Experts discuss the importance and impacts of traceability in fresh vegetables

Source of generating 13 million jobs and revenue exceeding 1 billion dollars in exports, according to the Brazilian Horti & Fruti Yearbook 2020, the produce chain in Brazil is changing levels given the need to adopt traceability in fruits and vegetables. To discuss the importance of adapting to rules, legislation, their implications and impacts, representatives of public and private institutions will participate in a meeting this Tuesday (10), at 16 pm, broadcast on Embrapa channel on Youtube.

It is organized by Embrapa Instrumentação (São Carlos – SP), moderated by researcher Marcos David Ferreira, specialist in post-harvest. He says that the purpose of the debate is to contribute to clarifying the rules surrounding the traceability of fruits, vegetables and vegetables, the so-called FLVs.

Glauco Bertoldo, director of the Department of Inspection of Products of Plant Origin of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa), opens the debate. It will address the importance of traceability of fresh vegetable products intended for human consumption, deal with legislation, Joint Normative Instruction (INC) No. 2 of 07/02/2018, prepared by Mapa and the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa)

Bertoldo will also clarify responsibility, other regulations, concept, examples, labeling information, records - field notebook, fruit and vegetable groups starting to come into force, National Plan for Control of Residues and Contaminants in products of plant origin (PNCRC Vegetal).

Viviane Cremaschi Lima, Industry Relations Coordinator at the Senai Institute of Food and Beverage Technology of the State of São Paulo, will explore the importance of labeling in the traceability of fruits and vegetables. Based on legal requirements, the coordinator will explain the fundamental role of labels in traceability.

Nilson Gasconi, Sector Development Executive in the application of GS1 System standards for the food sector, specifically in fruits, vegetables, meat and agribusiness, will discuss the importance of identifying and tracking the connection between the links in the production chain.

According to him, with the globalization of markets and compliance with existing legislation, the flow of product information becomes essential. “Giving identity to products are basic premises and a competitive factor that adds more information to products such as Global Identification, Batch No., Expiry Date, etc.”, says Gasconi.

The new legislation and the impacts and opportunities for the FLV sector will be the responsibility of José Eduardo Brandão Costa, executive director of the Brazilian Association of Producers and Exporters of Fruits and Derivatives (Abrafrutas). The director will present an updated overview of Brazilian fruit growing, the concept and importance of traceability for export and the domestic market, in addition to showing how producers are adapting, highlighting the difficulties encountered. He will also show how legislation could impact the consumption of FVs in Brazil.

Researcher Marcos David Ferreira, from Embrapa Instrumentação, closes the discussions by outlining an overview of safe food and traceability, possibilities and challenges of adopting this procedure in the country. He adds that the topic of traceability, which is part of the programming of the Post-Harvest Technology Course in Fruits and Vegetables http://poscolheita.cnpdia.embrapa.br/, and others of importance to the sector will be addressed in a different format in 2021. By Using resources from a parliamentary amendment by federal deputy Vitor Lippi, the event will take place in Embrapa's Virtual Learning Environment (AVA). The course, which enters its VII edition next year, will be held from August 23rd to 27th.

Government extends deadline for adoption

Traceability is understood as a set of procedures that allow you to identify the origin and monitor the movement of a product throughout the production chain. Through traceability it is possible to know what the product is, where it came from and where it is going. Considered fundamental for quality control and food safety, the obligation to track FLVs was determined by INC 2/2018 and had a deadline to come into force in August of this year.

However, another INC, No. 1 of April 15, 2019 (1/19) extended the deadlines for adapting to traceability rules for some products by one year, with an end date of August 2021. Thus, producers rural areas are able to adapt to the new rules.

One of the main objectives of the standard is to ensure that consumers have vegetable products without irregularities in the use of pesticides and contaminants. To facilitate adaptation, an implementation schedule was established for crop groups according to the new instructions.

A balance released at the 54th convention of the Brazilian Supermarket Association (Abras), held at the end of October, points out that the Food Traceability and Monitoring Program (RAMA) tracked 1,9 million tons of FV last year, while in 2018 the total was 1,4 million tons. The Abras program is active in 10 Brazilian states, in 264 municipalities, with 948 suppliers.