MXPA00004936A - Method for ensuring the traceability of successive elements of a series of transformations and applications thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for ensuring the traceability of successive elements of a series of transformations, consisting, for each transmission, in:elaborating an identification document of the element resulting from said transformation and optionally from previous ones. Each element is associated with a sealing key and an identification code respectively based on the sealing key and the identification code associated with the element before transformation and on the identification document of said element.

Description

PROCEDURE TO ENSURE THE TRACEABILITY OF SUCCESSIVE ELEMENTS OF A SERIES OF TRANSFORMATIONS AND APPLICATIONS OF THAT PROCEDURE The present invention relates to the field of security of transformations operations. Many activities carry a multitude of operations to transform an initial product into successive intermediary elements, then into final elements. The problem that the information considers to solve is the traceability of the operations of transformations, and more particularly to allow and guarantee the origin of the final elements. An example of application is that of the row of meat. The agrifood regulations impose to be able to certify the origin of the meat sold at retail. It is convenient, then, throughout the chain of transformation until reaching the final consumer, to ensure a follow-up of the intermediary elements (standing stock, piece in the channel, meat boxes of the wholesaler, boxes and packaging for retail sale), and to avoid fraud that consists of introducing intermediary elements in the chain of transformation whose origin is different from that guaranteed to the final consumer. Patent WO-A-95/01212 discloses a method for ensuring the traceability of the successive elements of a transformation series is known from the state of the art. It also describes a system comprising a computer in which GB-A-2291522 discloses a data authentication procedure in which an element is associated with a first series of data and a series of encoded data that come from the coding of the first series. This document does not refer, however, to traceability during the transformation of the element. Document WO-97/05577 discloses a method of tracking a product after its manufacture until its recycling, with the help of chip card. This document does not disclose the elaboration of an identification code of the evolutionary product along the chain of transformation, and of the sealing of this code. To respond to this problem, the invention relates to a method for ensuring the traceability of successive elements of a series of transformations, which carries in each transmission a step consisting of establishing an identification document of the element resulting from said transformation, characterized in that each element is associated with an identification code and a sealing key calculated respectively from the identification code and the sealing key associated with the element prior to its transformation, on the one hand, and from the identification document of said element, other part. Advantageously, the keys are susceptible of a graphic representation. According to a first variant, the sealing key is also calculated from information relating to the place of transformation. According to a second variant, the sealing key is also calculated from information relative to the date of the transformation. According to a third variant, the sealing key is also calculated from information relating to the transformation operator. According to a particular embodiment, the sealing key is put in the form of a matrix marking. The invention also relates to the application of a method for traceability of the meat processing chain. The invention also relates to the application of the procedure for traceability of waste recovery. Another application of the method according to the invention is the traceability of biological samples. The invention also relates to a device characterized in that it comprises a means for seizing the sealing key of an element and the means for seizing the information contained in the document identifying said element, and the means for calculating a sealing key from these two information. The invention will be better understood by reading the following description, referring to a non-limiting example of embodiment. This example refers to the monitoring of the meat processing chain. For each animal, an identification document D0 called DAB bears the identification code 10 and various information that constitutes the animal's marital status, such as the breeding place, the date of birth, the breed, the references of the breeder. From a part of all of this information, a CO code is calculated. The standing animal is marked by a ring (ring) fixed on the ear in a non-removable way or by tattoo. This mark has a numeric or alphanumeric IQ identification code that allows the univocal identification of the standing animal and the CO code. This key is used to encode and / or seal the DAB information. On the other hand, the identification code allows establishing a simple univocal relationship between the animal on foot and its identification document. This code can serve to trigger the succession of processes if there is a match between the identification code of the ring and the DAB DO. However, security is greatly reinforced if the decision to continue operations is validated after the sealing and / or deciphering of the DAB DO information by means of the "sealing" key CO that comes from the ring. To follow the operations it is necessary to elaborate a new key: Cl. In the slaughterhouse, we proceed to a first stage of transformation of the live animal to piece in channel. It is important to guarantee the origin of each piece in the channel. For this, each piece in the channel is marked with a sealing code C ?, which serves as a key to exploit the accompanying document DI, placed by tattoo or engravings on a bone. Or by any other suitable means that allows linking that code with the piece in channel. To facilitate management at the slaughterhouse level, an identification code II can be marked next to CI. Identification code II will only be reported on DI. The key code Cl will serve to seal and eventually encrypt the DI information. This Cj code can be any variable (for example: the time) or a random variable, but it is better to be calculated by a coding algorithm from all or part of - information that appears on the identification document of the live animal On one side; - the identification code 10 that marks the live animal; - the key code CO; - information on the place and date of the slaughter, as well as the operator and the treatment room, if known at the time of preparation of Cl. Also the identification code II can be elaborated from the main information that characterizes the origins of the product whose 10 and its main transformations in each state, using, for example, a compression algorithm. In the case of the key code, it is almost impossible to go back to the origin, contrary to the identification codes that must ensure the return to upstream information. These codes are represented in graphical form, for example by alphanumeric characters, or by graphic matrices of type bar code or ECO codes with NxM boxes. By way of example, the algorithm for calculating the sealing and / or encryption key can be a cryptography algorithm with public key and private key of types DES or RSA. The carcass piece is accompanied by an identification document ID having the identification code Ij, as well as all or part of the information contained on the DAB - identification document Dg of the live animal -, and in particular of the IQ code Mark the live animal. The codes II and Cj allow to verify at all times the origin of the piece in channel, and more precisely the conformity of the piece in channel and of the document of identification that is provided with the piece in channel. In case of fraud, the identification code of the carcass part will differ from that resulting from the calculation made by the driver based on the information that appears on the identification document of the carcass part. On the other hand, the sealing algorithm prevents the calculation of a sealing code from falsified information, if the private key or the equivalent secret code that allows proceeding to the calculation of a code is not possessed. This operation of calculating a new intermediary code and the establishment of an identification document for the intermediary elements can be respected at each stage of the transformation. For example, at the moment of cutting the piece in channel, each piece, or the packing of the contents, can be marked by a C2 sealing code and accompanied by a certification of D2 origin. The codes 12 and C2 are calculated according to the codes II and Ci and the information that appears on the identification document Dj that accompanies the piece in cut channel during this new stage of transformation. The calculations of codes 12 and C2 can also take into account information such as the date of the cut, the operator in charge of this operation, the place of the cut, and so on. This calculation operation of codes Ii and Ci after the establishment of Dj certificate can be respected until the final stage during which an identification label is placed on the product offered for sale to the final consumer.

