The DC plays a critical role in the food traceability process, where data from suppliers must be captured and combined with shipping data when products leave the DC. In the past, this would have required extra steps like scanning at the DC, store, or restaurant. It may have also required expensive changes to warehouse or picking systems. ReposiTrak’s new Touchless Traceability solution removes the need for scanning or WMS upgrades, instead using data, algorithms, and artificial intelligence (AI) to create accurate and complete traceability data records, as required by retailers and by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Case- or item-level scanning at the DC would dramatically increase labor, decrease throughput, and introduce new risks. Scanning at the store or restaurant level to confirm lot codes shipped and received would pose additional challenges, especially in operations where deliveries are large or if deliveries occur during off-hours. ReposiTrak’s solution eliminates the need for scanning by automatically linking existing supplier data to data from the DC’s systems.

At a minimum, major retailers are requiring suppliers and DCs to provide the Key Data Elements (KDEs) outlined under the FDA’s Food Traceability Final Rule, fulfilling Section 204(d) of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA 204)—particularly the Traceability Lot Code (TLC) and the TLC Source. Most WMS platforms are not equipped to take in and store the TLC and/or the TLC Source. ReposiTrak fills this gap in data capture by storing and managing the necessary traceability data in a secure, cloud-based repository with easy searchability.

ReposiTrak reports that 40 percent of the traceability files it initially receives from suppliers contain errors, such as mis-keyed identifiers, missing fields, or incomplete shipment files. These issues can undermine the reliability of the entire traceability chain, introducing contaminated data into the process. To address this, ReposiTrak puts every traceability data file through a rigorous 500+ point error detection and correction process that ensures data accuracy before it enters the distributor’s records. Once the data has been validated and merged, traceability records are created for DC receiving, DC shipping, and store receiving—with no manual human intervention.

ReposiTrak: www.repositrak.com