Consumers and regulatory bodies are increasingly demanding more from manufacturers. Not only can a product recall be costly, the potential damage to brand reputation should be enough to make us all act now.
The majority of food safety recalls result from errors in processing and handling. Thankfully, there’s a way to reduce that risk. ERP solutions designed for the food and beverage industry, offer traceability at a granular level, from raw materials and supplies, through to finished and packaged goods. Such levels of traceability allow for a smooth process of issuing and executing a product recall, and can even help limit them in the first place.
Why do we need traceability?
Of course, abiding by legislation is an obvious reason for providing high levels of traceability within the food and beverage world. But, there are other reasons why total traceability is even more important.
When it comes to recalling a product without high levels of traceability throughout your production process you can’t be confident of what your ingredients may have come into contact with, or where they’ve been. You’re unable to judge the risk of contamination.
Another hugely important factor is allergens. Undeclared allergens are the leading cause of food safety recalls. You need to make sure that your consumers can trust what is on the label and they what they are buying is safe for them to consume.
What role does an ERP play in product recall?
Visibility
While of course in an ideal world we’d just avoid recalls altogether, the complexities of manufacturing always result in a slight risk, even with a strong ERP solution. What an ERP can offer is a reduced risk, but with incredible responsiveness, to limit the impact should a recall happen. You need to be able to respond quickly and confidently. With complete visibility you’re able to have an accurate picture of what’s happening in reality throughout your manufacturing process.
Limiting the risk of human error
A robust ERP solution can offer traceability with data capture covering your supply chain and production process, you’re able to gain a true insight into your business and highlight any areas of risk. An ERP can also offer automation, which limits the risk of human error in capturing ingredients and product information and labelling.
Detailed insights
Of course, the data you require will depend on your specific production, but information that an ERP can allow you to capture include weights, expiry dates and shelf life, nutrition, shipping, surfaces that an ingredient has touched, employees who have handled items, allergens and more. With detail insights into all these snippets of information (and more!) you’re able to become more agile in your response.
At Cedar Bay we have years of experience in helping food and beverage companies limit their risk of recalls and gain a greater insight into their production processes. We can help you gain greater visibility, helping you achieve more.
Ready to say goodbye to recalls?
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