GTP:Unique Identification
From TraceFood
Contents |
Guide to unique identification of traceable units
The TraceFood Framework requires that the traceable units shall be uniquely identified. Furthermore it requires that a minimum of additional information shall be linked to the traceable units throughout their lifetime. Later on these data may be accessed via the unique identification number. Common practice for creation of the smallest traceable unit varies in different industries. In the fish farming business a bucket of roe, a full containment of a well boat or a fish crate are typical TU’s. In the meat sector a crate of meat is a typical TU.
The GS1 numbering system
GS1 administers a global number system for identification and description of items. The TraceFood standard recommends the use of the GS1 numbers for unique identification for TU’s and LU’s. The concept of the GS1 128 Symbology is to code a set of data elements frequently used in trade and logistic (i.e. Net weight, Production date, etc) and explain the meaning of the data elements by using a prefix called an Application Identifier (AI). Hence the AI identifies the meaning and the format of the data that follows it (data field). In the example data (3101) 05545, 3101 is the Application Identifier telling that this data element means Net weight with an accuracy of one decimal, and 05545 specifies the Net weight to be 554,5 Kg.
The GS1 128 Symbology provides adequate predefined data elements to enable unique identification of both Trade Unit and Logistic Unit.
Uniquely identifying the logistic Unit
GS1 provides a globally unique data element for the identification of a Logistic Unit, called SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code). A pallet of fish crates or 40 feet containers of fish are typical logistic units. TraceFood requires that the IDs of the separate TU’s within the LU shall be linked to the LU identifier, in practice to the SSCC.
The SSCC number structure is (00) 235467985462312345, were 00 is the Application Identifier and the following figure is a 18 digit unique number.
Uniquely identifying the Trade Unit
The GS1 128 Symbology does not have one single data element for the unique identification of a Trade Unit (i.e. a particular fish crate). However the symbology provides a trade item number, named GTIN, which identifies a variant of Trade Units (i.e. crate of 20 Kg fresh Superior Atlantic salmon of 4-5 kg each fish). GTIN is an abbreviation for Global Trade Item Number.
To uniquely identify the particular crate, one has to add one or more predefined data elements. In the TraceFood standard this identifier is called GTIN+, where the + indicates that additional information is needed for this purpose.
To make up the GTIN+ the GTIN (AI 01) must be combined either with a Batch number (AI 10) and a Serial number (AI 21), or with only the Date and time of production (AI 8008).
GS1 defines the Batch number as an internal number of a production batch. It is common practice to allocate this number to all produced units with similar properties (i.e. origin / farm area, time of arrival, supplier, etc) and/or produced within a certain time period (i.e. one hour, a shift, one day, one week, etc). Since most commonly many Trade Units are given the same Batch number, unique identification of each separate Trade Unit demands further specification. An appropriate solution is to allocate a Serial Number to each produced Trade Unit (i.e. a meat crate).
Using example data, the GTIN+ applying the Batch- and Serial number looks as follows:
(01)07038010000065(10)123456(21)1234567890
The second alternative is to make up a unique identification of a Trade Unit by combining the GTIN and Date and Time of production (AI 8008).
Exemplified with real data GTIN+ may be presented as follows:
(01)07038010000065(8008)040915125603
The figures behind AI(8008) have a structured format, meaning year/ month/ time/ minute/ second.
In some cases a Logistic Unit and a Trade Unit will be of equal size (i.e. a full containment of a cargo boat carrying grain).
