Food safety is vital for the integrity of the food sector. Consumers must be able to trust that the food they eat meets the required safety and quality standards, therefore, a robust food traceability strategy must be followed. A sound food traceability strategy will ensure that if there is a food safety issue, it can be quickly identified, isolated and resolved. Your traceability strategy will help you to swiftly remove unsafe food from wherever it is located and avoid any further issues.
It is a legal requirement for business shall have the proven ability to identify and trace all raw materials, including food contact packaging, from suppliers through all stages of production to the point of despatch.
Traceability can be a convoluted process that requires a large amount of human resources and don’t produce enough tangible benefits for the business. This is because several businesses in the food sector still use paper-based systems or spreadsheets that are time consuming and generally produce inaccuracies due to human error.
Paper-based systems use a lot of resources, but they also increase the chance of a traceability error that could damage your reputation in the worst case scenarios. A traceability error could be hugely expensive with microbiological testing required at the possibility of contaminated food. Also, your business could be fined and shut down in the worst situations.
Food traceability software saves time and reduces the risk of error. Beyond this, an effective traceability system will benefit your business by reducing the downtime needed to resolve product issues, and can protect the reputation of your business in the event of a backlash.
SAM Stock Control software increases productivity and improves accuracy. However, the food traceability feature will enable you to quickly respond to any problems that occur, while saving the businesses reputation.
Here are five food traceability benefits of investing in SAM Stock Control software:
1) Boosts Consumer Confidence & Enhances Brand Credibility
In the UK people expect transparency from the food sector. Any violations of food safety laws are published in the local newspaper, and shoppers are concious of the ingredients and nutrional values of the food they purchase. Food traceability software communicates to your customers that your products have gone through a comprehensive process before they reach the shelves, also it boosts your credibility with others in the food sector.
2) Reduces Food Waste
Using batch numbers allows you to accurately detect exactly where and when an entire batch of food has been supplied, this means you will only need to recall the problem batch. Without this accuracy large amounts of products would need to be removed from circulation, this could cause damage to your reputation and profits.
3) Increased Efficiency
With food traceability software you can streamline your entire food supply chain from start to finish. This improves productivity, creates greater opportunities for growth, and generates accurate information for suppliers and customers.
4) Give Weight to Your Marketing Messages
Businesses that use food traceability software can use marketing messages to inform potential customers about this strategy, it gives them more relevant information to discuss. You can demonstrate that you are a source of ethical products that are produced in the UK.
5) Reduced Risk of Litigation
Food traceability software protects in the case of legal disputes, the accuracy of the software allows you to be able to produce the records to back up your claims. This could resolve an issue before it even reaches the court.
