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PROCESS AUTOMATION
COMPLETE VISIBILITY FROM FIELD TO FORK
demands going forward and become more transparent about product information. There are four key technologies that food companies can use to implement stringent traceability measures: 1. Unlock ‘one version of the truth’ with a
food-specific ERP As food companies often deal with
hundreds of ingredients and large quantities of each, as well as multiple production lines running at once, the amount of information to capture can be extensive. Yet despite this, many companies still rely on excel spreadsheets, with data collection or quality control elements often being done by separate systems. This can lead to multiple versions of the truth that are untenable for reliable supply chain traceability. ERP systems however can collect and
Andrew Newton, Dynamics 365 Business Central Food Consultant at Columbus UK, explains how food companies can ensure end-to-end traceability throughout the supply chain
experiencing a traceability wake-up call as food supply chains become more complex and a growing swathe of consumers become even more conscious about food safety and product quality. Some 75% are willing to switch to a brand that provides more in-depth product information beyond what’s required for the product label. New compliance regulations such as Natasha’s Law – which requires full ingredients and allergens labelling on every pre-packed for direct sale (PPDS) foods – have furthered the need for complete traceability of all supplies, ingredients, materials and finished products. Change will be necessary to satisfy these new increased demands. As an estimated one in three people now
C
live with allergies in the UK, the latest Food Information Amendment (Natasha’s Law) is unlikely to be the last compliance regulation to impact food traceability. Within the fresh produce sector alone, businesses must now follow the set of standards established by international non-profit GS1 – and these encompass compliance with Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), British Retail Consortium (BRC) and International Featured Standards (IFS) rules. This level of safety and
18 APRIL 2022 | PROCESS & CONTROL
ompanies responsible for the manufacturing, production and preparation of products are
visibility throughout supply chains will not only be essential to combat the rise in allergen management challenges but also to limit the impact of product recalls.
an increasingly transparent world
“
It’s time to improve food traceability in
Food contamination can happen at any
stage of the supply chain, from growing, harvesting and manufacturing to packing and shipping – and the ability to monitor every part of this process before the product reaches the consumer can be difficult, with severe consequences. Product recalls can be a large drain on time, money and resources, and that’s without the intangible damage to brand reputation and consumer safety. Necessary traceability protocols to maintain adequate sanitation and to keep allergen-free products separate will remain essential, and this is where technology can help. With the right digital traceability systems,
”
food companies can become process-driven and access integrated quality control information to gain ‘one version of the truth’. This will allow companies to meet consumer
process vast amounts of data in real-time and maintain the information in a single, unified database accessible by all relevant departments and teams. Traditional systems can trace products from the raw materials, to production and then sale of the finished product but only a food-specific ERP includes the ease of use, bi-directional and structure functionality. With a food-specific ERP, companies can
rely on formula and recipe management, allergen management, supply chain control and certification management functions to gain complete visibility into the entire lifecycle of all products and product components, from production to the point of consumption. This allows food organisations to simplify the matter of regulatory compliance, automatically schedule audits and inspections to make sure that the processes are running as they should and proper maintenance and cleaning are being conducted. 2. Unlock the power of BI to turn data into
actionable and timely insights Unlike food-specific ERP systems, Power BI
tools can be a convenient short-term solution to the issue of food traceability as the technology doesn’t require substantial time and money to implement. For instance, food companies can collate and display information from a variety of data sources such as attributes, batches, products and customers. Power BI provides a rapid information breakdown and enables easy access to understandable data, allowing food businesses to quickly access relevant information in the event of a potential quality concern. This enables the extent of any issue to be quickly evaluated and any appropriate action taken. Power BI technology can also help
businesses meet compliance considerations around data classifications. For instance, if
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