Claims (12)

1. Procedure to ensure traceability of successive elements of a series of transformations, which carries in each transmission a step that consists of establishing an identification document of the element resulting from said transformation and possibly the preceding ones, characterized in that each element is associated with a key of seal and an identification code calculated from, respectively, the sealing key and the identification code associated with the element prior to its transformation on the one hand and the document identifying that element on the other hand.

2. Method for ensuring traceability according to claim 1, characterized "because the successive keys are calculated irreversibly, downstream upstream."

3. Procedure to ensure traceability according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the successive identification codes are established to facilitate the search of information from downstream to upstream and to support from the beginning to the end of operations, a minimum of details about the origin of the product

4. Procedure to ensure traceability according to any of the previous claims characterized in that the keys and identification codes are susceptible to a graphic representation

5. Procedure to ensure traceability according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the sealing key and / or the identification code are calculated, among others, from information concerning the place of transformation. Method for ensuring traceability according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sealing key and / or the identification code are also calculated from information relating to the date of the transformation. Method for ensuring traceability according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sealing key and / or the identification code are further calculated from information relating to the transformation operator. 8. Procedure to ensure traceability according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the sealing key and / or the identification code are put in the form of a matrix marking. 9. Application of a method according to at least one of the preceding claims for traceability of the meat processing chain. 10. Application of the method according to at least one of the preceding claims for traceability of waste recovery. 11. Application of the method according to at least one of the preceding claims for the traceability of biological samples. 12. Equipment for using the method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a means for seizing the identification code and the sealing key of an element, and means for seizing the information contained on the identification document. of said element, and means for calculating an identification code and a sealing key from the two information.