TRACEBACK – Integrated system for a reliable traceability of food supply chains

TRACEBACK will define, develop, and demonstrate a framework including models, tools, best practices, and guidelines to implement innovative food traceability systems based on the following aspects:

(i) establishment of objective connections between the product flow and the information flow along the food chain through the implementation of microdevices, based on microarrays and Q RT-PCR technologies embedded in lab-on-a-chips, combined with artificial intelligence;

(ii) development of an information management system which fits to the existing technologies and systems along the food chain from raw materials to the point of sale and is open to upcoming technological developments, without imposing any technology change to players in the chain. This will be achieved through the development of a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) model which will provide semantic and service interoperability;

(iii) special attention to cost implications of the used solutions since the routine implementation of traceability in the food sector where typically small margins applied, needs to account for not more than 1 to 2% of production cost. This will be achieved through the use of affordable technologies (mainly internet based), continuous cost assessment of project results, innovative ways to exploit the system (i.e. ‘pay per use’, ASP (a) approach).

The resulting framework will support the integration of EU and non-EU emerging technologies from on-going projects into a single framework and will be demonstrated and validated through the implementation of a pilot version of the traceability system in two representative food chain models: feed/dairy and tomato (foremost important chains of the European agro-food sector).

The project is articulated around 10 WPs, including project management, and has a duration of 42 months. Participants have strong complementarity in the diverse fields necessary for this project, have high quality, proven experience and can ensure a wide impact. The research activities are supported by extensive training and capacity building of food chain stakeholders, dissemination to the scientific community, policy decision-makers and business community and exploitation for driving food chains towards the proposed traceability system. The project will include a Basket of Enterprises to facilitate the involvement of high-tech SMEs and food-SMEs in the pilot system.

2007-2010