This document proposes developing a transparency system to track meat along supply chains. It outlines 5 key functions: 1) populating tracking databases, 2) allowing business and government to access data, 3) discovering data sources, 4) aggregating information, and 5) consumer access. Apps would be created for each function. Benefits include helping regulators respond quickly to food safety issues, differentiating products for farmers and retailers, and informing consumers about product origins and animal welfare. Partners are encouraged to join and help develop apps, with the goal of expanding transparency to more food categories.

1. Enabling Transparency
in Meat Supply Chains
one tracking & tracing system
to serve
supply chain partners,
consumers and
authorities
Huub Scholten1, Tim Bartram2, Ayalew
Kassahun1, Sabine Kläser2, Ralph Tröger2, Rob
Hartog1, Angela Schillings-Schmitz2, Sandra
3
Meier2, Robert Netherlands
1 Wageningen University, Reiche
2
GS1 Germany, Cologne, Germany
3 Euro Pool System, Bornheim, Germany

2. Topics
•
•
•
•
•
Problems to be solved
Transparency system to be developed
Functionalities and apps
Business cases for end-users
Business case for you?

3. Food alerts for meat
2013
• up to 100 % horse meat in
o Tesco spaghetti bolognese
o Findus lasagne
• horse meat scandal
Since 1989
• BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy)
• commonly known as mad cow disease

4. Rationale
• Consumer’s interest in origin, animal welfare, food safety and not only price
• Authorities, consumers and meat supply chain partners require provenance
data in case of a meat related food safety alert
• Beef: because of BSE
• Other types of meat: EU regulation 1169/2011 now beef, in 2014 other meat
• Real time and all the time information and not only retrospective in case of
food safety alerts and also to quality issues
• All information wanted by consumers and other parties should be provided
by supply chain partners and transported along the supply chain.

5. Transparency system to be developed
FIspace platform
app shop
app 1
app 2
app 3
app 4
layer 2
FIspace busininess collaboration handler
app 5
app 6
app 7
app 8
farm
meat industry
retail / wholesale
transport
breed
fatten
transport
slaugther
debone
cut
package
sell
layer 1
EPCIS events
EPCIS events
farm EPCIS repository
EPCIS events
EPCIS events
meat industry EPCIS repository
retail / wholesale EPCIS repository

6. Transparency for 3 groups of end-users

7. 5 functions required (1)
1. Populating EPCIS repositories with meat transparency data
o
o
o
Upload EPCIS events, e.g.
birth, breeding, fattening, slaughtering, cutting, packing/unpacking,
sending/receiving and selling
Not to be developed within MIP trial
Obtaining event data from ERP systems and FMIS
2. Accessing transparency data by businesses and government
o
o
GUI for standard EPCIS query operations , i.e. queries for specific
business locations, processes, products, time intervals, etc.
Questions on a product:
 “Where does a product come from?”
 “When did it arrive?”
 “What raw material was used to produce it ?

8. 5 functions required (2)
3. Discovery of traceability data sources (incl. administration)
o
who has information about a specific product, identified via Global
Trade Item Number (GTIN) + lot or serial number or a shipment
identified via a Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC)) in order to
reconstruct the entire chain of custody
4. Aggregation of traceability information
o
o
o
based on the 2 previous functions
automated collection and aggregation of traceability information of a
product
Authorized requester should get:
 place/ date of birth, date/ location of slaughtering of the
processed animals
 list of all parties who had custody of a product
 list of distribution centres/ retail stores a product of concern has
been shipped to

9. 5 functions required (3)
5. Accessing transparency data by consumers (B2C)
o
o
function similar to previous one, but for consumer
what kind of information
 dynamic data: date of slaughtering, place of birth, etc.), but also
static product (weight, ingredients, etc.
 master data: location of the slaughterhouse, etc.
 marketing information: pictures, certificates, videos, etc.
o not allowing tracking of products

10. From requirements to apps
• Requirement 1: to be developed as generic app, relevant for
more trials
• Requirement 5: to be developed together with the trial on
Tailored Information for Consumers
• Requirement 2, 3 and 4 should be developed by new partners
entering FIspace’s MIP trial through the open call

11. Business cases for consumers
Consumers
• Be informed by smartphone/website on
– dynamic data: date of slaughtering, place of birth, etc.), but also static
product (weight, ingredients, etc.
– master data: location of the slaughterhouse, etc.
– marketing information: pictures, certificates, videos, recipes, etc.
• Meat related information will be filtered cf. interests
Retailers
• Can provide an enhanced consumer experience with
– Proven history of the meat item
– Brand-like name and approval stamp

12. Business cases for meat supply chain partners
Farmers
– direct link to consumers
• facilitating differentiation of products from those of other farms
• Investments on e.g. animal welfare or sustainable production can be
communicated to consumers
Farmers, slaughterhouses and meat processor
– products can be better based on requirements of consumers and meat
supply chain partners
– it will facilitate optimising every partner’s business process and
improve investment decisions.

13. Business cases for regulators/authorities
Authorities
• In case of meat alerts:
–
–
–
–
Easier control and regulation enforcement
New system enables a fast, effective, surgical response
with less critique by the media and the general public
resulting in more confidence and trust in the responsible authorities.
Society as a whole
• The new system makes investing in sustainable production
and animal welfare more lucrative.
• Moreover, no general alarms are required in case of meat
alerts.

14. Why should you join the team?
• Large impact on society
• Funded app development is seed for many more projects, i.e.
– Develop apps funded by EC
– Roll-out after end of FIspace
• A proposal for a FI-PPP phase 3 project is under construction:
– Transparency Fresh Food supply chains
– More types of fresh food (several meat types, fruits & vegetables,
bakery, etc.)
– More fresh food supply chains (> 1000 supermarket chains in Europe)

15. Questions?
Huub Scholten – Wageningen University – huub.scholten@wur.nl
Tim Bartram – GS1 G - Bartram@gs1-germany.de
www.FIspace.eu