US: FoodLink aquires TrueTrac

FoodLink, a buying platform that connects fresh food retailers and wholesalers to a network of over 2,000 supplier companies, today announced a definitive agreement to acquire TRUETRAC, a leading provider of mobile traceability solutions to growers, harvesters, packers and shippers of fresh‑packed produce. The combined company will be the food industry’s first integrated network for produce traceability (PTI) that links crop planning, harvesting, packing, order management, shipping, receiving and individual item tracking from the field to the supermarket checkout line.

“Today, produce traceability enters the mainstream,” said Eric Peters, CEO, FoodLink. “The combination of FoodLink and TRUETRAC signals the emergence of a standard platform that brings exceptional value to the ‘first mile’ of food production and lets retailers leverage a single network to manage their fresh food buying processes, supply chain operations and overall food safety and traceability program.”

A True Field-to-Consumer Solution

With the acquisition of TRUETRAC, FoodLink becomes the first fresh produce industry solution that directly connects the critical “first mile” information in the field such as product harvest date, temperature and lot number with sales order information between supplier companies and retail buyers. The combination, managed across a single integrated network, aligns many different industry functions, systems and participants from the field to the consumer. The integrated solution also accelerates the flow of information from farm to store, and enables retailers and wholesalers to source the safest, highest quality products while reducing waste and inefficiencies across the entire supply chain. For growers and shippers, FoodLink can now offer TRUETRAC’s mobile platform to print and apply PTI-compliant labels to every packed case of produce. That information can be instantly associated with specific retail orders and delivery details over the FoodLink network.

“By joining with FoodLink, we are combining two great teams and also realizing TRUETRAC’s long-held vision of a simple, smart and connected PTI solution that can be rapidly adopted by all fresh produce suppliers,” said Ray Connelly, CEO, TrueTrac. “When you link the critical “first mile” of harvest operations with the essential “second mile” sales processes and then bring product visibility all the way to the retail buyer and consumer, you’re solving one of the biggest challenges in this industry.”

For more information:
TRUETRAC
Tel: +1-888-787-8387
www.truetrac.com