe the European Community founded the eFood chain project. Here a traceability - pilot in fresh produce is worked out.

Conclusion; there is a lot of movement globally in implementing International Standards in Fresh Produce. All projects are moving into the same direction. I'm convinced this is the only way to make the supply chain of fresh produce ready for 2020.

Kind regards,

Harrij Schmeitz
Vice-Chairman IFPS