New IFT Report Released - Task Order 7

The last report on tracing submitted to the FDA on Tracing is Task Order 7: Tracing Systems: An Exercise Exploring Data Needs and Design. This 43 page report is the culmination of exploration into tracing specifically with tomatoes because of their complexity with repacking needs and because they took the brunt of focus during the 2008 Salmonella Saint Paul Event which cost the tomato industry in excess of $100 million dollar. In doing Task Order 7, there was input taken and utilized from approximately 10 various traceability projects. FoodTRACE was one of those that provided input. The FoodTRACE system, capabilites and methodologies are referenced in several areas of this report although in keeping with IFT's policies, no specific names such as FoodTRACE or other companies are mentioned when those references are discussed. The FoodTRACE system, even moreso following this report, does provide the capabilities that the FDA is looking for in moving forward and we are prepared as such. The entire report can be viewed at http://www.ift.org/traceability/IFT_FDA_TO7FinalReport.pdf.