Challenges

If there is a fault in a product without traceability, we will not be able to identify the cause of the nonconformance, take action or be able to trace where the product has been sold for efficient recall from the market. If a situation occurs when people get sick because of a product and we cannot trace it efficiently, this represents a direct risk for food safety.

Today's consumers are conscientious; they want to know a product's origins and how it has been handled. This requirement would be impossible to meet without a well-developed traceability system.

Our ambitions in this area

Lerøy shall be the foremost seafood company in terms of tracking and extended tracking technology.

How we work in the area

Lerøy now has full traceability for all products, input factors for products and raw materials for salmon and trout feed.

Lerøy’s in-house developed tracking system, Fishtrack, provides all customers with access to online tracking information for a product, all the way from parent fish to processing. In essence, the customer has a CV for the fish they have purchased, including information on broodstock fish, juvenile fish, sea farm location, feed, treatments, quality analyses etc.  We achieve this by linking the Farming segment’s traceability system with the ERP system used by our Sales Department. One unique code follows the fish throughout the value chain, with related traceability information.

Lerøy can now track and block any product on the market within four hours, along with associated raw material batches and batches of finished goods.

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Policy: Food safety

How to measure our impact?

The Group carries out traceability tests/recall drills every year to ensure that our system is efficient and robust.

The product withdrawal procedure comprises, but is not limited to, the following phases:

1. Written explanation of nonconformances
2. Classification:
   1. Class I: Information requirement
   2. Class II: Other faults / nonconformances with the product
   3. Class III: Products that represent a health risk
3. Notify the producer and management / emergency preparedness team
4. Track product and other relevant batches
5. Verify nonconformance and confer with external expertise (i.e lab)
6. Notify customers and authorities
7. Provide written statement of what is to be recalled
8. Prepare plan and manage logistics
9. Prepare plan for management of further use/destruction
10. Corrective action to prevent repetition

The traceability tests verify the correct and efficient functioning of the traceability and recall system. Our recall procedure can be initiated and applied at any time. It is important to ensure that the employees are trained and that our emergency preparedness procedures are improved in order to ensure an efficient product recall in the event of an actual incident.

An emergency preparedness test is a fabricated incident involving food safety, and includes: Processing facility, slaughter facility, farming including juvenile fish, feed supplier, subcontractors, authorities and customers. All parties must submit correct, documented information. The test also comprises checking whether relevant key contact persons/contact information outside of opening hours have been updated and are correct.

Subsequent to a recall test, a summary is prepared and improvements identified and implemented. A product recall has a maximum time limit of four hours.

Six emergency preparedness tests were carried out in 2020. No serious nonconformances were found, but four proposed improvements/corrective actions were identified in relation to more efficient data collection. The measure was to provide training and always have double personnel available with access to data.

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KPI: Product recall

Targets per KPI and Results per KPI

Result

Lerøy was one of the first companies to establish a traceability portal with direct access for consumers in Norway, with the “gladlaks” concept. Consumers can use a code on the packaging to gain full traceability information specific to the salmon they have bought, and more detailed information on the concept and on Lerøy’s fish farming methods.

We have now made further developments to the concept and can offer traceability information to BlockChain systems for several European customers. Products have now been launched on the market with a QR code providing consumers with full traceability information on the product, where it was farmed and processed along with related information.

The customers have access to a map where they can see the location of the juvenile fish facility, the farming location or the slaughter facility where the product has been farmed or processed. This boosts confidence in the product and in all parts of the value chain.

Lerøy is constantly seeking opportunities within tracking technology to remain the foremost seafood producer in terms of traceability. Lerøy can offer a comprehensive seafood tracking portal for our customers.