Ensuring Food Safety and Quality

Traceability Requirements in the Ontario Meat Industry

By Daphne Nuys-Hall, Technical Director, Meat & Poultry Ontario

Traceability is a fundamental component of food safety. In the event of a foodborne illness outbreak or contamination, the ability to trace products back to their source allows for swift identification and removal of affected products from the market. This protects consumers and minimizes the impact on public health.

The traceability requirements for meat plants are outlined in the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) and are enforced by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). These requirements apply to a wide range of businesses within the meat industry, including slaughterhouses, processing facilities, and retail establishments, whether they are federally, provincially or municipally inspected. 

Food Traceability is divided into 3 blocks:

1. “Backward Traceability” that corresponds with knowing the source for every product or component. 
2. “Process Traceability” that corresponds with knowing the detailed composition of every prepared product, 
3. “Forward Traceability” that focuses on knowing who are the clients you delivered each product lot from your company.

Altogether, these make up end-to-end traceability.

Backward Traceability – Receiving

The receiving process is the starting point of traceability in the meat industry. It is where every item that enters a facility is documented and recorded. For traceability purposes, businesses must record specific information about each item received, including:

• The date and time the food was received.
• The common name of the food.
• The name and address of the person who manufactured, prepared, produced, stored, packaged, or labelled the food.
• The lot code or another unique identifier to trace the food.
• The quantity received.

Process Traceability – Production

Meat processing is unique in comparison with other manufacturing sectors as it is a disassembly process. That is, rather than assembling inputs into a final product as is done in most manufacturing processes, an animal entering a processing plant is broken down into many parts or cuts and these parts are then re-assembled with the same or similar cuts from other animals and then typically placed in a box for shipment. Take, for example, a hog carcass – we are taking one raw material input, the carcass, and breaking it down to a potential of 29 individual primal cuts that can then be further processed down into retail cuts. Throughout the process there is the opportunity for the addition of other inputs such as seasonings, breadings, casings, water, vegetables, cheeses, other meat proteins, etc., all of which need to be included in a plant’s traceability system as they pose their own food safety risks. There are many challenges of data management throughout the process due to this complexity. 

Production records are an important aspect of traceability as they document: 

• The name, lot code and amount of the raw material inputs used
• The name, lot code and amount of any ingredients 
• Date and time the food was manufactured
• The name, quantity and lot code of the finished meat product

Forward Traceability – Distribution

Accurate and complete distribution records are essential.  In the event of a recall, it is crucial to have access to specific information, and the distribution records should contain: 

• Customer name and telephone number, 
• The product identification and size of product, if applicable.
• The product lot number or code
• The quantity of product shipped to the customer 
• The date the product was shipped to the customer

Maintaining these clear and readable records is essential, and they must be kept for a minimum of two years. These records should be easily accessible within Canada and provided to the CFIA upon request. If electronic records are used, they must be provided in a single file and in a format that can be easily opened and used with standard commercial software. This rapid identification can lead to timely recalls and containment, minimizing health risks to consumers and protecting a company’s reputation.

Labelling Requirements

Proper labelling of meat and meat products is another crucial aspect of traceability. The label on a food product must include:

• The common name of the food.
• The name and principal place of business of the person by or for whom the food was manufactured, prepared, produced, stored, packaged, or labeled.
• The lot code or another unique identifier (especially for consumer prepackaged food, it must include a lot code).

The Role of Traceability in Product Recall

Traceability is not merely a regulatory requirement; it is a critical tool to protect consumer health, especially during product recalls or food safety incidents. When a contaminated or unsafe product is identified, the traceability information allows businesses and authorities to swiftly identify affected products and remove them from the market. This not only safeguards public health but also helps maintain consumer trust in the meat industry.

The ability to trace meat products from source to consumer is vital in protecting public health and maintaining the reputation of the industry. With the support and resources provided by organizations like Meat & Poultry Ontario, businesses in the meat industry can navigate these requirements efficiently and continue to deliver safe and high-quality meat products to consumers across Ontario.