The Food Industry has new traceability requirements (FSMA 204) to help identify recalled foods quickly, before they reach consumers.
Companies will now need to have records of Critical Tracking Events (CTE) and Key Data Elements (KDE) for any items, cases, or pallets.
Stakeholders must record, keep, and send KDEs to the next trading partner in the supply chain. Depending on their role, the elements stakeholders are responsible for vary.
While it is still acceptable to manually document traceability for the FDA, it is important to note that processors will only have 24 hours to send all records involved to the FDA in the case of a recall. Records need to be in a sortable spreadsheet containing all the required information for Critical Tracking Events.
This is why tech-enabled traceability is the preferred route for many. The investment in technology to comply with these standards become worth while when considering the valuable time it saves with automation, especially with the industry’s labor challenges.
However, data gathering isn’t the only hurdle. Its the compiling and sending of the data to the FDA that can be the heavy lift when a recall happens.
On-boarding new suppliers without a technology solution can also prove cumbersome without established documentation procedures for what and how they will send the information.
When transforming or creating something using multiple ingredients with different lot codes, transferring that information through the production process can be challenging.
To further create headaches, when certain ingredients are not available and end up being replaced, everything will need changed.
Automated traceability enables these scenarios to be easily dealt with when they arise, saving time, money, and potentially even customer loyalty.
Real Time Intelligence currently tracks over 220 million assets throughout the food supply chain and that number grows daily.
Our users benefit from a traceability and intelligence platform that is globally proven and performing at the highest level of supply web scale, complexity, volume, and velocity.
eP360 allows you to create and maintain intelligent traceability records through passive data collection using sensor-based technology while performing everyday functions.
