Hearing explores reform of U.S. food safety system; sets stage for Senate action this year

WASHINGTON – October 22, 2009 – The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee today held a hearing to discuss S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act and specific proposals for food safety reforms. Brian Cute, Vice President of Discovery Services for Afilias, a global provider of end-to-end supply chain traceability services, issued the following statement applauding the Committee’s effort and progress made toward establishing a national traceability system for food.

“Today was an important morning for food safety and it is encouraging that the committee is working on legislation that will create a national food tracing system. The establishment of a robust and effective food tracing system will provide the FDA with the information it needs to conduct targeted and effective recalls, protect industry from losses, and most importantly, restore Americans’ confidence in their food supply.

“As a top priority, S.510 must enable government, industry and technologists to work together through pilot projects to develop a scalable and interoperable food traceability system that ensures all players in the food supply chain will embrace technologies to meet the traceability requirements set out in the bill. As a traceability technology provider, Afilias looks forward to working with the Congress and the FDA and providing our expertise through pilot projects to demonstrate which technologies available today will best deliver ‘farm to fork’ traceability and make a national tracing system a reality.

“The House-passed food safety bill, H.R. 2749, makes great strides toward this end, including the establishment of pilots within the industry to develop a national tracing system. Afilias looks forward to the Senate taking a similar approach in its bill and hope that adequate funding and resources will follow to make these pilot projects possible.”

S. 510, FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, the Senate’s food safety reform bill that has garnered the most attention, contains provisions that require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a pilot project to test and evaluate new methods for rapidly and effectively tracking/tracing fruits and vegetables in the event of a food-borne illness outbreak. Earlier this year, the House passed its version of food safety legislation, H.R. 2749, Food Safety Enhancement Act. H.R. 2749 contains more robust traceability provisions, in particular, requiring the Food and Drug Administration to issue regulations that require food producers, manufacturers, processors, transporters, or holders to maintain the full pedigree of the origin and previous distribution history of the food and to link that history with the subsequent distribution history of the food. It also establishes an interoperable record to ensure fast and efficient traceback. Prior to issuing such regulations, FDA would be required to conduct a feasibility study, public meetings, and pilot projects.

The Senate HELP committee will now work to schedule a markup of S.510.

About Afilias
Afilias is a global provider of Internet infrastructure services that connect people to their data. Afilias' reliable, secure, scalable, and globally available technology supports a wide range of applications including Internet domain registry services, Managed DNS, and services in the RFID and supply chain market with its Afilias Discovery Service.

About Afilias Discovery Services
Afilias Discovery Services is a standards-based hosted registry service providing true end-to-end traceability. ADS allows you to securely and selectively share "track and trace" information.  Fully interoperable and identifier agnostic, with ADS you can conduct surgically precise product recalls, improving consumer safety and confidence while reducing business impacts.

Afilias Discovery Services will be at booth 4319 at the Produce Marketing Association's 2009 Fresh Summit.  Stop by to learn how Discovery Services provide full end-to-end traceability in the supply chain.

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Dublin, Ireland - 18 August 2009 - Afilias, a global provider of internet infrastructure services, today announced that Ali Rezafard, the lead member in the development and implementation of Afilias' Discovery Services platform, has been selected to chair the Software Action Group at EPCglobal. 

EPCglobal leads the development of industry-driven standards for the Electronic Product Code^TM (EPC) to support the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in implementing traceability technology for supply chains.  The EPCglobal Software Action Group (SAG) works to define software interface and other standards both within EPCglobal network elements as well as between elements from other enterprise systems.

 "Quick, accurate, and secure traceability of information through the supply chain is extremely necessary in today's world of food and product recalls," said Mr. Rezafard.  I am excited to be able to provide my expertise from Afilias to ensure that the EPCglobal standards are further developed to address the international need for interoperable supply chain track-and-trace technologies."

Mr. Rezafard has been with Afilias since 2007 as a Solutions Architect for Afilias' Discovery Services which provides secure and selective visibility services to global supply chain participants.  Mr. Rezafard's co-chair on the SAG is David Husak, CTO of Reva Systems who participates on other EPCglobal teams including the hardware (HAG) and business (BAG) action groups.

About Afilias Discovery Services

Afilias Discovery Services is a standards-based hosted registry service providing true end-to-end traceability. ADS allows you to securely and selectively share "track and trace" information.  Fully interoperable and identifier agnostic, with ADS you can conduct surgically precise product recalls, improving consumer safety and confidence while reducing business impacts. For additional information visit www.afilias.info/ads

About Afilias

Afilias is a global provider of Internet infrastructure services that connect people to their data. Afilias' reliable, secure, scalable, and globally available technology supports a wide range of applications including Internet domain registry services, Managed DNS, and services in the RFID and supply chain market with its Afilias Discovery Service. For additional information please visit http://www.afilias.info/.

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H.R. 2749 to create a national tracing system for food from ‘farm to fork’

Washington, D.C. – On a second attempt at passage, the U.S. House successfully voted in favor of legislation to reform a food safety system that has been battered by a lack of consumer confidence and numerous food recalls over the past few years.

