Automating Traceability for the Meat and Seafood Industries What s all the buzz about Traceability for Meat and Seafood? Regulations from the FDA, NOAA, Homeland Security in the US, international regulations, and requests from the consumer who wants fresh and sustainable food, make it clear that meat and seafood companies need to implement a formal traceability program. The question is not Do I implement traceability? It s How do I find a traceability system that benefits my business?
TRACEABILITY DEFINED GS1 (Global Traceability Standard) defines traceability as the ability to track forward the movement through specified stage(s) and trace backward the history of that which is under consideration. (1) Taking it a step further, a traceable item source must know what has happened during its internal process (2) In other words, the company must be able to identify a specific product (lot, batch) and know where it came from before entering the facility, what happened to it within the facility, and where it went when it left the facility. Meat and seafood processing takes one item and breaks it down to make many. During this process, lots or batches may be mixed, separated, divided, packed, and/or repacked. Details such as gross weight, net weight, temperature, and product details such as species, color, grade, etc. require complex data collection and reporting. Finding an automated traceability system that tracks these details accurately throughout this process can be a challenge. Who Regulates Traceability in the US? GS1 sets international standards The FDA sets safety standards that include inspections, sampling and analyzing, and examination of imported meat and seafood to name a few. Homeland Security focuses on preventing a wide-spread bioterrorist act through tainted food NOAA focuses on eliminating fraud and encouraging sustainability. The bottom line is a lot of agencies want a lot of information about meat and seafood, which are arguably the most perishable of all flesh foods. This requirement presents a high level of complexity for meat and seafood. Tag Carcass at Receiving to Initiate Lot Traceability GS1 Standards Document, November 2012, Issue 1.3.0, page 13 for (1), page 37 for (2)
WHY AUTOMATE? Many companies in the industry are recording information for traceability and quality reporting manually. Why make the transition to an automated system? Here is a comparison: Advantages Paper-based traceability system Computerized traceability systems Its familiar what we ve always done. No extra training necessary. Inexpensive to implement. Flexible easy to change the process. Data can be input quickly with minimal if any errors. Information is available in real-time. Reporting is fast and easy allows for fast reaction to problems within production. In a perfect world we would combine the advantages of the paper-based system with those of a computerized system. An automated traceability system married with business processes can pay for itself in just a few months. The result: 1. Elimination of errors. 2. Increased data entry speed and elimination of duplicate data entry (write it down the key it in.) 3. Real-time information for management and the production team, allowing for on the fly adjustments to production. Information is readily available to others within the company (i.e. sales) and the supply chain. Disadvantages Labor intensive and slow. Can be costly to implement. Error-prone. Recordkeeping is labor intensive. Reporting is not easily reviewed. Requires higher level of training. Employees may be frightened of technology. The environment is hard on equipment. 4. Accurate inventory records. Know what to sell at the moment it s packed. 5. Shipment verification that reduces errors, eliminates some manual steps (automatically print Bills of Lading) and virtually eliminates disputes with the receiving entity.
