HP today announced along with the Canadian arm of GS1 – a leading global nonprofit organization dedicated to improving supply chain efficiencies – a cloud-based recall service that traces and removes potentially harmful food products from the supply chain.

The GS1 Canada Product Recall service will run on the HP cloud computing platform for manufacturing, which allows companies to see and share information across the supply chain. Food and consumer products organizations can use the service to reduce errors, decrease the amount of time it takes to respond to a recall, and mitigate the costs associated with managing the recall process.

“Global supply chain standards are foundational to effective product recall,” said Art Smith, president and chief executive officer at GS1 Canada. “GS1 global standards are used by millions of companies around the world to enhance the safety, security and efficiency of their supply chains. With the integration of GS1 standards and HP’s cloud computing platform, we are reinventing the way that recall information is exchanged between businesses, and further supporting industry efforts to improve consumer safety.”

The GS1 Product Recall service will offer businesses:

• Clear handling, disposal and reimbursement instructions to speed the recall process
• The ability to customize alerts and target specific retailers with relevant information
• A traceable security and audit trail to ensure compliance
• Built-in security that sends notifications to authorized users and targeted retailers

“The ability to mitigate consumer safety concerns around product recall is extremely important for manufacturers and retailers,” said Russ Daniels, vice president and chief technology officer at EDS, an HP company. “By simplifying the product recall process, we can demonstrate how cloud services add real value to our everyday lives.”

Developed in conjunction with HP Labs, the company’s central research arm, GS1 Canada Product Recall service consists of HP software, services and infrastructure as well as the Microsoft .NET Framework.

The initial rollout for the GS1 Canada Product Recall service targets the Canadian food industry. It is expected to extend to other industries and regions that require similar processes and services in the future. The HP cloud computing platform for manufacturing is available now.