Produce Marketing Association Australia-New Zealand (PMA A-NZ) has partnered with GS1 Australia in a bid to enhance food safety for the Australian fresh produce industry.
Under an agreement announced between the pair yesterday (24 April), PMA A-NZ will encourage the adoption of the GS1 Australia Recall portal to assist growers and suppliers address the major challenges of food tampering and food safety.
“Food safety underpins the success of the entire fresh produce industry,” said Darren Keating, CEO of PMA A-NZ. “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.”
The move comes after the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation requested that Food Safety Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) identify appropriate regulatory and non-regulatory measures for Australia to manage food safety risks. Berries, pre-cut fruits and melons were among the focus products.
The use of the Recall platform has been supported by 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 a technology for businesses that operate a HACCP-based food safety programme.
“GS1 Australia is proud to continue its collaboration with PMA and help their members be better prepared for product recalls,” said Marcel Sieira, GS1 Australia’s chief customer officer. “Being able to communicate with your key trading partners and regulators is key for organisations to protect their customers, their reputation and their brand.”
