London, 12 January 2015  The introduction of the EU Food Information to Consumers (FIC 1169) regulation means there is now a greater focus on data – and key UK food wholesalers supplying the convenience and foodservice sectors are turning to GS1 UK’s industry data pool solution TrueSource to help them manage the sharing of information efficiently.

TrueSource allows manufacturers and suppliers to store and manage a single ‘true version' of their product information quickly and easily. Users only need to enter data once – and then they can share it with multiple customers, such as wholesalers.

Use of TrueSource as an industry-wide solution now has the backing of a number of the UK’s largest foodservice distributors and operators:

Chris Binge, Fairway Foodservice plc: “The introduction of the 1169 regulation has really focused attention on the provision of data – both in terms of how it is shared between trading partners and how it is made accessible to our customers, who increasingly expect information on allergens and nutrition to be available through any point of engagement with a brand. GS1 have a readymade solution in TrueSource that will enable industry to maintain compliance with 1169, and we fully support adoption of it.”

Karl Goodwin, Commercial Director, Creed Foodservice: “The operational complexities facing industry have clearly increased in recent years, driven by changes in customer expectation and new regulations. Our data integrity processes have been updated in line with the requirements of 1169 to ensure any changes are captured – however there is no doubt the uptake of global data solutions would help all involved in the supply chain.”

Martin Janes, Head of Foodservice & Convenience, GS1 UK: “Improving data quality and understanding how it can be shared efficiently between trading partners represents a big opportunity for industry. By utilising an industry-wide solution, we believe that all stakeholders will be able to operate more efficiently, saving the industry millions and ensuring compliance with the latest regulations. As the need for additional product information increases, businesses are investing in systems to help manage this, but they should not be tempted to create proprietary options which can create unnecessary cost and duplication for their suppliers who often work with a range of operators.”

TrueSource provides businesses with a cost-effective, flexible and future-proof solution that sets the industry benchmark for quality, trusted product data.
We estimate that wholesalers currently collect between 50-170 attributes for each product they sell via new line data requirements. TrueSource enables thousands of globally-agreed attributes to be collected and shared across many industries, including over 300 as required by the UK food and drink sector covering areas such as dietary information, allergens and provenance. 

TrueSource forms the foundation for industry to realise substantial cost savings through:

• increased supply chain efficiencies
• improved product availability
• better customer experience 
• ongoing compliance with the Food Information to Consumer (FIC 1169) regulations

GS1 UK is working with our members to help them manage their data easily and efficiently through the adoption of TrueSource.

About GS1 UK 

For more than 35 years GS1 UK has been working with its members to enable the efficient movement of goods and sharing of information. It drives supply chain efficiency alongside 111 other not-for-profit GS1 member organisations in 150 countries worldwide.

Having introduced the first truly global bar code numbering system in 1973, at least five billion GS1-compliant bar codes are now scanned everyday – making it the most widely used supply chain standards system in the world. GS1 identification numbers are now also commonly used in RFID tags, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) messages and for real-time global data exchange.

Providing independent support, GS1’s team of technical and business consultants also assist members with on-site implementation of appropriate supply chain information solutions.

Its 28,000+ UK members range from SMEs to major UK companies and include grocery retailers and food service companies, food manufacturers, healthcare and pharmaceuticals companies, and NHS Trusts. Its supervisory board includes senior directors from Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s, as well as Unilever, P&G, Diageo and the NHS.

GS1 UK actively supports The Food Chain – a UK charity set up to ensure that people living with HIV can access the nutrition they need to lead healthy, independent lives. For more information, visit www.foodchain.org.uk 

For further information or requests for interviews, please contact Tim Haidar: 020 7092 3584 / Tim.Haidar@gs1uk.org.