QTrace for Food Manufacturers & Packers of fresh produce (fruit, vegetable, animal)
QTrace provides food manufacturers, farms, and packhouses with an exciting new ability to share traceability and manufacturing information for food products. The intention is to create greater brand loyalty from end consumers, and to enhance customer and vendor confidence, whilst creating the opportunity for manufacturers to receive greater feedback from end chain consumers.
Benefits for Consumers
- Consumers can use mobile devices and even the internet to learn more about the product.
- Consumers can be confident of the products production practices, and overall food safety
- Trust in the product brand is increased as a result of manufacturers providing a greater level of transparency
Benefits for Growers / Packers / Food Manufacturers
- Research shows over 80% of consumers prefer to purchase a product with openly available traceability (where the alternate product is identical in specification).
- Communicate preferred information about the product including farm of origin, manufacturing and growing practices, proof points such as claims of "locally grown" or "Organic" etc.
- Comply with dozens of traceability and quality standards (see Standards Compliance below)
- Labeling using the QTrace Code can be used with Item, carton, batch, and pallet level identification
- Capture new levels of feedback from consumers. Currently many manufacturers receive little feedback from consumers due to the Retailer being between the two parties. QTrace encourages consumers to comment on their product experience, giving the manufacturer a new product improvement tool.
- Rapidly implement traceability requirements regardless of business size
- Integrate QTrace into existing software solutions, or choose from solutions already integrated with QTrace (eg: ProducePak)
- Create brand loyalty with consumers by providing a high level of transparency
- Enhance customer service to retailers by allowing capture of purchase orders, disemination of invoices and more via QTrace
Benefits for Retailers
- Prove to consumers that the retailer is serious about enforcing traceability
- Increase consumer trust in the retail brand by creating high levels of transparency
- Provide consumers with on demand access to product information from the retail shelf, using mobile devices
- Consumers can access product information from their home if they are curious about the freshness or quality of a product
- Consumers can provide direct feedback to the manufacturer, resulting in better product quality, and increased manufacturer response to quality or product demographic demands
- Instantly access batch information to ensure suppliers are complying with required standards
QTrace is simple to implement
Step 1: Labeling the productFood Manufacturers and packers of fresh produce apply on existing labeling systems a QTrace Code (generated by QTrace or an integrated software solution). Optionally, the QTrace code can be used to replace existing Batch/Lot numbers; note that the QTrace Code will link to all existing traceability details and information. The details for each QTrace code are automatically uploaded to the QTrace server via either QTrace or your software solution. The manufacturer chooses what information will be shared via QTrace. Labels can be printed from QTrace or from your existing labeling solution.
Manufacturers can apply any chosen label text, graphics or design, however, the intention is simply to get the QTrace code onto the product and inform consumers of their traceability options.
Step 2: Consumer & Retailer InformationConsumers and Retailers can access information by entering the QTrace Code on a mobile device (eg: iPhone, Nokia, or any modern internet enabled device), or SMS the QTrace Code to receive information via SMS (this feature is still being tested and will be available in 2010 in most regions). (click here and enter "1234567" as the QTrace code to see an example of QTrace results). Despite over 80% of consumers preferring to purchase products with open traceability; QTrace research suggests that only a small percentage of consumers will actually utilise the traceability service.
Step 3: Optionally receive Consumer or Retailer feedbackManufacturers can choose to encourage consumers and retailers to use the QTrace system collect feedback. This feature allows the manufacturer to get direct feedback from consumers, and removes the "Retailer" barrier that consumers often feel. Greater consumer brand loyalty and brand preference is created by offering consumers a conduit to give comments, suggestions, and complaints to manufacturers.
QTrace helps the packer and food manufacturer comply with many standards including:
- BRC
- GlobalGAP
- HACCP
- USDA
- Produce Traceability Initiative
- GS1 Global Traceability Standard
- United Fresh , PMA, CPMA / traceability standards
- ISO 9000/1: 22000
Can we integrate QTrace with other systems?
QTrace can be integrated with business management systems (such as ProducePak Farm/Packhouse/Food Manufacturing solutions) to provide automatic sharing of the manufacturers chosen traceability information. For more information on integrating QTrace with other systems, click here..
What about privacy and security?
QTrace shares only the information that the manufacturer chooses to share, and no privacy or security issues are caused by implementing the system.
Note that "Integration" requires purchase of seperate ERP or business managment solution that has been or will be integrated with the QTrace solution. QTrace is not responsible for performing the integration services with your ERP/Business Management Solution. QTrace reserves the option to change or cancel any free or tiral based services at any time without prior notice. All fees payable in advance, SMS services limited to 2000 sms sends, after this a rate of 15 cents per SMS is levied.
