OpenTraceability Open-Source EPCIS/GDST Library

OpenTraceability is maintained by the Global Food Traceability Center of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a food science organisation based in Chicago, with funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation. It aims to make interoperable traceability cheaper for software vendors serving the seafood and food industries.

The MIT-licensed libraries let a company's software read, write and exchange traceability event data in GS1 EPCIS format, resolve GS1 Digital Link identifiers and apply extensions for the GDST seafood traceability standard and MSC. Libraries are available for C#/.NET and Java, distributed through NuGet, and include an EPCIS 2.0 query interface and a test server for interoperability checks.

• EPCIS read and write: Event data is parsed and generated in GS1 EPCIS 1.2 and 2.0 formats.
• Digital Link resolution: GS1 Digital Link identifiers are resolved to product data.
• GDST extension: Key data elements for seafood traceability follow the GDST standard.
• MSC support: Extensions cover Marine Stewardship Council requirements.
• Query interface: An EPCIS 2.0 query interface supports data exchange with partners.
• Multi-language: Libraries are provided for C#/.NET via NuGet and for Java.

Vietnamese software vendors can embed the library to make shrimp and pangasius traceability apps GDST-compliant. Seafood processors' IT teams can export EPCIS events to US importers. Universities and research institutes can use it to teach and test traceability interoperability.

Developers save months of work by reusing tested code for EPCIS and GDST data handling. Free MIT licensing allows use in commercial products. Built-in GDST and MSC extensions help seafood software meet buyer requirements. A test server lets teams check interoperability before connecting with trading partners.

Major seafood buyers and retailers increasingly require GDST-compliant traceability data, and the US FSMA 204 rule raises the bar for food traceability records. Vietnam is a leading seafood exporter to the US, EU and Japan, so local traceability software must exchange data in GDST and EPCIS formats.

Maintained by the IFT Global Food Traceability Center (Chicago, United States) with support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation. Released under the MIT licence on GitHub, with NuGet packages in the 1.5.x series and updates in September 2026.