An IT solution for tracing the origin of a consignment would help the country’s seacooking exporters on the global market, US company IBM said.

The system, introduced by IBM Smart Food program and the US-based FXA Group at a press briefing and seminar in Ho Chi Minh City Wednesday, will use various data-capture technologies like linear barcodes, 2-D barcodes and Radio Frequency Identification.

As part of a pilot project, the two firms will collaborate with the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, the State Agency for Technological Innovation (SATI) and several local technology firms to provide a system to track Vietnamese seafood exports.

The project will track the origins of exported seafood and help ensure consignments remain fresh when they arrive in global markets.

Randy Sng, Industry Manager, Manufacturing General Business, IBM ASEAN, said the global food industry is facing some of the most challenging market conditions in its history.

Consumer pressure and industry requirements for quality and traceability are driving producers to provide more details on products, he said.

“With foods being sourced from across international borders, consumers are demanding to know more about the products they buy and the conditions they were grown and kept in from farm to dinner table,” he added.

SATI said in the past several months, it has been working with IBM and other business partners to use new technologies for food safety, including marine and aquaculture produce meant for exports.

“Many countries have set strict regulations and industry requirements for monitoring of the food transportation process and traceability of the origin of the food,” Dr Chu Ngoc Anh, director of SATI, said.

“The application of advanced technologies like Radio Frequency Identification and traceability solutions will help improve the quality and productivity of the industry, and enhance the value of our exports,” he said.

“In the long term, advanced traceability solutions can help boost the quality and prestige of the Vietnamese seafood industry in the global market.”

IBM and FXA Group’s traceability technologies will be tested at selected farms that export seafood to Japan, the US and Europe.

Using FXA’s technology, these organizations will be able to capture critical data about each batch of shrimp and other seafood – like which farm it came from, where it was processed, its current location, temperature, and others.

IBM said its technology would make that information accessible to all the parties involved in the supply chain, like wholesalers, shippers and retailers.

“We are confident the new technology will help us achieve the goal of meeting the highest seafood industry standards,” Nguyen Hoai Nam, VASEP’s deputy general secretary, said.

“In collaboration with retailers and government agencies, we are increasing consumer confidence by providing innovative technologies for tracing not only the origins and ingredients in food but the path they have traveled before they arrive at stores,” Girish Vasudevan, territory executive, IBM Vietnam, said.

Chatta Udomwongsa, head of marketing, FXA Group, said: “The traceability solutions system will cost around US$10,000 per system and it’s up to the company’s size. The first two systems will be installed at Binh An and Camimex seafood firms in the Mekong Delta in the next three months.”

VietNamNet/TN