Requirements for automated product verification and key industry standards

Summary

This project was one of four 'foundational' studies commissioned by the Integrity Systems Company (ISC) to help guide the implementation of its 2025 Strategic Plan.

The project identified the key product-claim attributes of Australian red meat that require product verification and undertook a global scan of regtech (Regulatory Technology) and other digital solutions to determine their applicability.

Significant value can be obtained from optimising the existing system and communicating its strengths to trading partners and the global base of consumers. The project report recommended that ISC define the key global standards and frameworks that facilitate integration and interoperability of verification within Australia's red meat integrity system and develop a more compelling and equitable value proposition for the existing system before incorporating new elements.

Objectives

The main objectives of this project were to:

• identify the key product claim attributes of Australian red meat that require product verification across domestic and international markets now and into the future
• complete a global scan for frameworks and technologies used in other industries and countries for verifying product requirements for market and legislative requirements
• determine what frameworks and technologies are automated and effectively used to manage market compliance
• determine the likelihood of existing frameworks and technologies to be applied to the red meat and livestock integrity system.

Key findings

• Consultation with industry and MLA's regional in-market teams regarding Australia's approach to product integrity across the red meat supply chain highlighted that whilst the possibilities associated with an automated red meat integrity system are appealing, emphasis should first be placed on completing the digitisation of the existing system. This action will yield greater efficiencies, reduced errors and improved data management and transfer.
• Enhanced data transfer would lead to improved regulatory efficiency and better information for sales agents, producers, feedlotters, processors, customers and consumers and other participants in the red meat supply chain.
• Opportunity exists to gain substantial value from optimising the existing platform and communicating its strengths to both trading partners and overseas consumers. 
• The integration of digital systems or the linking of existing processes to a digital system are widely viewed as the next logical step in the development of global integrity systems for red meat and agricultural products more broadly.
• Both industry and MLA's in-market teams underscored the need to complete the digitisation and interoperability of Australia's current red meat integrity system before embarking on a transition to new technologies, such as regtech and block chain, or seeking to fully automate data acquisition and verification across the supply chain.

Benefits to industry

The intent of these foundational projects was to identify ways for Australia's red meat integrity system to progress from its current whole-of-life traceability design to a complete whole-of-supply-chain traceability system.

The main benefit to industry from this project is the recognition from ISC that the current system is yet to deliver the primary value propositions to the degree that it must. This recognition has already begun to influence ISC internal preparation for 2021, which should result in practical solutions for industry during the 2021-2022 period.

MLA action

Following this project, MLA plans to:

• review the strategic plan investment allocations
• interview key supply chain participants
• identify high priority useability challenges to fix
• review communication plans and messages.

Future research

The following recommendations are proposed to enable the ongoing evolution of Australian red meat integrity system in accordance with ISC's Strategic Plan for the Integrity System 2025 and beyond:

• define the key global standards and ontologies that facilitate integration and interoperability of the verification systems currently underpinning Australia's red meat integrity systems
• develop a more compelling and equitable value proposition for the current verification systems before incorporating new elements
• identify and evaluate opportunities to adopt technologies/solutions that provide enhanced digitalisation and digital interoperability
• pursue and adopt new technologies that enable a whole-of-supply-chain traceability system.