Tanimura & Antle Announces PTI Pilot
September 2009
Industry Innovator Trials In-Field PTI Compliance
SALINAS, CA. (September 24, 2009) – Tanimura & Antle announced today that they are collaborating with TraceGains and RedLine Solutions on two separate pilot projects that will enable Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) compliance for field packed items. Tanimura & Antle has been an active participant in the Produce Traceability Initiative from its inception and representatives from the company serve on the advisory committee defining the PTI standard and designing PTI best practices.
Tanimura & Antle has a proven system for 100% trace back with one step forward and one step backward in the supply chain. The PTI pilot will identify potential improvements to this system and efficiency of operations. “We see this pilot project as a key component to our preparation for supply chain wide traceability,” said Tom Casas, Vice President of Information Technology at Tanimura & Antle. “We expect to identify what enhancements will be needed in our harvesting processes to ensure a smooth rollout of PTI Compliance.”
Tanimura & Antle surveyed several available solutions and chose to work with two PTI compliance vendors to individually evaluate each system’s adaptability to Tanimura & Antle’s harvest operations. Mike Antle, Executive Vice President of Harvest Operations at Tanimura & Antle commented, “We will be able to generate PTI case labels based on daily harvest requirements. The goal being to generate labels right in the field giving T&A flexibility to adjust in real-time to harvest requirements.”
As labels are placed on cartons, the traceability information is captured into an electronic record, building in traceability right at the point of harvest. Information about the packed product is continually available to both the Operations and Sales teams while the product is in the field and en route to the cooler.
These pilot programs give Tanimura & Antle the lead in enhancing customer solutions based on actual experience and practical requirements. By stepping out as an early adopter of this necessary industry technology, Tanimura & Antle hopes to encourage and be an example for other companies to develop similar point of harvest PTI systems.
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About Tanimura & Antle
Tanimura & Antle is an industry leader whose commitment to premium quality produce has remained strong since its formation in 1982. The Tanimura & Antle families combined more than 50 years of experience and knowledge to establish a produce company unrivaled in its quality products, innovation and dedication to growers, customers, consumers and employees. Today, as one of the largest independent lettuce growers in the United States, Tanimura & Antle farms more than 30,000 acres of rich, fertile farmland and ships a full line of premium fresh produce products throughout North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit www.taproduce.com.
About RedLine Solutions
RedLine Solutions provides complete solutions that enable whole-chain traceability for Growers, Packers and Shippers. We have over a decade of experience integrating barcode and wireless technologies to increase productivity in the Cooler and the Field. Whether you need just a barcode printer or a complete traceability solution, RedLine can deliver the appropriate hardware and software to meet your requirements from start to finish. For more information, please visit www.redlineforproduce.com.
About TraceGains
TraceGains offers traceability and advanced brand protection and promotion solutions for the food industry. TraceGains has vast experience and expertise and a complete suite of solutions for the fresh produce industry, including assisting grower-packer-shippers comply with the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI). TraceGains provides complete software and hardware solutions for GTIN management and labeling in both line-pack and field-pack settings. TraceGains customers have achieved basic PTI compliance, as well as advanced integration, improved recall and traceability, pro-active brand protection and enhanced profitability. The company is headquartered in Longmont, CO, and has over twelve years direct experience in the food traceability arena. For more information, please visit www.tracegains.com.
