Enhancing Food Safety: The Crucial Role of Produmex WMS in Managing Food Recalls

Food recalls are not uncommon occurrences in the food industry: in fact, if you went to Spain on vacation this summer, you might have been adviced not to eat any tortillas.

These situations can be triggered by a variety of factors, including potential allergen contamination, bacterial outbreaks, or other safety concerns. The repercussions of mishandling a recall can be severe, ranging from compromised consumer health to reputational damage and legal ramifications for the company involved. To minimize these risks and protect consumers, a well-structured and efficient recall process is essential.

Produmex WMS is a robust warehouse management system that specializes in helping companies optimize their inventory management, distribution, and traceability processes. When a food alarm occurs, and a recall is necessary, Produmex WMS becomes a critical tool in identifying and removing affected batches swiftly and accurately. Produmex Quality Status Feature Keep reading to learn about key benefits of using this add-on in the described scenario

Batch Traceability 

One of the key features of Produmex WMS is its ability to provide granular batch traceability. Each batch of a product can be uniquely identified, allowing for precise tracking of its journey through the supply chain. In the event of a food recall, this traceability becomes invaluable. The system can swiftly identify all batches of a product that have been potentially compromised, enabling the company to narrow down the recall to only the affected items, minimizing the financial impact and disruption to the supply chain. Batch information of components and finished products are key for quality, traceability, legal and commercial reasons, such as: allergens, batch origin, nutritional, quality measurements (Ph, viscosity, color…) and so on.

Batch Attributes  

With Produmex WMS it is also possible to store information on reception goods’ receipts (humidity, temperature) and production reception documents (handling conditions).

Quality Types   

Additionally a 3rd way of storing information is at the packing step (package type, dimensions and weights).

Efficient Removal Process 

During a recall, time is of the essence. Produmex WMS streamlines the process of locating and removing affected products from the warehouse with 3 clicks. Using real-time data, the system guides workers to the exact location of the affected batches, avoiding the risk of errors and minimizing the time it takes to execute the recall.

Accurate Communication

Communication is a crucial component of a successful recall process. Produmex WMS facilitates clear and accurate communication between various stakeholders, including warehouse staff, management, regulatory bodies, and consumers. This ensures that everyone is on the same page regarding the affected products, the reason for the recall, and the steps being taken to address the issue.

Even before the communication happens, an authorize user can guarantee that certain batches will no longer be moved, consumed or sent by using the quality status management of Produmex WMS.

Regulatory Compliance 

In the heavily regulated food industry, compliance with safety standards and regulations is non-negotiable. Produmex WMS assists companies in maintaining compliance by Zone storage types, traceability report, batch information, best before date, shelf life, labeling and packaging, allergen management, continuous monitoring…

In conclusion, when operating in an industry where consumer safety is the number one priority, the ability to effectively manage food recalls is a critical capability. Produmex WMS shines as a tool that empowers food companies to navigate these challenging situations with batch traceability, streamlined removal process, accessible internal communication, and regulatory compliance support, becoming an invaluable asset for food companies seeking to uphold their commitment to safety and quality. These are the moments in which the role of advanced systems like Produmex WMS become even more pivotal in ensuring a swift and effective response.

Accurate Stock 

One of the key questions when the alarm is raised is how much stock does the company own and where it is. With the Inventory Report feature, WMS has the capability of reporting the stock accuracy by location and/or pallet/box, from the office or the warehouse.

Additionally, thanks to the Catch Weight and the Second Inventory Unit features, the stock units will be accurate.

Stock Storage Conditions 

Storage conditions play a crucial role on the food quality and safety. Having software that guarantees that the items will be stored on an appropriated area is key for recall prevention, and that is what you can use Produmex WMS’s Zone Types feature for.

Besides, with WMS’s BBD and Shelf Life features, you can guarantee that best-before dates are correctly management across the supply chain, meaning that suppliers comply with the item/supplier/country specific shelf life in the same way manufacturers do, and with the shelf life for the next element of the supply chain: customers.

Production Management 

Many regions and countries have regulations that govern waste disposal and environmental impact. Adhering to these regulations helps businesses avoid legal complications and associated penalties and can be a smooth ride with Produmex WMS’s Production Waste Management features.

Processing instructions are often requested during production processes – a sequence of steps involved in the manufacturing process (temperature, cooking times, mixing procedures). WMS, integrated with SAP Business One, can manage this on a basic level and is also compatible with the advanced manufacturing solution Beas Manufacturing.

Labeling

Accurate and transparent labeling is essential. To help companies ensure that nutritional information, allergen declarations, ingredient lists, expiration dates, and any health claims are compliant with labeling laws and regulations, Produmex WMS allows printing labels with database information in all flows!
To learn more about the benefits of Produmex WMS for Food & Beverage companies and schedule a free demo contact our team.