How to Keep Product Safety Resolutions in 2018

Widespread distrust has increased the need for food and drink manufacturers to be more forthcoming about their ingredients, production processes, and supply chains, according Mintel’s 2018 Global Food & Drink Trends report. A growing consumer demand for improved traceability and transparency will undoubtedly influence positive and immediate changes. With that in mind, food and beverage manufacturers should take stock of opportunities and challenges facing their organizations and the industry this year.

Advancements in track and trace technology, paired with greater access to food quality data, leaves manufacturers with little room for excuses. Here are a few ways food and beverage manufacturers can keep their resolutions to improve product safety practices and maintain consumer trust.

Create a culture where quality and safety are top of mind. Use your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to audit your processing and packaging methods to ensure that your team and your suppliers are handling food and beverage products with care and complying with regulatory mandates. Meet with your team to review your audit findings and discuss any necessary changes. More importantly, detail why changes are needed and help your team understand the importance of their role in delivering high-quality products and keeping consumers safe.

Avoid costly recalls with proper track and trace resources. While the number of FDA food recalls declined 11 percent in Q3 2017, the number of recalled food units increased 19 percent. Undeclared allergens were the leading cause of recalls. An ERP engineered for food and beverage manufacturers can reduce and eliminate such errors by preventing creation of recipes with undeclared allergens as well as preventing operational substitutions with undeclared allergens.

Use analytics to build a better, smarter supply chain. The ability to turn data into actionable insight is a key differentiator between industry leaders and all others. Applying business intelligence from actionable data can lead to continuous improvement. Better usage of data for decision-making allows leaders in the food and beverage industry to outperform corporate expectations by as much as 15 percent, as well as lowering costs and improving productivity.