Agri-Trace Traceability Model Applied Outside Agri-Food Sectors

Traceability was used in our approach to attain quality and has now evolved into an individualized tracking system for a variety of products. These products can be either identifiable or unknown (example: the contents of a parcel sent by registered mail and tracked through its identifier). Their progression can be monitored (which operator manipulated what product and where, with what machine, at what location. Temperature and impacts, etc. can also be registered).

Traceability has taken advantage of major advances in computer technology and its miniaturization, notably by using three tools:

• bar codes, allowing rapid, automatic identification with an optical reader. Electronic chips that can contain more information have tended to replace bar codes for more complex applications.
• radio frequency identification tags, which permit complete product life-cycle monitoring.
• databases that can be interconnected, thereby allowing a large number of entries to be monitored, with automatic cross-checking.

Thus, the Agri-Trace™ Solution can be adapted to traceability projects in areas outside the agri-food sector.