IFT’s Food Traceability Centre Receives m Grant

IFT’s Food Traceability Centre Receives $3m Grant

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IFT’s Global Food Traceability Center (GFTC) has just been awarded a generous $3 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, aimed at boosting global food traceability efforts. This funding will help GFTC enhance traceability systems throughout food supply chains worldwide.

The grant will focus on three key areas of development:

Promoting the use of interoperable traceability standards across various food systems.
Creating new tools and resources to facilitate practical implementation and lower the hurdles for widespread adoption.
Strengthening advocacy and collaboration with regulators, multilateral organizations, industry partners, technology providers, and other essential stakeholders to foster greater global alignment.

Blake Harris, Managing Director of IFT’s Global Food Traceability Center, shared his thoughts:

“Traceability goes beyond just meeting regulations; it’s about building trust, collaboration, and resilience within the food system. With the support from the Moore Foundation, we at IFT’s Global Food Traceability Center are excited to expand the tools, resources, and partnerships necessary to make interoperable traceability more practical and scalable across different commodities and supply chains.”

Creating a unified approach to food traceability

One of GFTC’s standout accomplishments has been its pivotal role in launching the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund nearly ten years ago. This initiative was designed to establish a common language for interoperable seafood traceability.

GFTC is dedicated to supporting GDST by providing technical expertise, implementation resources, and practical tools that empower both industry players and technology providers to effectively apply traceability standards. Building on this solid foundation, the center has broadened its reach to include additional sectors like dairy, beef, and leather, with exciting plans to venture into more commodities and supply chains thanks to new funding.

Championing modern food traceability practices

IFT has been a key player in enhancing food traceability in the United States, notably through its early partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on product tracing initiatives.

Their 2012 report, Pilot Projects for Improving Product Tracing Along the Food Supply System, was the first reference cited in the FDA’s final Food Traceability Rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Section 204.

Building on this groundwork, GFTC has rolled out educational programs, practical resources, and industry collaborations aimed at helping organizations grasp traceability requirements, bolster their internal capabilities, and gear up for better data sharing.

Among these initiatives is the Enterprise Traceability Education Suite, crafted to train employees on essential traceability principles, ensure compliance with regulatory standards, and enhance product recall readiness.

Additionally, GFTC has teamed up with industry organizations and associations to create the Food Industry FSMA 204 Collaboration, which fosters sector-wide awareness and alignment in implementing the Food Traceability Rule.

Fostering international collaboration and alignment

GFTC collaborates with international partners, standards bodies, and public-sector organizations to promote a more unified approach to interoperable, event-based traceability across global food systems.

Its engagement reaches out to regulators, industry associations, standards organizations, and multilateral initiatives all over five continents. This also includes having observer status in the activities of Codex Alimentarius through the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS).

With its deep expertise in traceability implementation, GFTC offers practical guidance, tools, and resources to help different countries, commodities, and supply chains adopt effective traceability practices.

For more details about IFT’s Global Food Traceability Center, you can check out IFT's website.