Digital Traceability for Oyster Supply Chains

Working with Trace Register, Bluefin Data, and Pole Star Space Applications, the GSMFC studied how using digital traceability methods in combination with the current paper-based oyster harvest tags could improve how the industry tracks and traces oysters throughout the supply chain. Results of this pilot study show that digital traceability is a viable solution for the oyster industry's challenges as it improves efficiencies and helps reduce risk from harvest to plate.

The goal of the oyster traceability pilot was to develop and test a digital traceability solution for the Gulf oyster industry supply chain. The aim of the solution was to deliver an electronic information management system that could address some of the current challenges of the industry by enabling the sharing of key information securely between trading partners as product moved through the supply chain.

The pilot investigated several unique regulatory compliance requirements of the oyster industry, such as temperature monitoring, tag tracking, and internal traceability at the oyster harvester, processor, distributor, and foodservice provider. Through the use of hardware, software, and tag tracking technologies, the pilot enabled enhanced functionality for internal traceability management and the integration of temperature recording.

The pilot was executed in two phases over 23 months. Phase I started in October of 2011 and was completed in January 2012. Phase II commenced in April of 2012 and was completed in August of 2013. During Phase I, a detailed analysis of the current manual tagging and information management systems used by oyster businesses throughout the Gulf was conducted. This phase identified the requirements needed to apply software and hardware in an effort to improve efficiencies, reduce costs, and address data gaps throughout the supply chain. Phase II of the pilot consisted of using the requirements identified in Phase I to pioneer a digital traceability solution for the oyster industry.

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