Defining Food Traceability in the New Era? There is no denying there; businesses today are dealing with a stream of ‘modern consumers.’ These consumers are tech-savvy and very used to the luxurious comfort that tech-driven solutions bring. They expect perfection in all products/services, and when it comes to the food products they consume, these people are not ready to compromise.
The evolving demands have led authorities to impose strict food safety regulations and guidelines. The businesses operating in food and beverage manufacturing (F&B) must comply with these guidelines. Consumers are interested in knowing the origin of the raw materials used in a product they are consuming. Their concerns about food quality are increasing every day and expect nothing but perfectly safe food manufactured in compliance with set quality guidelines.
To address these demands, F&B manufacturers are working towards achieving transparency. It is one of the most critical elements in ensuring high food quality and safety.
Understanding Traceability – The Future of the Manufacturing Industry
People have vague ideas about traceability in the food industry. Traceability allows manufacturers to track the origin of the product in case there is a defect in the product. As modern consumers become more aware of product quality and safety with every passing day, manufacturers across the automotive, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and F&B industries are working to achieve traceability.
The term ‘traceability’ is made by combining two words, ‘trace’ and ‘ability.’ Even though different industries associate unique definitions, the focal idea is the same – to provide consumers with safe and high-quality products. This concept is categorized into two perspectives; chain traceability and internal traceability. This type allows companies and authorities to track down the movement of products across the entire supply chain and distribution.
Traceability is a useful tool for manufacturers as it helps them investigate the causes of a specific issue and address them to prevent product recalls. See Also: Expert recommendation On Arts And Crafts
A Traceable Food System
As per the definition put forward by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), traceability is the concept that ensures that ensures product tracking (backward and forward) across the entire supply chain. The FDA believes that this process requires all F&B manufacturers to document and link all their processes, starting from procurement of raw materials, production, processing, quality check, and distribution.
An example of this is the dairy industry. Companies can easily track the livestock and ensure they were safe from any widespread disease or illness, ensuring food safety for the consumers. This is the kind of traceability the modern consumers demand from the F&B industry.
Manufacturers in the F&B industry are working to achieve traceability to be able to gain visibility into the supply chain. It helps them extract details about a particular stage of the cycle any time they want. This practice can considerably help companies save their time and effort during recalls. In addition, it allows them to identify the core of the issues. While helping companies ensure compliance with safety regulations set by various acts such as the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), traceability helps improve efficiency and high consumer satisfaction. A traceable food system in the future for the F&B industry as it brings transformational potential.
Tech-Enabled Traceability – The Need of the Hour
The adoption of traceability in the F&B manufacturing industry brings countless benefits. Traceability allows companies to prevent recalls that can cause major losses. Not only this, but with a traceable system, manufacturers can instill high satisfaction rates among the consumers.
The functionality of traceability is based on capturing, storing, and sharing information. It is all part of the tech-enabled traceability. It is close to impossible to build a traceable system without integrating the traceability technology. Machine Learning tools and AI-powered solutions make traceability a possibility.
Regardless of how efficient a person is, there is always room for error. To make things easy for the companies, the authorities such as the FDA have made tech-enabled traceability an integral part of the New Era of Smarter Food Safety. As per FDA, this step will aid the efforts of the industry to prevent contaminated products from reaching the consumers. Tech-enabled traceability makes it possible through rapid trace-backs, identifying specific sources.
Tech-enabled traceability holds considerable potential for the world. It can prevent supply chain disruptions even in a public health emergency. See Also: 10 Best Modal Removal Products in 2021
Food Traceability and Technology
The food industry is in need of a system that can help achieve its core goals. The first one being customer satisfaction, and the second being efficient production. A company operating in this industry can work towards its goals by integrating smart tech solutions to build a traceable system. It can be said that a traceable food system is what the world is looking forward to, as not only will it help businesses prosper but also ensure food safety and quality.
It is important to realize the significant role technology is playing in building this kind of traceable system. While improving communication between different departments of the industry. Such a system can help companies build reliable and strong customer relationships. Technology for food traceability can work wonders for the F&B industry. Manufacturers operating in this industry need to realize the urgency to establish such strong systems. This is the only way they can get their products sold to modern consumers.
Folio3 is one of those companies that has been at the forefront of traceability for the F&B industry. The company of tech professionals understands the need for F&B businesses to create reliable and efficient food traceability systems and provides its services to address it. The company has helped numerous F&B manufacturers improve their productivity, enhance their quality, and boost customer satisfaction!