Product recalls pose a substantial risk to organisations across many industries, and the Food and Beverage industry is no exception; according to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) the average number of food and drink recalls has increased over the past decade.
Product recalls have significant impacts on brand reputation and consumer sentiment, and economically can cost on average AU$16 million based on data collected by the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Consumer Brand Association.
Despite the precautions businesses put in place to prevent food recalls there is always some degree of risk. Preparation is key to managing a food recall and minimising the adverse impacts that occur.
One such way to improve recall-readiness is to have a robust traceability system in place. Traceability involves tracking food through all stages of production, processing, and distribution, with movements being traced both one step forwards or backwards at any point in the supply chain. Being able to identify the source of raw materials, additives, and other ingredients is critical. Reducing the time it takes to perform a trace-back can also help minimise disruption to trade and business practices and improve customer confidence.
Traceability is at the core of the InformationLeader platform. Real-time secure data capture means all processes and their associated data is centrally maintained within InformationLeader. This allows for immediate response and escalation of issues when they arise. InformationLeader helped one client cut their shelf-to-farm trace from days to minutes with its built-in reporting features. What used to take entire days of rigorously sorting through tables full of paperwork, now Quality Managers can identify at the click of a button what raw materials were used where and which products are now affected. The reduction in tracing time allowed personnel to better use their time acting on the recall and notifying all those affected by it. This in turn delivered substantial savings and worked to maintain customer confidence and loyalty.
Product recalls will continue to occur, but with the right processes and technology organisations are able to rapidly respond and minimise disruption and any potential public health risks. Get in touch with the Theta Technologies team to discuss how your business can benefit from improved traceability with the InformationLeader platform.