GTP:Consumer view

From TraceFood

Contents 1 INTRODUCTION-CONSUMER VIEW 1.1 What does traceability mean for the consumer? 1.2 What is traceability? 2 OPINIONS/FACTS 2.1 What information might we expect about our food? 2.2 What can I use traceability for? 2.2.1 One example is to document special food properties 2.2.2 Branding and recipies 2.2.3 Fraud detection 2.3 How can I use traceability? 2.4 When should I use traceability? 2.5 What do consumers think about traceability 3 WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK 4 FURTHER READING 4.1 What do consumers want?

INTRODUCTION-CONSUMER VIEW

For an interactive demonstration see foodtraceability.eu

What does traceability mean for the consumer?

The consumer is at the final link of the food chain which started at the farm or other primary producer. The consumer may be concerned with several issues related to the food which they have purchased. The most important or primary issues related to purchase of food will probably be the food quality and the price.

For some consumers, other issues will also have a huge impact on the willingness to buy specific food items. Religious, political and personal choices and beliefs are considerations that the retailer needs to address when marketing food. An important factor for consumers is the trust which can be built between the retailer and the customer about the information provided with the food. This trust is increasingly difficult to build because of the industrialization of the food chains and the aggregation of the food market from many and small actors, to few and large actors.

What is traceability?

Traceability is a tool that can be used to provide important information that can be used to build trust between a consumer and the producer of food. By providing quality information about all treatment and events a food item has been through, the consumer can use this information.

OPINIONS/FACTS

What information might we expect about our food?

What can we expect of information from food suppliers?

• At the very least the consumer should have access to a simplified "Everything's fine"
• But in the future perhaps, we can get access to information we can check ourselves
• An easy way to access more information in general, so that we can - if we want - make an informed choice about the food we buy

Specifically we want

• An easy way to access information which allows us to assess food quality and safety
• Access to some indicators as to the environment of the food product
• An easy way to access information about allergens
• An easy way to assure that the food is compatible with beliefs, customs or preferences

What can I use traceability for?

One example is to document special food properties

Specific food requirements for certain consumer groups provide challenges related to documentation. Traceability can be used to provide this documentation by exposing relevant information that is important to ensure that, e.g., special labeling used on the food is used correctly.

The documentation is important as well as the actually labeling as this documentation through traceability can build trust through quality information about specific processes that the food has been through. Examples of food that contain specific requirements are:

• Organic food
• Local food
• Sustainable/green food
• Vegetarian food
• Kosher
• Halal

The consumer with the help of authorities can ensure through traceability that:

• Food sold as organic actually is organic by documenting the product history including production processes, use of additives, fertilizers, medicine etc.
• Local food actually is local by documenting where the food item has been from farm to fork.
• Document that food has been produced and transported in a sustainable way.
• Document that the food contain raw materials/ingredients from sustainable stocks/plants.

Also other properties which may be important for some user groups:

• What allergens can possible be found in a food item?
• What are the ingredients used in the food item?
• Provide nutrition details like fat content, energy, vitamins etc.
• Provide documentation about animal welfare
• Provide documentation about the food origin

Branding and recipies

Branding is about building trust between a brand owner and a consumer that a brand has special quality and properties. Additional information like recipies, how to make the most out of the bought food item etc., may be useful to ensure and enforce such a trust. Traceability can provide documentation that can be used to strengthen such a trust relationship.

Fraud detection

A problem for both the consumer and a brand owner, is the replica or fraud possibilities that known brands are exposed to because of the perceived extra value of the brand, i.e., certain brands are more expensive than similar products with other brands. Mislabeled products can be sold for a higher price by providing false information about the item. This is a known problem in almost all trade. Traceability can be used as a tool to discover and thus prevent frauds.

Some of the techniques and documentation about food that can give additional proofs about the correct branding are:

• Genetic profiles
• Specific quality parameters with a high granularity (i.e., every food item has a known history).

How can I use traceability?

The origin for a consumer to trace a food item, is the documentation or tagging of the food item. Some information that is known/published on most food items are:

• Brand name
• Product name
• Expected shelf-life
• An EAN/GS1-13/GTIN barcode, describing who have produced the product.
• Ingredients

On the Web, GS1 gepir can be used to access information coded in the barcode.

Other information can also be available:

• Batch/lot number
• Web-link

Traceability for a consumer will most often be related to:

• find documentation of certain attributes or properties about the product (see above).
• check whether there are any special information related to the purchased food item. This is of special importance whenever a product has been redrawn or retracted from the market.

Product information can be deployed in electronic systems, either at the retailer (e.g., a customer kiosk) or at Web pages specially designed by the producer for getting information about the food item.

Internal traceability will be important for generating item specific information while more generic or static information can be collected and published for a specific product type.

When should I use traceability?

