Traceability

Being able to assure Canadians and consumers in other countries that the food we produce is safe is important. A big part of that is “traceability”. It means having checks and balances in place to assure customers that they’re actually getting what they think they are getting—and that we can trace a product right back to its origin, in case something goes wrong.

For example, an IP “identity preserved” program for food grade soybeans tracks every step of production to be able to prove to international buyers that the beans are authentically food grade, and have been produced to exacting standards.

RFID (radio-frequency identification) ear tags for livestock, and a national database of animal movement, mean that we know where animals are and where they’ve been—critical information to have in case of a disease outbreak or food safety problem1.