Produce Marketing Association Australia-New Zealand (PMA A-NZ) and GS1 Australia have officially signed an agreement to support the Australian fresh fruit and vegetable industry to achieve enhanced food safety through the use of a national food recall platform.
The agreement and technology will see the fresh fruit and vegetable industry better prepared for product recalls.
Addressing current challenges
PMA A-NZ encourages the adoption of the GS1 Australia Recall portal within the fresh produce industry to assist growers and suppliers address major challenges of food tampering and food safety.
“Food safety underpins the success of the entire fresh produce industry,” PMA A-NZ CEO Darren Keating says.
“By using tools such as GS1 Australia’s Recall platform, the industry can achieve greater speed and consistency in the management of their product recalls and withdrawals, delivering safer produce to Australian consumers.”
Instant recall
The use of the Recall platform is supported by Food Safety Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) as a communication tool that enables organisations of any size, including manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and importers to share product recall notifications with their trading partners and regulators.
Recall is also certified by HACCP Australia as an effective and suitable technology for businesses that operate a HACCP based Food Safety Program.
“GS1 Australia is proud to continue its collaboration with PMA and help their members be better prepared for product recalls,” GS1 Australia’s Chief Customer Officer Marcel Sieira says.
“Being able to communicate with your key trading partners and regulators is key for organisations to protect their customers, their reputation and their brand.”
In February this year, ministers from the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation, requested FSANZ to identify appropriate regulatory and non-regulatory measures for Australia to manage food safety risks. Particular products included berries, pre-cut fruits and melons.