A Guide to Traceability Software for Food Manufacturers

Food that is both safe and healthy is valued by customers. They also believe that all members of the supply chain are aligned with the company’s goals and policies, which allow for the timely discovery, location, and withdrawal of food lots when problems are discovered or confirmed. It is vital for the food business to ensure that efficient procedures are in place. Finding a spot in a competitive and broader supply chain is a never-ending fight. The recognition and application of new technologies are necessitated by an excessive focus on food safety and public awareness.

The food sector has a broad collection of trading partners and suppliers from throughout the world, ranging from ranchers to retailers. This article on food traceability was written to assist all trading partners in putting in place ongoing business procedures to manage food traceability.

In the food business, the lack of national traceability software leads to supply chain inefficiencies, control issues, and a lack of global standard adoption.

This article is meant to teach all food industry representatives, regardless of size or production capabilities, how to develop and implement business processes that provide product traceability across the supply chain.

The goal of this guidance is to show both basic principles and best practices for sharing information across trading partners.

• This document covers traceability practices from the supplier’s manufacturing facility to the point of sale.
• All foods are meant to be consumed by humans.
• The product social order encompasses pallets, cases, and retail products.
• The supply chain is comprised of suppliers, sellers, vendors, and retailers.

Traceability is a commercial method that allows trading partners to trace goods from the factory to the store or food processing facility. Each Traceability Partner should be curious about the product’s primary source (supplier) and receiver (customer). The following are some examples of business uses for traceability as a business process:

• Market Withdrawals/Recalls of Goods
• Regulatory Compliance
• Trace-backs are used in public health
• Procedures and order management, as well as food safety and quality assurance.
• With global product recalls and tightening compliance standards from both commercial clients and regulatory agencies, lot traceability is more important than ever. Some of the safety groups include the following:
• GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving food safety around the world (SQFI 2000)
• The Food Safety System must be certified (FSSC 22000)
• BRC Standards are applied globally.
• The GS1 Global Traceability Standard is used by the Produce Traceability Initiative, which is specific to the emerging produce industry in the US. With about 1.5 million firms implementing the GS1 System of standards, it is the most prominent in this division.
• The FDA established the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) to research the microbiology aspect of food safety, and it advises that governments set guidelines and allow businesses to modify.

Not Every Product Tracing System Is Handled the Same

Product traceability software is used by many food producers. However, not every structure is distributed equally. Take note of the following as you recognize the importance of traceability to the efficient functioning of your facility:

1. What is the system’s maximum storage capacity? (nutrient content, source, and production schedule)
2. The ability of the system to track how far forward and backward it can go in the supply chain.
3. The system’s ability to precisely track a product’s movement.

What methods are employed to ensure that data remains in one location?

Aside from the aforementioned, efficient traceability and product recall are the most significant things to look for. You’ll need to be able to demonstrate that you can perform an effective and accurate product recall when your company grows and you start working with larger retailers.

Evidence and Defense

The FDA has shifted its focus from inspection to preventive measures due to a shortage of resources to investigate the millions of food shipments that enter the United States every year. Both the prevention-and-proof approach to lot monitoring and recall, as well as the traditional record-and-respond strategy, will be part of a rational approach to food safety. The prevention-and-proof technique contains a list of important key features, including the following:

• Due to built-in production quality, quality audits can be conducted at all stages of the materials handling process, from acquisition to transport. All-important QC test data is examined and archived for indeterminate periods of time.
• A preventative maintenance interface that ensures that the production equipment and the service as a whole are well maintained and kept.
• Inventory discovery based on “first in, first out” principles, with focused or recommended inventory selection methodologies imposed.
• Inventory expiration analysis is used to identify ceased or near-expired raw materials and finished goods, preventing them from being finished and reaching customers.
• Keeping track of a food’s nutritious content and comparing it to government guidelines.
• Complete food safety tracking and record detainment are essential to satisfy even the most thorough annual audit.
• Receiving, mobility, exchanges, picking, and launching schedules are all kept track of automatically.
• Allergens are being kept track of.
• Changes in the lot number, as well as the number of declared additives in each lot, are logged as the product is manufactured.
• All tests, manufacturing activities, examinations, and incubations are meticulously recorded.
• For final product shipments, the following information is documented: production date, title, address, contact information, email, shipping carrier, bill or invoice number, mode of transportation, delivery dates, and COA, if applicable.
• A complaint management system is used to deal with, investigate, and resolve complaints.

Conclusion

Many food manufacturers believe that product traceability is not only a legal need but also a wise decision.