PRESS RELEASE
Sydney, Australia (28 September 2022)
Representatives of the GDST kicked off a two-week visit to Australia in cooperation with GS1 Australia to promote their recently updated GDST 1.1 global standard governing information content and data formats specifically for seafood traceability systems. Fruitful discussions were held with representatives of Woolworths Limited, Coles Supermarkets, Simplot Australia, the governments of New South Wales and Victoria, and several solution providers.
The GDST standard was built as an extension of the international traceability standard known as GS1 EPCIS which is widely used by major retailers, brands, and supply chains. The GDST has refined and adapted the EPCIS standard to be ‘fit for purpose’ for the seafood industry, and to include innovations that allow companies to integrate with GS1-based systems without making commercial commitments to use proprietary GS1 traceability solution products. GDST standards are designed to meet operational business needs while helping ensure that products entering the seafood supply chain originate with legal production practices. The standards are also adapted to facilitate regulatory compliance with import controls such as the US Seafood Import Monitoring Program and the EU IUU Regulation. Importantly, GDST does not impose a ‘one size fits all’ solution but provides design standards that can be flexibly implemented in multiple proprietary (and even competitive) systems, including cutting-edge technologies like blockchain. It is also understood that standard implementation will take time and may involve a phased approach for some companies based on their own business decisions and conditions.
Marcel Sieira, Chief Customer Officer for GS1 Australia said, “GS1 Australia is delighted to be working with GDST to bring the benefits of standards in the critical seafood industry to Australia. The ability to streamline the seafood supply chain, particularly in the Asia Pacific region, will bring huge benefits to Australian seafood supply chains and to exporters.”
The GDST also recently launched a Capability Test that will allow them to verify the ability of software solutions to achieve data sharing interoperability using the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) standard.
Greg Brown, GDST’s Executive Director added, “In two other important updates: 1) the GDST recently launched their much-anticipated Supplier Onboarding Packet to support adoption and implementation of GDST standards throughout fishery and aquaculture supply chains, and 2) the GDST is transitioning into an industry-led, global Dialogue participation and partnership organization. The reorganization will create a permanent home for maintaining and supporting the GDST standards while continuing to provide GDST partners with a global forum to coordinate industry actions and promote government policies in favor of effective, business-smart seafood traceability.”
Media Contact: GDST Secretariat, info@traceability-dialogue.org
About the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability
The GDST was organized in 2017 by WWF and the Institute of Food Technologists as an international, business-to-business platform to advance a unified framework for interoperable and verifiable seafood traceability. The GDST brings together companies from around the globe and across different parts of the seafood supply chain. In March 2020, after a multi-year industry-led drafting process, the GDST released the first-ever global standard (GDST 1.0) governing information content and data formats specifically for seafood traceability systems. Learn more at www.traceability-dialogue.org or contact the GDST by email at info@traceability-dialogue.org
About GS1 Australia
GS1 Australia is the Australian arm of the neutral, not-for-profit organisation that develops and maintains the most widely used global standards for efficient business communication. We are best known for the barcode, named by the BBC as one of “the 50 things that made the world economy”. GS1 standards and services improve the efficiency, safety and visibility of supply chains across physical and digital channels in 25 sectors. With local Member Organisations in 116 countries, 2 million user companies and 6 billion transactions every day, GS1 standards create a common language that supports systems and processes across the globe. For more information visit the GS1 Australia website.
Marketing contact
Tracey Kelly-Jenkins
Marketing Program Manager
GS1 Australia
tracey.kelly-jenkins@gs1au.org