Brian Cute, Vice President of Discovery Services for Afilias, a global provider of end-to-end supply chain traceability services, today issued the following statement regarding passage of H.R. 2749, Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009.

“This comprehensive bill has the muscle and resources to help FDA modernize our antiquated food safety system. It will help prevent the more than 5,000 annual deaths related to food borne illness in the U.S. and protect Americans from exposure to contaminated foods.

“Today, the U.S. does not have any way to trace the origins of food from ‘farm to fork’ nor the ability to conduct targeted and precise recalls – the crucial missing piece of the food safety puzzle. And for years, consumers and the food industry have suffered from slow and ineffective investigative efforts and broad recalls, costing the country millions of dollars in lost product, and breeding distrust in consumers.

“The traceability pilots proposed in the bill seek to refine our food safety system, setting the foundation for collaboration between government and industry to determine which technologies available today will deliver a reliable and efficient tracing system to benefit all Americans. Now is the time for members of the food supply chain to embrace technologies that will help them deliver on their traceability requirements. Of paramount importance, these technologies should be developed upon global uniform standards and ensure interoperability across all supply chain members, both domestic and international.

“Afilias commends the House for supporting this bill and taking swift action on this issue of national importance and asks the Senate to likewise recognize the urgency for food safety reform this year.”

Among the reforms proposed in the bill, the Food Safety Enhancement Act requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish a tracing system to trace the origin of tainted food in the event of an outbreak of food borne illness. Prior to issuing regulations, FDA would be required to conduct a feasibility study, public meetings, and a technology pilot project.

H.R. 2749 will now move to the Senate for consideration along with other proposed food safety bills.

About Afilias Discovery Services
Afilias Discovery Services is a standards-based hosted registry service providing true end-to-end traceability. ADS allows you to securely and selectively share "track and trace" information.  Fully interoperable and identifier agnostic, with ADS you can conduct surgically precise product recalls, improving consumer safety and confidence while reducing business impacts.

About Afilias
Afilias is a global provider of Internet infrastructure services that connect people to their data. Afilias' reliable, secure, scalable, and globally available technology supports a wide range of applications including Internet domain registry services, Managed DNS, and services in the RFID and supply chain market with its Afilias Discovery Service.

Legislation sets stage for "end-to-end" traceability in U.S. food supply chains

Washington, D.C. - Brian Cute, Vice President of Discovery Services for Afilias, today issued the following statement in response to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health markup of food safety legislation, titled "H.R. 2749, Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009."

"Today's markup of H.R. 2749 signals a significant commitment by the U.S. Congress to overhaul and strengthen our food safety system and restore consumer confidence. It is time to modernize our 20^th century system to meet the needs and demands of a 21^st century food supply. The food traceability provisions and technology pilots proposed in this legislation will set the stage for the establishment of a U.S. system to trace foods from ‘farm to fork,' enable food safety agencies to conduct targeted recalls, and ultimately achieve true ‘end to end' traceability within our food supply chains. We urge the Congress to quickly move this legislation forward to protect consumers and bring much needed reform to the U.S. food safety system."

For more information on this pending legislation, visit the Subcommittee on Health website.

For more information about Afilias Discovery Services or to speak with Brian Cute, please contact David Mayorga at 202-683-3118 or dmayorga@qorvis.com

About Afilias

Afilias is a global provider of Internet infrastructure services that connect people to their data. Afilias' reliable, secure, scalable, and globally available technology supports a wide range of applications including Internet domain registry services, Managed DNS, and services in the RFID and supply chain market with its Afilias Discovery Service. For additional information please visit http://www.afilias.info/. 

About Afilias Discovery Services

Afilias Discovery Services is a standards-based hosted registry service providing true end-to-end traceability. ADS allows you to securely and selectively share "track and trace" information.  Fully interoperable and identifier agnostic, with ADS you can conduct surgically precise product recalls, improving consumer safety and confidence while reducing business impacts. For additional information visit www.afilias.info/ads

Washington, D.C. – Brian Cute, Vice President of Discovery Services for Afilias, today issued the following statement in response to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee hearing on proposed food safety legislation entitled the “Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009.”

“Chairs Dingell and Waxman have taken a bold step forward to create policies that will bring much needed reform across our food safety system to ensure that Americans are shielded from harmful and contaminated food products. Key to the success of this legislation are critical food traceability provisions that will for the first time ensure that the U.S. moves toward achieving true ‘end-to-end’ traceability within our food supply chains and enabling efficient and targeted food recalls. This legislation comes at a time when food recalls are hurting consumers, farmers and small business across the nation. Our recall system is outdated and inefficient and the U.S. lacks a modern technological solution to track and trace foods from ‘farm to fork.’”

About Afilias
Afilias is a global provider of Internet infrastructure services that connect people to their data. Afilias' reliable, secure, scalable, and globally available technology supports a wide range of applications including Internet domain registry services, Managed DNS, and services in the RFID and supply chain market with its Afilias Discovery Service.

