Traceability

Under EU law, “traceability” means the ability to track any food, feed, food-producing animal or substance that will be used for consumption, through all stages of production, processing and distribution. It exists as a way of responding to potential risks that can arise in food and feed, and acts as a risk-management tool to ensure that all food products are safe to eat.

Whilst it is focussed specifically on food safety within EU legislation, traceability has recently been discussed from an ethical perspective, involving not only the protection of human health, but also animal welfare, terms of trade, working conditions and genetic modification. This is in response to consumers’ desires to know more about the food they eat and where it comes from. The idea of ethical traceability aims to create fuller visibility along food chains.

Ethical argument

The problems of introducing ethical traceability regulations involve increasing administrative burdens and control, the possibility of higher food prices, and the possible exclusion of small-scale enterprises due to their inability to handle the demands, which in turn, reinforces already powerful interests. Also, there is the problem of the abuse of information, for instance for marketing purposes.

Priorities

• Traceability regulation should exist as a means for creating visibility for consumers on ethical issues of food production practices.
• Regulation needs to exist alongside support for small businesses to achieve standards with minimum damage to their livelihoods.
• Ethical issues should be added in to existing traceability schemes within food companies.