How to Find a Faulty Batch in Minutes, Not Days

A recall is the scenario no food company wants - but most will face it sooner or later. The question isn’t whether it happens, but how quickly and precisely you can respond when it does.

What does a recall actually cost?

The cost of a recall isn’t just about the physical products that need to be withdrawn. It’s about the hours spent figuring out where the problem originated and how far it has spread. It’s about the reputation with retailers and consumers. And it’s about fines and increased regulatory scrutiny if you can’t document that you responded quickly and correctly.

The longer it takes to scope the problem, the greater the damage becomes - both financially and to your reputation.

Why manual systems and spreadsheets fall short

Many companies have a traceability system that works fine day to day: a spreadsheet here, a production log there, perhaps a standalone inventory system. The problem arises when these systems have to work together under time pressure. Figuring out which finished products contain a particular raw material batch often requires manual cross-referencing between multiple systems - and that takes time you don’t have when a recall is underway.

How batch/lot management works in a modern ERP

An ERP system with built-in traceability automatically records which raw material batches go into which production batches, and which batches end up in which finished products and with which customers. This means that, with just a few clicks, you can answer the questions that are critical in a recall situation:

• Which finished products contain this raw material batch?
• Which customers have received these products?
• How much of the batch in question is still in stock?

From discovery to resolution

Imagine a scenario: a supplier reports that a raw material batch may be contaminated. With a system that has full traceability, the quality department can, within minutes, see exactly which production runs the batch was used in, and which customers have received products from those batches. Instead of having to stop the entire production line or manually review weeks of deliveries, you can target your response precisely where the problem actually is.

Checklist: Is your system ready for a recall tomorrow?

• Can you identify all products containing a given raw material batch in under 15 minutes?
• Can you see which customers received a specific batch, without having to ask multiple departments?
• Is your traceability data updated in real time, or is there a delay between production and recording?
• Have you tested your recall process recently - or is it only theoretical?

If the answer to even one of these questions raises concerns, it’s worth taking a closer look at how well your current system supports traceability.