The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) will impose additional technical, financial and operational burdens on food retailers when Section 204 of the law is published, pursuant to a court order, this November. Specifically, retailers, wholesalers and their trading partners will need to maintain records of every movement of several fresh product categories from the point of origin to the point of sale to the consumer. This will have the impact of changing the way every food store and distribution center in the country records the delivery of shipments.
To address this and other compliance issues, the National Grocers Association (NGA), the trade association representing the independent supermarket industry, has entered into a multiyear agreement with ReposiTrak to be NGA’s traceability and supplier compliance partner, as a step forward in bringing guidance, education and support to the independent wholesale and retail grocery community.
“Food safety is of paramount importance to independent grocers and their supplier partners,” said Greg Ferrara, NGA president and CEO. “NGA’s partnership with ReposiTrak is the latest in a series of ongoing initiatives to enhance value for our members by sharing best practices in an area that’s crucial to safeguarding the hard-earned trust that retailers and manufacturers have with consumers.”
As part of this partnership, ReposiTrak will be the exclusive traceability and supplier compliance provider in NGA’s partner program. NGA will host online thought leadership content and share it across various platforms, including website, newsletters and email blasts, as well as a webinar series. Additionally, ReposiTrak will participate in NGA events and offer a special rate for its services to NGA member companies.
“NGA’s strategic partnership and support of the ReposiTrak Traceability Network is the first step toward industry-wide adoption of our easy and inexpensive solution that will improve food safety, enable faster and more precise recalls, and even usher in the potential for food waste reduction and better transparency for consumers,” said ReposiTrak Chairman and CEO Randy Fields. “Through our more than two decades of work in the grocery supply chain, we’ve come to understand that traceability will be inherently good for the industry.”
The FDA has stated that the initial list of 16 categories and thousands of products covered by Section 204 is the starting point to further improve the safety of the food supply chain. It will take time to adopt new technology and change processes to fully implement end-to-end traceability; as members prepare for the switch, NGA will provide resources.
NGA members interested in the ReposiTrak program should contact Derek Hannum (DHannum@repositrak.com) or Jonathan Downey (jdowney@nationalgrocers.org).
About ReposiTrak
ReposiTrak, Park City Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCYG), provides retailers, suppliers and wholesalers with a robust solution suite to help reduce risk and remain in compliance with regulatory requirements; enhance operational controls; source and discover new vendors; and increase sales with unrivaled brand protection. Consisting of four product families – food traceability, compliance and risk management, supply chain solutions and MarketPlace sourcing – ReposiTrak’s cloud-based platform’s integrated applications are mutually reinforcing and work synergistically to create value and positive impact. For more information, please visit https://repositrak.com/
About NGA
NGA is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale community grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. An independent retailer is a privately owned or controlled food retail company operating a variety of formats. The independent grocery sector is accountable for about 1.2 percent of the nation’s overall economy and is responsible for generating more than $250 billion in sales, 1.1 million jobs, $39 billion in wages and $36 billion in taxes. NGA members include retail and wholesale grocers located in every congressional district across the country, as well as state grocers’ associations, manufacturers and service suppliers. For more information about NGA, visit www.nationalgrocers.org.
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