<p><b>Bentonville, Ar -</b> As advocates of the Produce Traceability Initiative, Wal-Mart has taken the next big step in support of PTI compliance. Wal-Mart and Sam's Club have announced they will mandate the Produce Traceability Initiative. Beginning November 1, 2013, all fresh commodity produce to be delivered to a Wal-Mart distribution center will be required to have standardized case labels, consistent with the PTI standards, according to a press release.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/walmart053013body.jpg" alt="IMAGES THURSDAY MAY 30 2013" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Over the past months both Wal-Mart and Sam's Club have invested significant resources to improve "freshness, flow and store-level execution."</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Now that the big domino has fallen, this could be the tipping point for other companies to follow suit. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><img class="small-cropped-image" src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacySmallCroppedImages/walmart053013body2.jpg" alt="IMAGES THURSDAY MAY 30 2013" />Ray Connelly, Vice President -Strategy and Business Development at FoodLink Online, tells AndNowUKnow, "It has been our long-held belief that the Produce Traceability Initiative will help create a transparent and secure supply chain."</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Connelly, continues, "many companies have been hard at work in support of PTI, but have been waiting for the big players to take action."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/walmart053013body3.jpg" alt="IMAGES THURSDAY MAY 30 2013" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Wal-Mart intends to work with suppliers that are making "good faith efforts" towards standard case labels by utilizing the spec exception process. By January 1, 2014, product out of compliance, according to Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, will be rejected as out of spec. Active exceptions to this mandate can be issued by the buyer prior to delivery.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Will the dominoes finally begin to fall? Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for news on the PTI.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.producetraceability.org" target="_new"> Wal-Mart </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
