Mars Commits to a New Seafood Traceability Standard

Adopt a transparent seafood traceability standard now to protect customers and safeguard ocean integrity. Mars commits to a palm-based data ledger that captures harvest data at the источник, linking each lot to vessel, gear, processing plant, and transport steps. This data sits in the palm of the consumer, delivering a clear view from origin to plate and empowering customers to verify provenance at a glance.

To implement, jayson, Mars’ head of supply chain, and russell will drive a 12-month pilot with 50 fisheries and 15 processing partners. This commit signals Mars’ intent to pursue transparency across the chain, ensuring that stakeholders can rely on the data. They will capture key data within 24 hours of harvest and publish weekly dashboards for customers. The team is adopting a standardized data model across all partners to strengthen consistency and traceability.

Το dialogue with customers and suppliers anchors progress, and the anticipated strides include a 25% improvement in data accuracy, 30% faster tracebacks after an incident, and a measurable drop in unauthorized products entering the supply chain. This provides the needed visibility for timely action. Mars’ approach emphasizes real-time capture and cross-checks with independent verifiers to prevent gaps.

Across the ecosystem, including fisheries and processors, the integrity framework rests on verifiable data and robust food safety controls. The standard extends to public reporting and continuous improvement, while every data point cites its источник to preserve provenance from the ocean to the table.

Mars is proud to lead by example and invites partners to adopt the standard, join the dialogue, and help safeguard the ocean for future harvests. With a clear roadmap and measurable milestones, the program supports trust and measurable improvements in every shipment.

Mars Sets a New Seafood Traceability Standard for Pet Food

Adopt a universal traceability code across Mars pet-food ingredients within 18 months to ensure end-to-end visibility and accountability across the supply chain. This code links every batch to its origin, ingredients, and processing steps, enabling rapid verification during recalls or audits.

A cross-functional governance group, led by a dedicated director, will drive the rollout with concrete milestones, cross-department ownership, and partner coordination with Mars suppliers and distributors. The registry will capture supplier IDs, lot numbers, processing stages, and animal-protein sources, including beef, to support global traceability efforts.

Mars will collaborate with partners across the industry to align standards, share best practices, and provide structured training to suppliers. The approach also emphasizes providing clarity to retailers and consumers while addressing pressures from regulators and consumers, and maintaining strong ethical sourcing commitments and data integrity.

A decision-making framework prioritizing high-risk ingredients and regions enables targeted mitigation within ecosystems. The system will apply risk scores, trigger audits, and flag unusual patterns, while a thomas-tagged module records lineage events for internal verification and external audits.

The standard also defines expectations for ethical practices and supplier support, with clear requirements for documenting ingredients, tracking provenance of beef and seafood, and reporting progress. Mars will publish regular global updates to demonstrate integrity and continuous improvement, reinforcing confidence among partners and customers.

Mars raises the bar for seafood traceability in pet food by partnering with the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability and Wholechain

Adopt a verified, scalable traceability framework now to meet Mars’ ambitions and anticipated expectations. Mars partners with the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability and Wholechain to make sourcing data traceable from provider to product, strengthening ecosystems and enhancing consumer trust.

To deliver on these aims, Mars prioritizes a set of concrete actions that include data standardization, third-party verification, and coordinated governance through the dialogue. The company will provide clear guidance to providers, adopt pedigree data for key species, and ensure that the full chain supports an exchange of verifiable information.

• Verified data across harvesting, processing, and packaging to ensure traceable provenance
• Scalable data pipelines that integrate provider systems and Wholechain standards
• Meet global standards for lot-level and pedigree-level information
• Provide points of data exchange that connect suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers
• Help strengthen sustainable sourcing by mapping ecosystems and risk hotspots
• Prioritizing transparency with suppliers to improve sourcing decisions
• Partner with a trusted provider network to maintain pedigree data
• Enhance product safety and quality through continuous traceability updates

How the collaboration works in practice:

1. Adopt the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability and Wholechain as the backbone of Mars’ standard
2. Onboard providers and collect traceable data, building a complete pedigree for each lot
3. Enrich data with key attributes such as origin, vessel, catch method, and processing steps
4. Verify information through independent audits to ensure accuracy and consistency
5. Exchange data with key partners to create a full view of the supply chain while protecting sensitive information
6. Use the insights to drive continuous improvements and report progress against aims

Anticipated benefits include stronger trust with customers and veterinarians, reduced risk of mislabeled ingredients, and clearer accountability across ecosystems. Mars serves as a leader by adopting standards that go beyond compliance and providing sustainable sourcing that supports healthy pet diets and responsible fisheries.