About Afilias Discovery Services
Afilias Discovery Services is a standards-based hosted registry service providing true end-to-end traceability. ADS allows you to securely and selectively share "track and trace" information.  Fully interoperable and identifier agnostic, with ADS you can conduct surgically precise product recalls, improving consumer safety and confidence while reducing business impacts. For additional information visit www.afilias.info/ads 

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For more information about Afilias Discovery Services or to speak with Brian Cute, please contact David Mayorga at 202-683-3118 or dmayorga@qorvis.com

 Afilias Vice President of Discovery Services, Brian Cute will be a keynote speaker at the Internet of Things Europe 2009 conference. Mr. Cute's sesson, entitled "Towards the Web of Things" will be delivered on Thursday, May 7 from 9:40am – 10:10am.

 

New Members Reflect RPA’s Diverse Membership and Coverage of Supply Chain

WASHINGTON, April 3, 2009 - ­ The Reusable Packaging Association (RPA, formerly the Reusable Pallet and Container Coalition) is pleased to announce the addition of four new companies to its growing membership. Afilias, CE Tech, Rehrig Penn Logistics and The Kroger Company have all joined the RPA to help promote reusable packaging solutions and to gain the benefits of membership, including increased business opportunities and access to research, data, and other tools that will help them build the business and environmental case for their products and services.

Together, the four new members represent tracking and traceability of goods, the supermarket industry, a consulting practice, and a provider of pooling and logistics services.

“The coverage of the supply chain represented by these four new members alone reflects the RPA’s goal to advance the adoption of reusable packaging and systems throughout the supply chain,” said Chris MacGrory, Chairman of the RPA Membership Committee and Marketing Manager, Reusable Packaging Containers for IPL Products, Ltd. “We welcome the insight and experience that these new members will bring to our efforts to promote reusables as the preferred packaging solution across supply chains in all industries.”

In turn, the four companies, as well as all RPA members, will gain access to case studies, economic calculators, surveys, technical briefs, webinars, podcasts, and other proprietary materials provided by the RPA. Also, members have high-level input into the creation of industry standards and guidelines that will affect the entire user community. End-users also have the opportunity to join the RPA End User Advisory Council to network with other end-users, learn best practices, and gain referrals. As an association, the RPA aggressively educates the marketplace about the economic and environmental advantages of reusable packaging.

About the RPA
The Reusable Packaging Association is a collaborative effort between manufacturers, third party service providers, end-users and academia to promote the environmental, safety, and economic benefits of reusable packaging. The RPA serves as the collective voice of industry and uses its knowledge of the members’ products and services to advance the adoption of reusable packaging and systems throughout the supply chain.  The RPA is focused on promoting the expansion of reusables as the preferred packaging solution across supply chains in all industries. For more information, visit http://www.choosereusables.org or call +1 (703) 224-8284.

About Afilias
Afilias is a global provider of Internet infrastructure services that connect people to their data. Afilias’ reliable, secure, scalable, and globally available technology supports a wide range of applications including Internet domain registry services, Managed DNS, and Afilias Discovery Services (ADS).  ADS  is a standards based hosted registry and lookup service providing true end-to-end traceability.  ADS allows you to securely, and selectively share information to "track and trace" your product lifecycle.  Fully interoperable and identifier agnostic, ADS allows you to more efficiently manage inventory and conduct surgically precise product recalls, improving consumer confidence and reducing the business impacts of recalls. For more information on Afilias visit www.afilias.info/ads

About CE Tech
CE Tech represents a group of dedicated entrepreneurs whose primary focus is to enhance client profitability and productivity through the innovative use of New Business Development, Product Development, Materials Development and Specification, Product/Tooling/Materials Sourcing as well as Product Cost Optimization solutions.  We are a globally-directed organization with materials and tooling associates in the U.S., Europe and Asia.  Clients include manufacturers of industrial and retail containers, housewares, foodservice products, lawn and garden products, as well as OEM components.  Services include access to world-class material testing facilities at Georgia Tech as well as other facilities.

About Rehrig Penn Logistics
Rehrig Penn Logistics (RPL) provides pooling, third party logistics services and reverse logistics services to manufacturers and retailers. It provides asset tracking, recovery, storage, repair, washing and disposal of returnable packaging items. RPL also provides asset management services for customers onsite, or at any of its off-site processing facilities strategically located throughout the East Coast and Midwest.

About The Kroger Company
The Kroger Company is a supermarket chain with more than 2,400 stores.  Kroger is currently in the process of converting its containers for inbound fresh produce items into reusable produce containers.

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Media contact:
Jerry Welcome
1100 N. Glebe Rd, Suite 1010
Arlington, VA  22201
Phone: 703-224-8284 Fax: 703-243-5612
Email: info@choosereusables.org
Web Site: www.choosereusables.org

Afilias will be exhibiting its Discovery Services product at the 11th Annual  Food Safety Summit in Washington D.C. Please see our Afilias Discovery Services demo at booth #922.

Brian Cute, Vice President of Discovery Services, for Afilias will be presenting on April 28th at  1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. on the panel entitled "What is Wrong with our Traceability System" and sponsored by Food Safety Magazine.

 

Strategy Institute’s Food Safety Summit is our 5th in a series of annual events designed to improve the safety of Canada’s food supply by bringing together key knowledge leaders from around the world.