Mars, the maker of Pedigree and other pet food brands, has joined the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) and partnered with Wholechain to establish traceability across its seafood supply chains. The company said the move makes Mars the first pet food company globally to commit to meeting the GDST Standard.
The partnership will enable Mars to capture standardized data and exchange information between systems throughout its seafood supply chains, from origin to finished product. This digital interoperable traceability system aims to enhance product integrity, support risk mitigation and improve supply chain decision-making.
"At Mars, we have been working for more than 15 years, in collaboration with WWF, to drive more responsible fish sourcing, and address the growing pressures on vulnerable ocean ecosystems," said Andrew Russell, Global Marine Sustainability Lead of Mars Petcare. "By joining the GDST, we are advancing our commitment to responsible sourcing and are proud to work with Wholechain to make meaningful strides in achieving end-to-end traceability across our seafood supply chains."
A scalable solution for broader supply chain visibility
Mars has selected Wholechain, a GDST Verified Capable solution provider, to support the implementation. Wholechain's platform works across multiple commodities beyond seafood, offering Mars a scalable solution for broader supply chain visibility.
"Mars' commitment to adopting GDST standards and prioritizing traceability is a powerful example of industry leadership," said Jayson Berryhill, CEO of Wholechain. "We are excited to work with Mars to turn their commitment into action, providing the technological support needed to deliver full visibility across their seafood supply chain."
The GDST serves as a platform for developing standards that allow interoperability across supply chains. The organization is working to expand its standard beyond seafood into other commodity markets including palm, soy, beef and chicken.
"Companies with supply chains including non-seafood commodities - such as palm, soy, beef, chicken - are already exploring utilization of the GDST Standard in realizing their digital interoperable traceability ambitions," said Huw Thomas, Director of GDST. "The learnings Mars will be taking from implementing the GDST Standard for their seafood products across their non-seafood supply chains is anticipated to help to drive wider adoption of the GDST Standard across multiple markets, delivering industry-wide improvements in traceability and accountability."
According to Petfood Industry's Top Pet Food Companies, Mars Petcare's nearly 50 pet food brands include five, billion-dollar brands.