Implementation timelines span baseline mapping, onboarding of priority suppliers, and transparent public reporting on traceability metrics. By 2026, the company aims to have full traceability coverage for seafood ingredients and to publish annual progress through the dialogue, ensuring ongoing exchange of best practices among industry peers.

What the Standard Covers: Scope, data fields, and governance

Implement a standardized, end-to-end traceability framework that defines scope, required data fields, and governance within the first six months.

Mars commits to a scope that spans seafood across multiple chains–from harvest and processing to distribution and retail–covering fish and related products. It defines interfaces for supplier, provider, and validator roles and ensures coverage across regions and market segments to meet diverse sourcing needs under partnering arrangements. The approach has been crafted with input from producer groups and distributors.

Data fields include product ID, origin (country/region), species, harvest date and method, batch/lot, facility ID, processing steps, transport events with timestamps, quantity, unit, certifications, and audit outcomes. Data are stored in a standardized schema to enable end-to-end tracing and cross-partner comparison, supporting meaningful analytics across the supply chain.

The governance model assigns roles, cadence, and decision rights: a cross-stakeholder council, independent auditors, and a provider-facing support team. Berryhill will host governance meetings and publish quarterly updates to track strides and ensure accountability. A monthly meeting cadence supports quick issue resolution. The structure supports partnering, transparent escalation paths, and shared accountability across the supply chains. The plan includes supporting documents and training for teams across the chain.

To meet the standard, implement a phased plan: map current data fields, harmonize with a common data dictionary, and establish API-based data exchange with key providers. Begin with a pilot in two regions and expand to additional markets, with clear milestones and measurable metrics. The approach reduces pressures and builds confidence among suppliers, buyers, and other stakeholders, before broader rollout. Mars said the plan centers on data integrity and producer accountability.

The Mars-driven initiative emphasizes commitment and meaningful outcomes, with ongoing updates from berryhill and partner organizations to share strides and lessons learned. The standardized data model supports end-to-end visibility, meeting the needs of multiple actors across seafood value chains and reinforcing the foundation for trusted supply networks. The plan also anticipates expansions to beef and other protein lines as the program scales.

Partnership Roles: Mars, Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability, and Wholechain

Recommendation: Mars should lead this partnership by publishing a finished seafood traceability standard in collaboration with the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability, and using Wholechain to turn pedigree data into meaningful improvements across ocean and farm-to-store chains, including chicken and other foods. This company-wide effort supports digital, ethical aims and drives across-the-board transparency.

Mars leads with ethical sourcing and supports this initiative by engaging suppliers; the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability sets the common code and governance standards; Wholechain serves as the provider of the digital backbone, and the wholechains platform ingests data from across suppliers, turning it into a transparent pedigree visible on the website. Mars has been supporting this collaboration with field pilots and stakeholder engagement to validate improvements and ensure the code remains practical for small producers across the food chains.

Key steps include establishing a cross-functional work plan, collecting data standards that align with the common code, and integrating the wholechains digital code into procurement, labeling, and logistics. The emphasis is on actionable data that helps finished goods, seafood, and chicken traceability while protecting privacy and supplier competitiveness. The website will show progress, while the provider network gains access to a shared dashboard that highlights improvements and compliance status.

andrew notes that governance must be practical and scalable, with data shared across the value chain to avoid silos and to build consumer trust. The result should be a widely adopted, ethical standard that supports ocean health, protects workers, and delivers meaningful improvements for people who rely on seafood as staple foods.

End-to-End Data Exchange: Linking catch to consumer across the supply chain

Implement a unified data-exchange interface that links each catch to a consumer-facing record in real time. This technological layer enables consistent visibility across fishermen, processors, distributors, and retailers, ensuring customers can trace seafood from landing into the consumer’s view and onto shelves with a single query.

Adopt open, standards-based APIs and GS1 data elements, including harvest date, species, weight, gear type, fishing location, vessel ID, and catch events. Through these exchanges, every product unit carries a verified chain of custody, allowing retailers and customers to trust provenance and compliance.

Establish governance that clarifies accountability: designate submitters, define validation rules, and require source data (источник) with timestamps. Implement immutable logs and role-based access to keep audits crisp and tamper-resistant.