CHOOSING AN AUTOMATED TRACEABILITY SYSTEM A well-designed traceability system is flexible and comprehensive. It doesn t make you change your process and it does provide detailed information that follows your product through processing, commingling, re-packing and shipping. The best systems provide production, inventory and shipping information in real- or near-real-time. The second criteria is that it must be easy to use. A real-time system requires data entry on the production floor. Because worker turn-over is high and time to train is limited, so make it easy for them. Make sure the traceability system benefits the business. A traceability system will be of minimal benefit if it provides information for the government and the customer but cannot be used to run the business. And the company who provides the system should be established, knowledgeable and responsive. The meat and seafood plants are fast-paced business that can t wait for a delayed return phone call when something goes wrong. Find a trusted partner. Traceability systems come in various forms: Cloud-based ERP Standalone Real-time Least Expensive Most Expensive Middle of the road costs No database for business use Extensive accounting data Production, traceability and inventory May be easy to use Double entry of traceability data Real-time, easy data entry No sales info Sales, purchasing, payroll No sales or purchasing modules No true reporting Reports typically for accounting Production & traceability reporting Not all traceability systems are the same. Many claim to provide full end-to-end traceability, but in reality they are tracking a finished goods case or pallet. The issue for most software is the one to many (deconstruction) concept. Accounting-based systems and ERPs typically can t deal with the complexity of meat and seafood processing and provide any depth in traceability. Depth in traceability means the ability to track backwards through various steps in production and forwards to the packaging of the finished product, defining each stage in the process and
recording any mixing of lots or change in form (filleting, deveining, etc.). The complete traceability system starts at the origin (the fishing dock, the pond or tank of a fish farm or the receiving dock in the plant) and follows it through processing, packing and labeling, storage, palletizing, and shipping. The sample flow chart has data collection points that provide depth in traceability plus detailed production data: At dock/auction House record: Boat #, Capt. Grade, Lot #, Total Weight, # Bags. Then print a SIMBA 2D bar code. Transport to plant Receiving: QC ReGrade & confirm weight. SIMBA prints a new carton label. Cold Storage/Freezer Track Shrimp Processing Through Many Steps For Complete Traceability AUTOMATING DATA ENTRY The goal for data collection in the meat and seafood plant is to input the maximum amount of detail in the least amount of time with the fewest errors. Rebox (Processing): Fillets/Bellies. SIMBA Prints a new label for each item. Shipping can be done by order number or complete van loads Methodologies: Computer keyboard data entry: This is usually accomplished using a combination of keyed entry and drop-down menus.
Data entry is more accurate than pen and paper and does give real-time information to management. Training may be time consuming and reliability of the equipment can be problematic. Touch Screen data entry: Pushing buttons on a touch screen, especially if the data entry software is designed to link information without additional input, is fast and accurate. It is also the easiest for workers to learn. Touch Screen Data Entry is Fast and Easy to Learn Digital Input from Equipment (cutters, etc.): Because this method eliminates human intervention it is the most accurate and the fastest way to enter the data. It is also the most costly to implement. Barcode Scanners: Barcode scanning is as accurate as digital input and equally fast. Unless fixed scanners are used, it does require a worker s time. There can be a great deal of information stored in a 2-dimensional barcode, including the lot number, case number, species, grade, etc. Ruggedized Equipment One of the barriers to implementing an automated data collection system on the processing plant floor is finding equipment for the wet, cold, dirty environment. The solution to this issue is available with advances in technology made in the past few years. Look for IP-65 or better environmentally-rated devices, which means the equipment is sealed against dirt and moisture, plus can withstand multiple drops to concrete. Choose equipment from a reputable manufacturer and verify the warranties. Synthetic Tag on Tuna
Wash-down and Wipe-down Computers provide the enclosures required in the wet environment. The Wash-down Computer can literally be hosed down. Rugged Tablets are available for use in remote locations, such as the fish pond, dock or auction house. Rugged and Freezer-rated Mobile Barcode Scanners are designed to work in wet and cold environments. Reliable Label Printers can meet your duty-cycle requirements (labels/hour). Synthetic Barcode Labels & Tags will withstand the wet environment and rough handling. Zebra Technologies is a global leader respected for innovation and reliability. Zebra is the world leader in the manufacture of barcode and RFID printers and mobile barcode scanners. Their equipment has been implemented by some of the largest meat and seafood companies in the world. SUMMARY An automated traceability system must be reasonably priced, easy to use, require minimal training and few changes to your process, have equipment that can withstand the rough environment, and provide depth of traceability plus business reporting. Take a look at the SIMBA system from Dynamic Systems: http://www.dynamic-systemsinc.com/software/meat-and-seafood/. Workers like the easy-to-use touch screens that sit on the plant floor; the software does not require any process changes; SIMBA offers in-depth traceability throughout the process; and management and sales get real-time reporting to help the business. 800-342-3999 / 425-216-1204 RESPONSIVE. INCLUSIVE. AFFORDABLE. 11411 NE 124th ST Suite 275 Kirkland, WA 98034 www.dynamic-systemsinc.com