Traceability may be used in many situations as described above.

Added value for a purchaser of a product is for instance:

• Certified origin of the product, the product is what it is supposed to be, e.g., through analytical methods, genetic finger prints, likelihood that the specific product is
• Documented food safety parameters like physical treatment, unbroken cooling chains, exposure to possible contamination
• More documentation related to the used ingredients, eventually trace these
• Document processes like production, processing and transport related to e.g. sustainability.

What do consumers think about traceability

• Some consumers are interested in merely the price of their food (getting the most for the least money). For these consumers it will be important that any extra traceability nationally involved demands do add extra cost to products.

• Some consumers will want to know that an external body has taken care of traceability and that everything written on the product is correct but will not be interested in accessing the information themselves.

• Some consumers will be interest in extra information on their products. Not just that there product is traceable but also addition product and process information supplied to them in the shop.

• Some consumers will be interested to get an in depth detailed product and process history for the products they buy.

• Studies have shown that some consumers are willing to pay for products that can document as specific characteristic while other studies have show that consumer are unwilling to pay for traceability.

As can be seen, there is no such thing as "the consumer". However, we believe that consumers have the right to get information about the food they are consuming in order to check the compatibility with preferences, customs or beliefs.

WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK

What other people think
Operational	The operators are interested that the consumer will buy and continue to buy their products. Branding and reliability are important mechanisms to build trust between the consumer and the operator. Traceability can be used as a tool to both mechanisms and provides an instrument for increased communication of quality and reliability. Operators might not always be willing to share all operational information with consumers, and they might have concerns that the consumers are not able to correctly interpret all information. Go to actor.
Supply chain	The supply chain most important issue is to provide food to the consumers in a timely and reliable manner to ensure availability of products based on consumer demand. However, actors within the supply chain may not wish to give customers all information about internal practices. Go to actor.
Quality Assurance	The main role of quality assurance actors are to both implement and document that the promised and required quality is in place when the consumer buys the product. Actors working with quality assurance will hope that traceability enables them to provide the consumer with more information about the quality of the food they are eating. Go to actor.
Public Authority	The public authorities represent the consumer and provide laws, regulations, monitoring and control to ensure safe food for the consumer. The public authorities would expect the consumer look to them for advice about the food they have purchased, and to follow advices related to food management both in regular consumption and when any food scares are identified. Go to actor.
ICT	ICT may provide tools and systems that can help the consumer to buy safe food. The consumer may also a be consumer of information which will be the responsibility of ICT to provide in a suitable manner. ICT will have to make information handling system which are suitable for consumer use, in that regard the consumer can play a role in providing input when building the front ends of traceability systems. Go to actor.

FURTHER READING

What do consumers want?

As a result of research into consumer preferences and perceptions a number of papers have been published which can give information about what consumer perceptions of traceability are. The references and abstracts can be found below.

• Kehagia, O., Chrysochou, P., Chryssochoidis, G., Krystallis, A. & Linardakis, M. (2007). European Consumers' Perceptions, Definitions and Expectations of Traceability and the Importance of Labels, and the Differences in These Perceptions by Product Type. Sociologia Ruralis, 47 (4), 400-416.

Abstract: Given the heterogeneity of European consumers, it is not surprising that they have different perceptions and expectations regarding and understanding the concept of 'traceability'. Consumers may also perceive traceability differently for different product types. The present study is based upon an analysis of focus groups in 12 countries across Europe. It explains how European consumers understand the traceability of food products as well as their expectations of traceability for different types of food product (meat and honey have been used as examples). Labelling schemes for these two types of products are also examined. The results showed that dissimilarities exist in consumers' perceptions of traceability in different countries. Some dissimilarities also exist between consumers' expectations of traceability and the information they require. However, labels are still seen as an important way of communicating with consumers, although the participants claimed that these labels need to be understandable and more easily accessible to facilitate consumer understanding.

• van Rijswijk, W., Frewer, L., Menozzi, D. & Faioli, G. (2008). Consumer perceptions of traceability: A cross-national comparison of the associated benefits. Food Quality and Preference, 19 (5), 452-464.

Abtract: Consumer perceptions regarding traceability were investigated by means-end-chain laddering. Consumers in four European countries were questioned about the benefits they associate with traceability related attributes. The benefits consumers associate with traceability are in terms of health, quality, safety and control, of which the latter was associated with trust and confidence. These benefits were similarly important in the countries investigated. Cross-national differences were also observed. Importantly, both quality and safety were shown to be related to traceability in the consumers′ minds with quality implying safety. The results show that traceability may contribute to improving consumer confidence. The most important aspects of traceability which should be incorporated into communication with consumers are discussed.

The following presentations from the PETER project will be of interest to cosnumers: 06 A consumers view of food traceability - Eleni Alevritou.