1. Definitions and objectives of traceability

According to ISO 9000-(2000), traceability is "the ability to trace the history, implementation or location of what is being examined. In the case of a product, it may relate to the origin of materials and components, the history of manufacture, distribution and location of the product after delivery".

According to the former ISO 8402 standard, traceability is "the ability to trace the history, use or location of an entity (e.g. plant, animal, foodstuff) by means of recorded identifications".