It’s 5 O’Clock and United Fresh 2010 is over…

The weather might have been unseasonably cold here in Vegas, but the atmosphere surrounding the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) sure heated up the crowds.  While attending the round-table discussions, friendly arguments helped many of the visitors understand not only the requirements of the PTI, but also some of the challenges for all sizes of growers and their business partners.  One key point that came up again and again is that PTI is designed to increase produce traceability ultimately leading to higher consumer confidence in food safety.  One thing is for certain – whether you are in favor of PTI or not, you better prepare for it because it is coming in a big way!  Are you ready for PTI?

Produce Traceability seems to be the hottest issue at the convention.  Pictured here is PTI Roundtable Discussion on Milestone #3.  The topic drew a large crowd and great debate.

Although the PTI best practices call for a label on the case, inkjet directly to the case is still a viable option and may even be preferred.  Inkjet is a greener solution and definitely less expensive than labeling.  However, there will be individual reasons why one makes sense over the other.

As FoxJet set out to learn about the Produce Traceability Initiative and weigh our opportunities with growers and packers, it became clear that there is a serious lack of understanding among everyone involved – the grower/packer, the retailer and the supplier.  Why is that?  The compliance is spelled out in great detail in many official documents that are readily available on-line.  It seems clear enough.  What is missing is valuable communication among peers.  For this reason, FoxJet has embarked on a mission, a mission for knowledge.  As a leading provider of product identification equipment, we believe we can help growers and packers – but only if we understand their needs.  There are several software and hardware providers who claim to have a solution.  Really?  I guess we could say FoxJet has a solution, too.  Heck, we’ve been meeting standards for decades with our printing equipment, selling to hundreds of manufacturers who supply Wal-Mart and the like.  But is it the right solution for growers and packers faced with this initiative?  Well, we hope to work WITH growers/packers, retailers and other suppliers to establish the right solution.  We want the insight and valuable input from growers and packers that comes only from years of experience “in the field.”  This is the first part of our mission.  The second and critical piece is the sharing of this information and truly learning from each other.  As part of our effort, we have launched this blog.  We want all involved parties to share their experiences and ask questions.  FoxJet will facilitate the discussion, listen, post relevant information and, when asked, offer advise on the topics we are knowledgeable in.  We started down this path several weeks back – setting up this blog, organizing round table discussions, etc.  And, as it turns out, it was good thing.  In the last few days PTI posted the PMA/United Fresh Industry Survey.   The survey uncovered a resounding plea for an informational forum.  Phew!  Good to know we’ve been working on the things that matter.  Let the blogging begin!