Food safety is integral to the reputation and viability of the food services industry. For trust to exist that food meets the required safety and quality standards expected by consumers, a thorough traceability strategy must be in place. Traceability ensures that if a food safety issue occurs, the problem can quickly be discovered, isolated and addressed. Traceability information can be used to quickly withdraw unsafe food from the market and avoid escalation.

It is a legal requirement for all food distributors to have effective traceability systems in place to identify the suppliers and customers for each product in their supply chain.

Unfortunately, traceability compliance for many businesses is a cumbersome obligation that eats up staff resources without producing tangible benefits for the business. This is due to overreliance on traditional, paper heavy systems that are inefficient and prone to human error.

This is not only wasteful of your resources, but risks the reputation of your business if a traceability error occurs. Failure to ensure traceability can involve extensive microbiological testing if contaminated food is suspected, and penalties can include the forced shutdown of your organisation in the worst-case scenario.

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.

Here are some of the main benefits of investing in a food traceability application:

1) Boosts Consumer Confidence & Enhances Brand Credibility

Today’s public expect an extremely high level of transparency from food services businesses. The average shopper is very aware of potential allergens and additives, and takes an active interest in the quality of ingredients. An accurate traceability application will give consumers confidence in your products, securing a reputation for credibility that will stand you in good stead with your retail partners.

2) Reduces Food Waste

Quickly detecting the source of a food problem reduces your overall recall volume and keeps wastage costs to a minimum. A problem with unclear traceability can result in hundreds of tonnes of products being needlessly recalled and destroyed, a crippling financial hit as well as damaging to your reputation.

3) Increased Efficiency

Food traceability software does more than facilitate damage limitation. It also allows you to understand and streamline your whole food supply chain from start to finish. The practical results are improved productivity, greater opportunities for growth, better communication with suppliers and customers, and a better understanding of the factors that drive market demand.

4) Give Weight to Your Marketing Messages

With a watertight traceability strategy in place you can be confident of your marketing messages and discover new opportunities to promote your products. You can develop your reputation as a source of ethical products, a supporter of local farmers, or a leading advocate of food safety.

5) Reduced Risk of Litigation

In the unfortunate event that your business is involved in a dispute with a supplier, consumer or retail partner, accurate traceability software sets your case on firm legal footing. By tracing the source of a problem many issues can be debunked or resolved before they reach court. This reduced risk is not lost on insurance companies, who may reward well-managed businesses with lower premiums.

The Key to Improved Growth & Profitability Improved food traceability is just one of the benefits of our Prodigy Food Services Software Suite, a modular package that allows you to streamline every aspect of your food supply chain.