
The worldย is coping with theย coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19)ย โ one of the biggest challenges witnessed in recent times.
Across the globe, it has disrupted lives, livelihoods, and businesses- predominantly theย tourism, aviation, hospitality, and food manufacturing industries.
Food manufacturing industry, in particular, has always been sensitive to such events, as the fear of a foodborne illness emerging in such times engulfs the consumers.
And even as currently there is no evidence of food being associated with the transmission ofย COVID-19, food safetyย is stillย aย concern for manufacturers and consumers alike.ย
This is primarily because of the widespread acceptance that the virus originated in a meat marketย in China.ย
This has led to a massive consumer rethink around food
A recent survey by The Packer suggests that theย fear of catching coronavirus from food has led theย grocery shoppers in theย United States of America (USA)ย toย buy less fresh produce.ย
Theyย areย alsoย demanding complete transparency and visibility into theย food theyย areย consuming.ย
This actually comes after a series of major food recalls, and fewย foodย borne illnesses in recent years.ย
Theย consumers thusย want to knowย whereย the ingredients it is made ofย areย obtainedย from, how and where it is prepared,ย and how it is produced and stored.ย
But the manufacturers donโt find it easy to allay these public concerns.
Withย theย rise in recalls, manufacturers look for solutions
The numbers in other big manufacturing hubs across the globe were also on the higher side. The rise in cases of food recalls has led to the global demand for better record-keeping and visibility in the food supply chain.
To achieve this visibility into food safety, the food manufacturers look for a tool that can help them balance profitability in operations andย compliance with government regulationsย too.ย Their search ends at ERP systems acting as food safety software.ย
But suchย software canย either bog downย the food manufacturingย processesย by making them complex, orย helpย the food manufacturers meetย food safety regulationsย and provide visibility intoย theย foodย supply chain byย offeringย greater traceability and accountability.ย
It is important for the food manufacturers to choose the latter.
ERP for food safety remains the way forward
BatchMasterย ERPย for Foodย and Beveragesย falls in the category of software that help food manufacturers meet food safety and quality.ย Here are a fewย ways throughย which itย can help:
End-to-end traceabilityย
The food manufacturers who still operate with manual, paper-based processes, take days to track the problem ingredients to their source.
This results in loss of time, money,ย business, and even penalties by regulatory bodies.ย
BatchMasterโs food safety software enables forward and backward traceability, which means a food manufacturer, can track all the phases of a food product’sย procurement,ย production,ย and distribution from an ingredient toย delivery toย theย customer, and also from a distribution centerย backย to a manufacturing plant.
Thisย bi-directional traceabilityย comes in handy whileย respondingย toย product recalls.
Quality Control
Besides, it is important for the food manufacturers to have a mechanism that ensuresย theย quality of raw materials & products, right from when they enter the business premises, to the time when they leave the four walls of the business as a finished good.
Pre-Process, In-Process andย Post-Process QCย
An ERP withย built-inย qualityย controlย functionalityย enables the food manufacturers to define QC tests at every step- right from receiving the raw materials, through to production, and shipment. Any material that fails the test, is either rejected or sent for quarantine.
Only the material that meets quality standards proceeds toย theย production stage.
NC & CAPA Supportย ย
The QC module ofย a foodย ERP software alsoย enablesย foodย manufacturersย to implementย non-conformance/corrective actionย preventative actionย so that they can act proactively and identifyย issues before they happen. This way,ย quality becomesย theirย competitive advantage.
Meets Goodย Manufacturing Practicesย
A Food ERP solution also governs the movement of material based on the lot statuses ensuring that only the lots with status as QC approve/pass move ahead in the supply chain, thereby meetingย theย most important requirement of GMP of Food businesses.
Connect shop floor withย theย top floorย
Food manufacturers struggle when it comes to connecting the plant to top managementย or integrating theย manufacturing plant data intoย the system.
This integration, when happens, provides valuable data captured on the shop floor to the management, offeringย greater visibility into raw materials.ย
BatchMaster ERP for food safety acts as a bridge between the shop floor and the top floorย and connects the two.
This integration results inย aย smooth flow of real-time data between the two, enabling the management to make data-driven and timely decisions with respect to the raw materials, and thus ensuring qualityย & safety.
Inventory visibility & controlย
Having excess inventory is never good for a manufacturing business, as most of it is perishable. A manufacturerโs inability to manage raw materials with limited shelf-life before their “use by” dates can result in spoilage and lead to quality and safety issues.
BatchMaster ERP for food safety empowers the food manufacturers with its inventory management andย materials requirement planning (MRP)ย functionalities.
It allows issuing material based on expiry so that material nearing expiryย isย used first and restrictsย theย use of raw-material in production that are expired thus ensuring safety.
โSafety is paramount when it comes to food allergy,โ said Ignacio J. Ansotegui, MD, Ph.D., of Hospital Quirรณn Bizkaia, in Bilbao, Spain, and the WAO()World Allergy Organization President.
Because there is no active treatment yet, and avoidance of food allergens is the only strategy.ย
Proper handling as well as segregating inventory based on Allergens, Halal, Kosher certificates, etc. also is made possible by a Foodย ERP System.ย
Regulatory complianceย
The food manufacturing industry faces multiple regulations since its products put theย consumer be it humans or animalย health at stake.
Talking just about the USA market, manufacturers are required toย adhere to the regulatory requirements ofย current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs),ย Food & Drug Administration (FDA),ย the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), andย Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP).
What these regulations share in common is the idea thatย theย establishment of well-documented proceduresย at every stage ofย theย manufacturing processย drivesย food safety.
An ERP for food safety such as BatchMaster ERP for food helps meet all the local, regional, national, and international regulatory requirementsย along withย theย generation of Nutritional Labels, Supplement Fact sheets, Ingredient Statements,ย and other FDA reports plus labels.ย In turn,ย helping youย ensure food safety.
Supplier Managementย
The quality and safety of your food productsย areย mainly governed by its building-blocks, its raw materials.
Thusย procuring them from a certified vendor is not justย need but a regulatory requirement too.
A Food ERP Solutionย not just suggests you the best vendor based on its certificates, lead-time, quality, prices, etc, but also alerts you when procuring from a vendor whose certificates are expired or nearing expiry.
In a nutshellย
In todayโs time, whenย commutable viruses have controlled our lifestyle and movement, restricting its spread is the key.
Having aย Food Safety ERPย solutionย can help you ensureย theย safety of food from viruses too through itsย 360-degree quality and complianceย approach.
Having it implemented is now not a luxury but a dire necessity to produce safe and quality food, be responsive and win customer confidence.ย ย
Want to learn more about howย effectiveย food safety softwareย such asย BatchMasterย ERPย for Foodย canย aid you?ย Get in touchย with our food experts today.
Log in toย ourย websiteย to know more about our ERP offerings forย different micro-verticalsย ofย theย food & beverage manufacturing industry.ย