Expert Panel Members IFT Task Order 6 Expert Panelists and their responses to the question "What impact does this report have on product tracing?

Steve ArensStephen Arens, MBA
Senior Director
GS1 US

"The research presented in this report will be invaluable for enhancing product tracing. Food-related industries have done much in recent years to improve traceability, and the IFT’s work will help to further refine these efforts and, ultimately, raise the level of consumer safety."

 

 

Frank BustaFrank F. Busta, Ph.D.
Director Emeritus, The National Center for Food Protection and Defense, A Homeland Security Center of Excellence
Professor Emeritus, Food Microbiology and Emeritus Head of Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota

"The broad-ranging impact of this report reflects the extraordinary capabilities of the team assembled by IFT, who have developed a statement that captures the subtleties and challenges of traceability and offers a reasoned approach to effective product tracing."

 

Martin ColeMartin Cole, Ph.D.
Chief of Food and Nutritional Sciences
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation's (CSIRO) Division of Food and Nutritional Sciences (FNS)
Director Emeritus, National Center for Food Safety and Technology, Illinois Institute of Technology

"A doubling of the world demand for food by 2050 and the ever increasing complexity of the global supply chain means that we must strive to use the best science and technology in food trace back.  In describing the performance of a required trace back system we have attempted to leave some flexibility in the way that the system works to hopefully promote innovation and the use of new technologies."

  

Art Davis, Ph.D.
Vice President, Produce Division
IEH Laboratories and Consultants

Helen JensenHelen Jensen, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics
Head, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development
Iowa State University

"Good information on product tracing technologies, systems and costs is essential to guiding effective food safety response and public policy."

 

 

 

Ben MillerBenjamin Miller, MPH, RS
Operations and Response Section Manager
Dairy and Food Inspection Division
Minnesota Department of Agriculture

"This report should serve as a foundation to better protect Public Health by improving product tracing by improving the timeliness and accuracy of the traceability information in the food supply chain.  Specifically, by improving the requirements for internal product tracing, outbreaks can be more quickly traced to their source and implicated product traced forward in the marketplace.  These improvements in product tracing will decrease the number of cases of illness in foodborne outbreaks and increase consumer confidence in the food supply."

 

Gale PrinceGale Prince
President and Founder
Your Food Safety Coach
Retired Director, Corporate Regulatory Affairs
The Kroger Company

"While most food companies have some degree of product trace there are many benefits that can come from further enhancements of those efforts in protecting the food supply and public health. This project showed the complexity of today's food supply and why consumers are concerned as to the source of their food.  The study brought forth the importance of the need to enhance product trace systems to protect public health and the financial health of companies."