Continuous improvement trends in produce traceability

摘要

Thirty minutes is all the time officials at Procacci Brothers Sales Corporation needed in June 2008 to respond to a call from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The agency was seeking the company's product traceback records as part of an investigation surrounding certain types of fresh tomatoes being implicated in a serious foodborne illness outbreak involving Salmonella Saint-paul. Already aware of the outbreak, Procacci Brothers—a complete supply-chain produce company handling over 275 tons of fruits and vegetables per year and one of the industry's largest handlers of tomatoes—was ready and willing to comply. The company's trace-back records were at-the-ready since internal product tracking has been routine protocol for decades, and officials' understanding of the need for expediency in isolating a foodborne illness is a responsibility taken seriously.