Thisfish has designed its Traceability Data Standard to meet a minimum requirement for business-to-consumer traceability (Photo: Thisfish)

Thisfish Releases Draft Traceability Data Standard For Public Feedback

Thisfish has released a draft of its Traceability Data Standard with the hope of receiving government, stakeholder and fishing industry feedback within the next few months. The deadline for input is September 14, 2012.

The objective of the Traceability Data Standard is to define Thisfish’s minimum requirements for the collection, online storage and sharing of seafood product data throughout the supply chain.

Currently, most seafood businesses are required to maintain internal traceability through HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) procedures that facilitate the recall of unsafe food products. However, full-chain traceability for wild-capture finfish fisheries is relatively new.

Fish harvesters and seafood businesses on Canada's East and West Coasts are currently tracing their catches through Thisfish

The International Standards Organization released its standard (ISO 12875) for the traceability of finfish products in September 2011. The U.S. National Fisheries Institute and GS1 released their own traceability implementation guide in March 2011. 

Thisfish allows fishermen to better connect to their markets and to brand their catch through personal storytelling

Governments are also working on implementing traceability standards to improve food safety and prevent the sale of products from illegal, unreported and unregulated fisheries.

In January 2010, the European Union implemented its “catch certificate” regulation requiring imported seafood to be validated by foreign governments that it came from a legal fishery.

These various standards require the sharing of product data between businesses (B2B) or between businesses and government (B2G).

Thisfish adds a third type of entity: consumers or B2C. In this way, Thisfish’s traceability data standard is also about transparency, the sharing of seafood data with consumers and the general public.

Thisfish has designed its Traceability Data Standard to meet a minimum requirement for business-to-consumer traceability. Subsequent versions may incorporate standards for business to business, and business to government, as required by market demand and government regulation, respectively.

The scope of this standard is the requirement for collecting, storing and sharing of seafood product data throughout the supply chain. It does not cover issues such as chain of custody, sustainability, food safety or quality. This standard will be applicable to all authorized suppliers of product traceable through Thisfish.

Thisfish's aim is to create the world’s most trusted seafood traceability system that empowers consumers and rewards producers

This standard is the first version for Thisfish’s traceability data. As such, Thisfish encourages all chain-of-custody operators, governments, consumers and stakeholders to provide feedback on the standard and its implementation. Thisfish intends to improve and modify the standard based on this feedback.

Feedback should be sent to [email protected] by September 14, 2012.

About Thisfish

An initiative of Ecotrust Canada and fishing industry partners, Thisfish is growing a community of like-minded folk dedicated to sustaining the rich traditions and culinary delights of the sea. The three pillars of our approach are to:
• ensure an authentic, meaningful experience to consumers hungry for trusted information on the authenticity, quality and sustainability of their seafood;
• provide real-time market intelligence and branding advantages for every business in the seafood supply chain from fishermen to fishmongers; and
• Create an easy-to-use and low-cost traceability system that is accessible to small operators and rural fishermen.

Whith Thisfish customers can trace the fish they have bought and connect to the fisherman who caught it, by using a smart phone, tablet or computer

Source: Thisfish

Margaret E.L. Stacey
Editor Companies and Products
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

Address:	http://ecotrust.ca
City:	Vancouver
State/ZIP:	(V6B 1R3)
Country:	Canada
Phone:	+1 604 682 4141
Fax:	+1 604 682 1944
E-Mail:	[email protected]
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