October 6, 2009, Lawrenceville, NJ – GS1 U.S. announced that 55 foodservice manufacturers, distributors and operators have launched the Foodservice GS1 U.S. Standards Initiative, and have funded the GS1 U.S. Team for Foodservice to guide execution.
The initiative recommends the adoption of a common timeline for voluntary individual company implementation of GS1 Global standards for company identification, item identification and product description; 45 of the initiative’s founding member companies have already voluntarily committed to this common timeline.
“We know our customers need more accurate information,” said Larry G. Pulliam, executive vice president, Foodservice Operations, Sysco Corporation. “In addition, our suppliers need it, our associates need it and the industry needs it as well. Through the Foodservice GS1 U.S. Standards Initiative, involving leadership from all parts of the supply chain, we commit to adopting GS1 standards to improve food safety and traceability, take cost and complexity out of the supply chain and improve the experience for our customers.”
Industry organizations and founding members of the Foodservice GS1 U.S. Standards Initiative cite three main objectives and industry-wide benefits as a result of companies choosing to adopt and implement GS1 standards:
· Drive waste out of the foodservice supply chain;
· Improve product information for customers, and
· Establish a foundation for improving food safety and traceability.
The initiative is striving for 75 percent adoption of GS1 standards throughout the foodservice industry, measured in terms of revenue, by 2015, and is endorsed by the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA), the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA), the National Restaurant Association, and GS1 Canada Foodservice.
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