How are traceability tools important in ensuring food safety?
Kok: Traceability tools help manufacturers trace the source of raw materials. In the event of an incident such as food contamination, these tools would trace the batch of products to its origins. They help in investigations and enable product recall. In case of contaminated fruit that is used to manufacture jam for example, a traceability tool such as a barcode that stores information will help the manufacturer identify the farm from which the fruit was procured. Similarly, if a batch of processed fish is contaminated, the tool will be able to trace the fish to the catchment area from where they have been caught. Traceability is not dependent on high-end technologies alone and paper documentation could do the job. The cost of implementation and the availability of technologies should not be seen as a stumbling block for smaller companies to adopt food safety practices. Appropriate quality control measures such as product testing and quality audits by buyers or third party auditors form
