With more people now questioning what is in products they are picking up from their local retailer, every part of the global network is being scrutinized to analyze where improvements can be made.

Retailers are always aiming to offer their customers the best value on food products to gain the upper hand on their competitors, but the financial squeeze has resulted in tighter margins within the supply chain. The issue which the horsemeat scandal has flagged up is the lack of traceability throughout the supply chain, meaning consumers are not fully aware of what they are buying.

By scrutinizing an already pressurized environment, there are worries that slack processes could lead to further scandals rather than offering a cost-effective solution.

Traceability within the UK's supply chains can be achieved with more stringent testing on food produce.  But testing should not be isolated to food alone.  The complexity of the chain also includes packaging, so both consumers and industry must trust the packaging supply chain, as well as the produce itself.

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