Traceability in kitchens

At ARAVEN we want to help you understand the Traceability concept and its implications in the entire food chain to reach optimal food hygiene and safety in your establishment. Traceability appeared in Europe on the occasion of the mad cow crisis. At that time, when the pathology was detected but its origin and causes were unknown, the need arose to follow the trace from the origin of the raw beef. Thus, it became necessary to know which cattle farm the beef originated from and thus be able to isolate it and study it. This need would later be transferred to all types of foodstuff with the only objective of protecting consumers’ health. Thus, the traceability regulation (Reg (CE) 852/2004 and Reg (CE) 178/2002) arises: which requires any operator integrated into the food chain: manufacturers, distributors, processors and consumption points open to the public, to be able to identify the origin of each one of the food raw materials that they are serving to their respective clients. In this sense, it is worthy of note that explicit reference is made, for the first time, to points of consumption: hotels, restaurants, hospitals, canteens and other similar groups. To this end, all the documents that accredit the origin of the raw materials must be kept by all the establishments that serve meals: Delivery notes, invoices, records, labels, … Thus, it will be possible to follow the “trace” of the food and identify its origin if actions have to be taken, in the case of risk for public health. When this Traceability regulation entered into force, ARAVEN incorporated a traceability label into its food preservation containers. This enables kitchen professionals to identify the content and preserve the information associated with its origin. Furthermore, and in line with the Good hygiene practices recommendations, included in the Codex Alimentarius, identifying the food stored in the container results in a better and safety management of kitchens. With this system, it is possible to control preparation, freezing/defrosting dates, expiry dates, etc. The labels incorporated into the ARAVEN food containers are the only end-to-end system that ensures Good hygiene practices and helps comply with the Traceability regulation. Furthermore, to facilitate the use of the container with label, ARAVEN provides a HORECA marker, with non-toxic ink that can easily be washed off in the dish-washer. It is sufficient to write the necessary data on the label and then when the time comes to wash the container you will see how your writing is easily eliminated in the wash or by rubbing gently under the hot water tap.