Technology and the 3 Ts

By Lisa Lupo

Tracking and traceability have been industry buzzwords since the one-forward, one-back requirements of the Bioterrorism Act of 2012 went into effect. But the cross-platform technologies needed to meet the increasing regulatory mandates for traceability and the consumer demand for transparency are making it more and more difficult for food businesses to track their supply chains to the source without compromising the security of their data.

In discussing the “3 Ts” with experts, reviewing reports and white papers, and participating in conferences, the author found the range of emerging technologies, issues, and solutions to be nearly as expansive as the food industry itself. Thus, this special section is a compilation of today’s technological impacts on tracking, traceability, and transparency.