Oral
Abstract
Research summary supplied by the authors
Quality of leather is deeply dependant on the origin of the livestock including breeding, transportation, slaughter and preservation. 15 years ago, the French leather industry has commissioned CTC to improve raw material, which require a unitary link between the quality of leather and its origin. This was the beginning of a huge project: traceability of hides and skins through the supp ly chain, from breeding to finished leather. Data is captured from the animal’s ear tag at the point of slaughter which is then transfer on to a paper bar code. Hides and skins traders will then transfer definitively the code from the pap er tag to the hides thanks to an automatic CO2 laser marking device on the hair side in the neck region. That unitary traceability is resistant to all the tanning process and still visible until the crust stage. Then it can be visually or automatically read throughout the subsequent tanning process st eps, thanks to an automatic reading system based on artificial intelligence. This technology has been implemented by several abattoirs, traders and tanners. Traceability is the essential tool for quality management throughout the supply chain. It helps the identification of the origin of defects for improvement and provides the origin of the different grades of hides and skins. Upstream feedback within the supply chain progressively enhances the yield of grade 1 and 2 hides and skins. This realistic industrial solution is a major issue for the leather industry whether it is for the improvement of quality or mastery of the supply chain and sustainability.