Can-Trace Completes and Validates Canadian Food Traceability Data Standard Version 1.0

Toronto, ON, December 9, 2004 – Can-Trace, a voluntary national food supply chain tracking and tracing initiative, announces the completion and validation of the first version of the Canadian Food Traceability Data Standard. Adaptable for different food and agriculture sectors, this standard is based on a one up/one down model of sharing traceability information, using international data carrier standards. Also released were reports on the results of beef, pork and produce traceability pilot projects, the business case for implementing traceability solutions, and traceability requirements specific to Canadian small and medium enterprises (SME).

The Can-Trace initiative is a collaboration of national supply chain organizations from across Canada that convened in response to the Federal, Provincial and Territorial governments’ objective of 80% traceability by 2008.

"Can-Trace’s Canadian Food Traceability Data Standard Version 1.0 is groundbreaking – we are not aware of any other country that has attempted to bring together the entire food chain and build a single national traceability data standard. Further, the pilot project results confirmed that the Can-Trace data standard is sufficient to establish traceability," said Jane Proctor, Can-Trace's elected chair, and Director of Industry Technology & Standardization at the Canadian Produce Marketing Association.

Under the direction of the Can-Trace Steering Committee, a Standards Working Group was created and mandated to develop a standard for traceability data, and to oversee a series of pilot projects designed to validate that standard. The resulting Canadian Food Traceability Data Standard represents the dedicated effort of subject experts from numerous areas including commodities, industry, government, supply chain roles and standards development. The standard document provides background information about the data standard and a detailed breakdown of recommended data attributes that should be collected, kept, and shared between partners in the supply chain. A change management process is currently being developed to facilitate change requests to the data standard moving forward.

A guiding principle of Can-Trace is that the standard created be internationally compatible, whole-chain in scope, capable of accommodating multiple commodities and based on the EAN.UCC standards. The scope of the standard is that it apply to all users; begin with single ingredient products; be accessible to companies of all scale; be able to be integrated with existing solutions; and accommodate new requirements over time.

Beef, Pork and Produce Pilot Projects
Trimark Engineering, eBiz Professionals Inc. and PGCTI, and RCM Technologies Canada were awarded contracts as Project Consultants for the beef, pork and produce pilot projects respectively, after the announcement of the draft data standard in May 2004. The pilot projects were conducted to verify the minimum mandatory data requirements for all products and additional optional data specific to each sector, and to provide recommendations on any modifications prior to adoption. A secondary objective was to collect information to support the development of the business case “Decision Support Tool” by identifying categories of costs and benefits of traceability to participating companies. The pilot projects provided additional data attributes so that the new standard would facilitate the traceability of product across the supply chain.

Business Case
The Business Case report, developed by RCM Technologies Canada, examines the incremental costs and benefits of implementing traceability and includes evidence from several pilots demonstrating that product traceability in the Canadian food value chain can deliver net business benefits. Four major categories of benefits were identified in the project:

benefits relating to maintaining business and achieving regulatory compliance;
market benefits related to meeting market or customer requirements;
risk and recall benefits derived from improvements in risk and recall management and the associated reduction in liability costs; and
process improvement benefits which result from using traceability as a tool to improve supply chain operation, increase product quality or reduce costs.

Also produced was a “Decision Support Tool” that companies can use to better understand the benefits and costs of traceability to their organization.

Report of the Can-Trace Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Working Group
The SME report addresses and examines the special traceability needs of SMEs and highlights areas of concern. The report has helped to increase awareness of the unique challenges faced by SMEs with respect to traceability.

Can-Trace Reports
Copies of the Canadian Food Traceability Data Standard Version 1.0, all Pilot Reports, the Business Case, including the Decision Support Tool, and SME Report can be downloaded from the Can-Trace web site at www.can-trace.org.

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For more information, contact:
Norm Cheesman / Mary Pygiel
Can-Trace
normc@eccc.org / maryp@eccc.org
416.510.8039

About Can-Trace
In July 2003, major Canadian trade associations, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Electronic Commerce Council of Canada (ECCC) convened a tracking and tracing initiative named Can-Trace. The objective of Can-Trace is to identify requirements for a whole-chain Canadian food industry traceability (tracking and tracing) program. The Can-Trace initiative is managed by a Steering Committee, composed of trade association and government representatives and funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. ECCC is the initiative’s secretariat. To learn more about Can-Trace, visit www.can-trace.org.

Can-Trace is funded in part under the Agriculture Policy Framework - a federal - provincial - territorial initiative managed by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC).

About Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
AAFC is a government organization in the Minister of Agriculture’s portfolio. AAFC’s mandate is to provide information, research and technology, and to create policies and programs to achieve security of the food system, health of the environment and innovation for growth. To learn more about Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, visit www.agr.gc.ca

About CFSQP
The Canadian Food Safety and Quality Program (CFSQP) works to increase long term growth, employment and competitiveness within Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as part of their commitment to provide information, research and technology, and policies and programs to ensure security of the food system, health of the environment and to promote innovation for growth.

About ECCC
The Electronic Commerce Council of Canada (ECCC) is the not-for-profit industry led organization that promotes and maintains global standards for the identification of goods and locations and related e-commerce communication such as bar code issuance and maintenance. As an EAN International Member Organization, ECCC represents Canada in the continuing development of the global language of business. To learn more about ECCC, visit www.eccc.org.