Meet market needs by linking catch data to product labels and digital receipts, expanding visibility across the entire value chain. Adopting a broader ecosystem approach means sharing data with fishers, cooperatives, processors, and logistics partners so information travels through every node.

Implementation plan with milestones: pilot the standard in three ports and five processing plants, then scale to a national network within 18 months. Target 95% data completeness for ship-to-shelf events, and ensure 90% of trading partners adopt the standard within a year.

Measured outcomes include improved accountability for seafood, faster issue resolution, and clearer signals to customers. By meeting transparency requirements, Mars can achieve stronger loyalty and market access while protecting marine ecosystems and meeting broader sustainability commitments.

Mars’s royal-level commitment to end-to-end data exchange underpins a robust, technological framework that links catch to consumer across the supply chain, empowering customers and strengthening ecosystems.

Implementation Timeline: Milestones for petfood supply chains

We are proud to present a practical plan; as said by industry leaders, this phased approach also supports clear guidelines and decision-making across petfood chains, with a digital exchange that spans ocean and global sourcing. This plan has been embraced by many industry players and is designed to be supporting and scalable through the year.

1. Phase 1: Foundations (Months 1–3)

   • Define the data schema and the minimum data set: batch/lot, supplier, facility, transport mode, ETA, product details, and traceability attributes.
   • Publish guidelines for data entry and data quality, with owner assignments and service-level expectations.
   • Establish a cross-functional decision-making process and governance body to oversee the rollout.
   • Onboard key suppliers to a digital exchange pilot through partnering arrangements and ensure that companys records are structurally compatible and verifiable.
   • Set baseline metrics for traceability, data completeness, and timeliness; prepare dashboards for ongoing visibility.

2. Phase 2: Pilot expansion (Months 4–6)

   • Extend the digital exchange to additional partners through sourcing, manufacturing, and logistics, including ocean carriers and major distributors.
   • Implement automatic anomaly detection and escalation workflows to maintain integrity across the chain.
   • Publish a transparent progress report beyond the pilot cohort; include lessons learned and successes, with input from supporting teams.
   • Provide training on incident response and data governance to ensure consistent decision-making across all participants.

3. Phase 3: Full integration (Months 7–9)

   • Fully integrate with ERP and WMS systems to enable real-time data exchange and end-to-end visibility.
   • Automate supplier risk scoring and compliance checks; require verified data for critical steps in global sourcing.
   • Validate data with third-party verifiers where needed and document verification outcomes to strengthen traceability.
   • Publish the governance model and data lineage to build industry trust and encourage wider participation.

4. Phase 4: Maturity and continuous improvement (Months 10–12)

   • Measure progress with KPIs: percent traceable, data accuracy, cycle time, and time-to-resolution for issues.
   • Scale to all petfood chains in scope; update the public report and share best practices with the broader industry.
   • Maintain ongoing partnering with suppliers and retailers to drive improvement beyond the initial group and sustain integrity across sourcing and distribution.

Risks, Compliance, and Supplier Readiness: Cost, capacity, and oversight

Adopt a phased rollout of Mars’ new seafood standard with a verified, traceable code across all partners within 12 months to balance cost, capacity, and oversight. The goal is to reduce vulnerabilities in the supply chain while building trust with consumers and regulators.

Begin with high-risk, vulnerable segments and prioritize fish from key ocean corridors where data gaps are most likely. The standardized code should be the same across all partners, providing a common framework that supports achieving integrity and accountability from capture to plate. This approach ensures that the platform can scale while maintaining traceability for both marine and farmed products.

Cost and capacity drive early decisions. Onboarding each supplier can range from 3,000 to 8,000 USD upfront, with annual maintenance anticipated at 0.5%–1.0% of spend. Larger partners typically accelerate adoption, while smaller entities may require targeted training and data-entry support. Over years, volumes and efficiencies should reduce per-unit costs as processes mature and automation tightens data capture and verification.

Compliance hinges on verifiable data and ongoing oversight. The code must be standardized, with third-party verification and an ongoing audit cadence to sustain trust. This structure supports transparent reporting, enabling Mars and its partners to demonstrate progress toward shared standards and to communicate consistent stories about origin, handling, and processing.

Jayson, a platform lead at Mars, said the platform will centralize data from partners, enabling achieving integrity and accountability and offering a common standards framework across the ocean. The emphasis on verified inputs from their networks reduces the risk of inconsistent records and helps partners benchmark performance against the goal of a fully traceable supply chain.