Consumers’ purchasing decisions have changed – they are becoming increasingly conscious about food safety & impact of food production to the environment and society. According to survey*, consumers are increasingly demanding socially-responsible retail, in which close to half of the Hong Kong consumers desire to see products’ supply chain transparency.
Many food safety incidents are still vividly remembered, from the discovery of malachite green in freshwater fish supplied to Hong Kong, the mixing of unidentified, low-quality recycled oil into cooking oil, as well as numerous food poisoning incidents caused by contamination. These incidents set an alarming call to and hence increased consumers awareness on food quality and safety transparency. Businesses which can demonstrate effective food safety monitoring can win the hearts of consumers as well as reducing their risks. Therefore, good level of traceability can enhance supply chain transparency and ensure food (and product) safety.
Traceability is the Game-Changer
GS1 Global Traceability Standard (GTS) is used to track & trace all events of product movement across supply chain, spanning the whole lifecycle from farm to fork, becoming one of the most instrumental tools to increase traceability.
To support businesses in enhancing food safety using GS1 standards, GS1 Hong Kong introduced the "Quality Food Scheme" in 2015．The Scheme evaluates and recognizes companies' traceability practices based on GS1 GTS. A more advanced edition named as "Quality Food Scheme+" was later launched, with assessment criteria based on GS1 GTS, ISO 22000, and HACCP standards to ensure comprehensive and effective food safety practices.
Maxim's Group, one of Asia's leading food and beverage companies, has been accredited by GS1 HK's "Quality Food Scheme" since 2015. With their continuous efforts to enhance food traceability and strengthen food safety, as well as the consultative advice and support from GS1 HK’s professional team, Maxim's Group has progressed from being a "Gold Enterprise" to a "Diamond Enterprise" in the "Quality Food Scheme", then later on as a "Diamond Enterprise" for the advanced edition, "Quality Food Scheme+".
Enhanced traceability not only promotes food safety but also drives sustainability initiatives. GS1 Standards facilitate the identification of products and provide various information such as transparency on carbon and environmental footprints, raw materials, recycled materials, and country of origin. This enables industry stakeholders, including businesses and consumers, to meet sustainability goals and make informed decisions. For Maxim’s Group, GS1 Standards help to trace inbound flow that covers journey from origin to the stores.
In addition, GS1 HK has also been empowering “digital, paperless trade” with ezTRADE platform since 1995, a B2B community platform that facilitates the exchange of electronic orders, invoices and shipment notices among trading parties (i.e. buyers & suppliers). Pioneering in sustainability, Maxim’s Group has also been using the platform to digitalise their daily transactions since 2005, which also help them to reduce error and achieve greater efficiency.
By leveraging standard-based traceability practices & digital solutions, companies like Maxim's Group are empowered to “Go Digital, Go Green”, bringing safer, more sustainable food to consumers.
*Source: Joint Survey titled “Retail Recharged: Engaging Consumers with Technology, Purpose and Trust” by KPMG China, GS1 Hong Kong and HSBC (https://www.gs1hk.org/sites/default/files/publications/retail-recharged.pdf)
