F O O D T R A C E A B I L I T Y G U I D A N C E

This document presents a set of criteria and traceability requirements to guide actors within the food industry to develop and implement a traceability system in selected food sectors that allows them to respond rapidly to food safety events. The document was elaborated under the FAO project: TCP/SLC/3403 – “Strengthening capacity for a rapid response to food safety events through enhancement of the food traceability and recall legislation and systems in the Caribbean Sub region” and validated based on several pilots conducted within the EU-funded project implemented by IICA (‘SPS Project’): Support to the Forum of Caribbean States in the implementation of the commitments undertaken under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA): Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures”. This document covers specific sectors that were identified in each of the four beneficiary countries for the provision of detailed guidance within the scope of TCP/SLC/3403 and the SPS Project. These are:  Antigua and Barbuda- fisheries, pineapple, carrot and onion sectors  Barbados- poultry, fisheries, and condiments sectors  Dominica- fresh produce, agro-processing and fisheries sectors  Grenada- nutmeg, cocoa, fisheries, and fresh produce sectors This practical Guidance is intended for those responsible for implementing traceability in their organization’s operations and supply chain. The scope establishes both the minimum requirements and the best practices for the sharing of information along the supply chain. This guide covers:  Traceability practices from the supplier’s processing facility to the point of sale to the consumer;  All food products for human consumption;  All levels of the product hierarchy, including pallets, cases and consumer items; and  All supply chain segments including, suppliers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers. The minimum requirements presented in this Guidance are based on the assessment of the available national legislation or legislation that may support or influence food traceability and recall in each beneficiary country, the evaluation of the traceability situation on-site, the results of the pilots, the US and Europe traceability legislation, and the best practices recommended based on the information collected from several referenced documents. After introductory chapters about general background, Traceability and Recall definitions, system requirements and references used, this document devotes several chapters to present detailed and specific implementation traceability and recall guidelines for growers, packers, exporters / importers, manufacturers, processors and distributors as well as their customers and suppliers with examples and business scenarios.

This technical paper compiles the state of knowledge on seafood safety and quality with the aim to provide a succinct yet comprehensive resource book to seafood quality and safety managers, including topics on emerging issues such as new pathogens, the impact of climate change on seafood safety, and the changing regulatory framework. After introductory chapters about world fish production, trade, consumption and nutrition, and about the developments in safety and quality systems, the technical paper devotes a chapter to a detailed review of the hazards causing public health concerns in fish and fish products, covering biological (pathogenic bacteria, histamine, viruses, parasites and biotoxins), chemical (veterinary drugs, industrial organic contaminants, environmental inorganic contaminants and allergens) and physical hazards. This is followed by a chapter on seafood spoilage and quality issues, while a further chapter covers the likely impact of climate change on seafood safety. The latter chapter focuses on impacts on microbiological safety and on harmful algal blooms. A further chapter provides a detailed coverage of the implementation and certification of seafood safety systems covering risk mitigation and management tools, with a detailed description of the requirements for the implementation of: good hygiene practices and good manufacturing practices; the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system; and the monitoring programmes to control biotoxins, pathogenic bacteria and viruses and chemical pollutants. It concludes with a section on private labelling and certification schemes. The subsequent chapter details the international framework, covering the World Trade Organization, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, and the World Organisation for Animal Health. It then presents the regulatory frameworks governing seafood trade in the European Union (Member Organization), the United States of America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. --Page v.