5. Traceability

5.1 Regulatory obligation: EC regulation 178/2002

Article 18 of the regulation stipulates that "the traceability of food, feed, food-producing animals and any other substances intended to be, or likely to be, incorporated into food or feed shall be established at all stages of production, processing and distribution".

This means that every player in the supply chain must be able to trace the history and origin of a batch at every stage in the product's life cycle, i.e. upward traceability, and to trace the destination of a batch or unit of product at every stage in the product's life cycle, i.e. downward traceability (figure 4 ). This regulation, applicable since January 1...