Food Processing Software: Using Wireless Warehouse Management Technology for Lot Tracking and Traceability

The Institute for Food Technologists (IFT) recently submitted a report to the FDA identifying, among other things, the use of RF and barcode scanning devices in food processing plants as a means to ensure accurate ingredient and finished good lot tracking and traceability. Through the deployment of a food processing software solution with integrated wireless warehouse management functionality, food and beverage manufacturers can achieve streamlined warehouse operations and improve warehouse productivity while simultaneously improving accuracy for product and ingredient lot history.

Many food and beverage manufacturers, large and small, enter lot data for ingredients and finished goods into Excel spreadsheets or paper-based logs. This process, in addition to being time consuming for employees in the receiving and manufacturing departments, can increase the likelihood of inaccurate data entry. With lot codes potentially being sixteen or twenty digits long, there is significant potential for human error. By using manufacturing software systems with RF and barcode-enabled warehouse management technology, however, lot codes can be generated automatically and barcodes applied for receipt of ingredients into inventory, finished goods produced and placed into inventory, and finished goods shipped to customers. An employee in the shipping and receiving or manufacturing department would simply scan the barcode and enter the quantity received, produced, or shipped – the system would automatically identify the lot number(s) for the items and store the data, reducing the likelihood of inaccurate ingredient or finished good lot information.

In addition, ERP software solutions with fully-integrated forward and backward lot traceability can track the lot numbers of all ingredients received into inventory, when these ingredients were received, when these ingredients (and their associated lot numbers) were used in manufacturing, the lot numbers of the finished goods that were produced with these ingredient lots, and which of the food processor’s customers were shipped a particular lot number for a finished good. Should a supplier initiate a recall for a given ingredient, the food processor, thanks to accurate lot data as a result of using RF and barcode devices, will have the necessary information to initiate a product recall for its finished goods that were produced with the contaminated raw ingredient lot. These processes will reduce the time between notification of an ingredient recall and an associated recall of finished goods while also minimizing the amount of product being recalled due to more pinpoint accuracy of the specific finished goods lots that were affected.

By taking advantage of ERP systems with fully-integrated wireless warehouse management functionality, food and beverage processors will have the necessary technological tools to ensure accurate lot tracking and traceability.