Fresh produce traceability system
Traceability means answering two questions in minutes: where did this product come from, and where did it go? Everything else is how you capture the records.
Key points
- Assign a lot at receival and label it with a barcode.
- Record one step back (supplier) and one step forward (customer) for every lot.
- Batches must link inputs to outputs, including packaging.
- Recalls should be possible by any key: supplier, lot, PO, invoice, pallet, date.
The building blocks
- Identification: a lot or batch number per delivery, a GTIN per product, an SSCC per pallet.
- Data capture: barcode scans at receival, storage moves, batch inputs, packing outputs and dispatch.
- Links: each packed carton linked to its input lots and packaging; each pallet linked to a customer, invoice and PO.
- Retrieval: forward and backward searches that return the full chain in seconds.
Farm to fork
Field-level data – block, variety, harvest date – captured at receival extends traceability back to the farm. Retail case labels using the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) format carry GTIN and lot forward to the customer.
Crop-specific traceability
Different crops add their own steps: curing and long storage for onions and potatoes, washing and cutting for fresh-cut, mixing for salads, packing in the field for strawberries and grapes. Crop guides: potato, onion, strawberry, grape, leafy greens and fresh-cut.
Free tools
For small operations starting out, Farmsoft offers free traceability tools, including traceability label printing. Full traceability across inventory, QC, packing and dispatch is part of Producepak.
Frequently asked questions
What is one-up, one-down traceability?
Each business records who it received product from and who it sent product to. Linked across the chain, those records allow a product to be traced from farm to consumer.
How fast should a recall trace be?
Under FSMA 204, records must be provided to FDA within 24 hours of request. With scanned lots, a trace takes seconds.
