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The Institute of Food Technologists' (IFT) Global Food Traceability Center (GFTC) has secured a $3 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, providing a significant boost to efforts aimed at improving traceability across global food supply chains.
The investment will support the Chicago-based organisation's work to expand interoperable traceability standards, develop practical implementation tools and strengthen collaboration with regulators and industry stakeholders worldwide.
As food businesses face increasing pressure to improve transparency, strengthen recall readiness and
comply with evolving regulations such as the US Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Rule 204, the funding signals growing momentum behind digital traceability initiatives.
Blake Harris, managing director of IFT's Global Food Traceability Center, said: "Traceability is not just about compliance; it is about strengthening trust, collaboration and resilience across the food system. With this support from the Moore Foundation, IFT's Global Food Traceability Center aims to expand the tools, resources and partnerships needed to make interoperable traceability more practical and scalable across commodities and supply chains."
The GFTC plans to use the grant funding to address persistent barriers to adoption, including fragmented data systems, inconsistent standards and implementation challenges faced by businesses throughout the supply chain.
A key focus will be expanding the use of interoperable traceability standards that enable businesses to exchange information seamlessly across different platforms and trading partners.
The centre will also develop new tools and resources designed to make implementation more practical and accessible, particularly for organisations navigating increasingly complex reporting and documentation requirements.
The latest funding builds on GFTC's longstanding involvement in the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST), which it helped establish alongside the World Wildlife Fund nearly a decade ago.
The initiative developed a common framework for interoperable seafood traceability, creating a model that has since informed broader efforts across other food categories.
According to IFT, the centre has already begun applying lessons learned from seafood traceability initiatives to dairy, beef and leather supply chains. The new investment will enable expansion into additional commodities. The announcement also highlights GFTC's role in shaping modern traceability practices in the United States.
The latest investment reflects growing recognition that effective traceability underpins not only food safety but also broader business objectives, including sustainability, consumer trust and operational resilience.
