Food Safety Prevention and Outbreak - Blog

Traceability software in the food supply chain has long been highly praised as a viable solution to mitigate the significant worldwide burden of foodborne illnesses. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 600 million people—almost 1 in 10—fall sick after eating contaminated food. The WHO estimates that 420,000 die every year. Scientists have determined that unsafe food with parasites, viruses, bacteria and/or chemical substances causes more than 200 diseases.

The impact of traceability software for food safety has been well-documented by researchers around the world. That is why many government agencies are implementing more modern frameworks to ensure that local, national and international agri-food businesses improve the transparency and visibility of supply chains from farm to fork. The US Food and Drug Administration’s Blueprint for the New Era of Smarter Food Safety is just one example.

But did you know that, with the right food traceability platform, food companies throughout the value chain can leverage other advantages than “just” for prevention, ensuring a prompt outbreak response, and managing recalls?

Let’s take a look at some of the other challenges agri-food businesses face and how food traceability can help to address them.

IMPROVED INVENTORY TRACKING AND PLANNING

Studies around the world abound on how food traceability systems can provide complete transparency and accurate records from suppliers to customers so that businesses can gain better visibility of asset flow and inventory. To reduce costs, users can access real-time data to improve First-In, First-Out (FIFO) and First-Expired, First-Out (FEFO) management. In addition, food traceability software can speed up inventory turnover to minimize excess and obsolete inventory. With advanced analytics and even artificial intelligence, companies can carry out advanced demand planning and accurate inventory forecasting while detecting anomalies or supply chain efficiencies that can be quickly rectified.

STREAMLINED LOGISTICS AND OPERATIONS

In today’s hypercompetitive markets, weighed down by supply chain problems and logistical headaches, a food traceability solution with sophisticated inventory tracking and planning can contribute to preventing transportation delays and boosting on-time deliveries (OTD). Because all stakeholders are connected to the traceability platform, information collection and sharing are automated and error-free. This can free up delays caused by manual, paper-based data entry, safety inspections and audits.

MONITORING, REPORTING AND IMPROVING ESG COMPLIANCE

Many nations, as well as companies in their agri-food sectors, are setting ambitious environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals to create a more sustainable food production industry. Moreover, a food company risks slashed supplier scores, reduced business potential and over damage to its brand if it fails to provide accurate and updated sustainability reporting. With a next-generation food traceability platform and inventory tracking capabilities, agri-businesses can provide end-to-end and real-time transparency of where a product originated from and all the way to consumers’ plates. Even more compelling: food traceability software can track and trace supply chain emissions of a company’s inventory to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—and comply with Scopes 1, 2 and 3 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. This means investing in only one inventory tracking and planning solution rather than two systems.

EFFICIENT REVERSE LOGISTICS IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY.

Without the ability to track and plan reverse logistics, food businesses are missing out on a tremendous opportunity to collect data that could pinpoint lapses in procedures when food or packaging is disposed of. Food traceability software can also contribute to reducing food waste and missed sales due to unnecessarily rejected products.

In addition, an increasing number of food businesses are aiming to track their reusable packaging, such as bins, bulk containers, kegs, reusable plastic containers and glass bottles, from manufacturing sites to end users and back. Reverse logistics traceability for the food industry ensures the proper reuse, revalorization or proper disposal of packaging products, thereby fostering a circular economy.

Traceability and transparency in the food industry will continue to be a hot topic, putting additional pressure on agri-food businesses to accelerate their digital transformations and adopt intelligent supply chain solutions that offer complete visibility and a 360-degree approach to ensuring food safety ESG compliance and operational excellence.