TRACEBACK
Integrated system for a reliable traceability of food supply chains (IP 036300)

Link:
www.traceback-ip.eu

Strategic objectives addressed
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).

Proposal abstract
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.

Involved research partners:

1 Tecnoalimenti S.C.p.A. TCA Italy (project
coordinator)
2 AINIA - Asociaciòn de investigaciòn de la
Industria Agroalimentaria AINIA Spain
3 Atos Origin Sociedad anònima espanola ATOS Spain
4 Engineering Ingegneria Informatica S.p.A. ENG Italy
5 University of Kent UNIKENT United Kingdom
6 ILIM - Institute of Logistics and Warehousing ILIM Poland
7 Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Faculty of Alnarp SLU Sweden
8 University of Parma UNIPR Italy
9 CEMAT – Combined European Management And
Transportation S.p.A. CEMAT Italy
10 City University London – Centre for HCI Design CITY United Kingdom
11 Consiglio nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di
Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare CNR-ICRM Italy
12 CONSUM Sociedad Cooperativa Valenciana CONSUM Spain
13 Institut für Agrar – und Stadtökologische Projecte
an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Träger:
A.S.P.e.V. ASP Germany
14 Max Plank Society for the Advancement of Science
represented by the Max Plank Institute for Polymer
Research MPG Germany
15 MTT Agrifood Research Finland MTT Finland
16 Teagasc Agriculture & food development Authority TEAGASC Ireland
17 Selex Communications S.p.A. SELEX Italy
18 SGS ICS Ibérica, S.A. SGS Spain
19 Federalimentare FEDER European
20 Akdeniz University, Economic Research Center on
Mediterranean Countries UNIAKD Turkey
21 Scuola Superiore ISUFI, eBusiness Management
Section, University of Lecce ISUFI Italy
22 Centiv GmbH CENTIV Germany
23 NSCE Ltd NSCE Egypt
24 KBS KBS France
25 PARMALAT PARMALAT Italy
26 TECHNOBIOCHIP SCarl TB Italy
27 TRANSFORMACIONES AGRICOLAS DE BADAJOZ, S.A. TRANSA Spain
28 Regionalna Wielkopolska Izba Rolno-Przemysłowa RWIRP Poland

Additional:
The project Kick-off meeting was held in Milan on January 31 until February 2, 2007.

Link:
r.prugger@tecnoalimenti.com

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