WASHINGTON, D.C. — The following quote is attributed to Frank Yiannas, Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response:
“In June, we launched the New Era of Smarter Food Safety Low- or No-Cost Tech-enabled Traceability Challenge to encourage the development of traceability solutions that are cost effective for human and animal food operations of all sizes. Achieving end-to-end traceability – the ability to track a food’s route from source to table – throughout the food supply system can help speed the response to foodborne illness outbreaks and deepen our understanding of what causes them and how to prevent them from happening again.
“[I am] excited to announce that we have chosen 12 winners representing the U.S., Canada and New Zealand from the 90 submissions we received from all over the world. Winning submissions for this challenge are high-quality, impactful, cover a considerable range of use cases and use a variety of approaches, platforms and technical designs.
“This is so important because the cost of such technologies can be a barrier to adopting tech-enabled traceability systems. To achieve end-to-end food traceability throughout the food supply system, accessible solutions are needed that are affordable and can scale to encourage widespread adoption.
“As illustrated through this initiative, the FDA is committed to and will continue to do its part to help ensure that companies of all sizes, including small to midsize ones, can use and benefit from new tracing technologies. Digitizing food data at no- or low-cost through the use of creative economic models and innovative solutions allows the entire food system to get smarter together.”
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News.