After the outbreak of the BSE scare in 2001, securing the traceability of beef produced in Japan became a pressing issue. When the Beef Traceability Law took effect on December 1 2003, the traceability of domestically raised cattle was mandated. The traceability system encompasses supply chain businesses such as producers, slaughterhouse operators, packers, distributors and retailers.
Today, every one of more than 4 million cattle raised in Japan (cattle born in or imported live into Japan) is assigned a 10-digit individual cattle ID number by the National Livestock Improvement Center, a government affiliated organization that manages the national cattle database. Each beef cow wears two ear tags marked with this ID number. Information on each beef cow including the gender, breed, date of birth, feeder's name, date of slaughter, etc., is recorded and stored in the database.

Fig.4.2.1-1 Japanese beef traceability System

When meat packers distribute their product (meat parts or sub-prime cuts) to wholesalers or retailers, they must include the cattle ID number on distribution label on the carton or shrink-wrapped package. The 10-digit cattle ID number is encoded in a GS1-128 barcode using AI (251) together with other information keys including GTIN (assigned by the packers), weight, production date, carton ID, and lot number.

Fig.4.2.1-2 Standard Barcode Label System for Meat

It is mandatory to display either the cattle ID number or lot number on a meat package sold to consumers at retail establishments. Most retailers display the cattle ID on the meat label. Retailers produce consumer package labels that state the cattle ID number in human readable numeric format captured from the barcode on the distribution label.
Consumers can trace information about the beef they have purchased using this ID number as a key on the website of the National Livestock Improvement Center. Some consumer package labels carry a QR Code prepared for reading by mobile phone users that contains a hyperlink to the national database website. This gives consumers an alternative way to access information about beef cattle, as the QR Code can be read and decoded using many types of mobile phones sold in Japan.
The law also covers restaurants that specialize in beef dishes, such as sukiyaki, steak, and barbecue restaurants. These restaurants are required to clearly display the cattle ID or lot number of the beef used in the dishes served to customers.

Before the BSE issue arose in Japan, a standardized GS1-128 data format used meat products label (shown Fig. 4.2.1-2) had already been in place through a voluntary initiative in the meat packing industry. After the regulatory requirement took effect, the Cattle ID number was incorporated into the label later.

The use of the label has been expanding to other kinds of meat, such as chicken and pork. Even with the use of individual ID numbers, some producers of quality pork have voluntarily started using a system similar to beef for allocating ID's to individual swine and creating a database to enable traceability. Industry associations and GS1 Japan's study group have supported this initiative.

Q.P. Corporation, Japan's largest mayonnaise manufacturing company, established the most advanced traceability system using two-dimensional symbol labels carrying GTIN and additional data based on the Traceability Guideline for Raw Materials of Processed Foods set forth by GS1 Japan.

Fig.4.2.2-1 Work Flow from Receipt of Raw Material, Manufacturing to Shipment

Fig 4.2.2-1 shows a series of flow processes from receiving raw materials, to manufacturing, followed by shipment. The QR Code (shown in Fig 4.2.2-3) displays the lot information and is attached to the product and read at each point to store the production data, enabling the tracing of any product from upstream material suppliers to downstream customers.
These systems not only help prevent shipping errors of the product, but also enable traceability. Whenever a problem is found in the manufacturing process, even after the product is already being sold to consumers, and when the cause of the problem is determined, any manufacturing lot that could have possibly been affected by the problem and the shipment destinations of the problem lots can be identified, and defective product recalls can be started immediately.
A series of such systems from receiving raw materials to shipping finished products can ensure food safety throughout the food manufacturing process and enable traceability from upstream to downstream, and from raw material manufacturers to the points of sale.

Data Structure of QR Code
Q.P. has adopted the above-mentioned guideline adding one optional attribute, serial No.:

Table 4.2.2-1 Data Elements