Enabling Transparency in Meat Supply Chains: tracking & tracing for supply chain partners, consumers and authorities

Abstract

This paper discusses a new system that enables meat supply chain stakeholders and regulators or authorities to track and trace and - at the same time - allows meat consumers to use their smartphone (or internet) to get immediate and direct access to all information on the specific meat item they see at the butcher or in the supermarket. This meat transparency system follows meat through the supply chain and stores its history. Apps help supply chain partners to upload the data they want or have to share and apps help them, authorities and consumers to get the stored history in a format that fits the intended user. As the system is based on the international EPCIS standard, roll-out of the meat transparency system to other supply chains (other types of meat, other types of food and other countries) is easy and straight forward.