Best Practices for Cold Shipping Labels and Traceability of Fresh Produce Through the Supply Chain
Reduce inventory waste increase traceability fresh produce, recall, audit: full fresh produce inventory traceability management: quality control, sales & shipping traceability.
In the fresh produce industry, there are countless requirements for labeling cases, pallets and consumer units for cold chain shipping. This is due to the ever-growing need for accurate and up-to-date tracking information for fresh produce. Traceability through cold warehouse labels is vital to the fresh produce industry as it allows all trading partners to follow the products as they move from the field to a retail store or food service operator. This helps protect consumers and is incredibly important when a produce shipment needs to be withdrawn from the supply chain.
Cold shipping labels most often have some or all of the following information on them:
Price identification
Category management
Inventory tracking
Variety
Brand
Country of origin
Global Trade Item Number (GTIN)
Batch or lot number
A barcode
The exact content of a label often depends on the application, target market requirements and desired optional data. But at a minimum, waxy corrugated labels will contain a barcode and a portion that is readable to workers or those who come in contact with the shipment. In addition to this labeling information, established standards should be applied to properly track fresh produce.
Best Practices for Tracing Fresh Produce
Basic principles and best practices have been put into place by the industry to follow GS1’s Global Traceability Standard (GTS). The following are the globally accepted best practices for effectively implementing traceability when shipping cold food. For a more detailed look at the full list of standards, you can read GSI’s Traceability for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Implementation Guide.
LLT Labels has teamed up with Mactac to create the new CHILL AT label line. These labels are the perfect solution for waxy corrugate due to their superior tack and peel properties. CHILL AT labels adhere quickly, easily and most importantly, stay put throughout the entire supply chain process. They were uniquely designed to meet the needs of varying application conditions and temperatures, remaining physically and aesthetically intact in temperatures ranging from -65℉ to 150℉. CHILL AT labels are even able to withstand the extreme demands of shipping, including packing, transportation, storage and repeated product handling.
American Apple Creates Highly Efficient Fresh Produce and Vegetable Packing Operations with Zebra’s Mobile Technology
Zebra’s Mobile Computers and IST’s Mobile App Deliver Real-Time Inventory Tracking, Order Validation, and Product Traceability
Download Case Study
When it comes to thermal transfer printing, few applications are as demanding as those found within the fresh produce and food packaging market.
With constant pressure on growers and packers to reduce pricing and the ever-changing demands to satisfy regulatory requirements for product traceability, the labelling of products can prove to be a difficult task.
Production environments are also something that must be taken into consideration as temperatures can vary and be very humid with a lot of moisture. A lot of the products are then stored in fridges with low temperatures. The print needs to withstand all these conditions
TTS has a wide range of products suitable for fresh produce packaging.
er-margin crops at a discount.
“Fourth-Generation Sweet Potato Supplier Incorporates Traceability System in its Packaging Line for PTI Compliance"
Requirement: Meet all requirements outlined in the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) for standardized labeling and electronic recordkeeping.
Project: Implementation of traceability system to meet current and future requirements of the PTI.
Solution: Microscan partner RedLine’s Packing solution incorporating Microscan’s QX-830 barcode reader.
Result: Increased labeling accuracy, traceability throughout the packing line, and compliance with the PTI.
The Challenge
When a key retail customer adopted the PTI, Wayne E. Bailey (WEB) recognized the need to implement a system in its packing operation to ensure that it was in compliance. The sweet potatoes were already traceable by an internal process which utilized an ink roller to apply a lot number and product size to each box that was recorded in the company’s inventory management system. However, compliance with the PTI required the company to adopt the standardized labeling format and electronic recordkeeping requirements outlined by the initiative. The solution would need to be able to accurately identify as many as 14 to 15 different product sizes during a production run without impacting the production rate or requiring major changes to the process.
Expertise Ensures Smooth Implementation Process
The cases are palletized based on grade and size and tagged with a run pack number, which is also generated by the RedLine Packing system, enabling traceability at the pallet level. At the end of each day, all labels from the wooden bins that the sweet potatoes arrived in are scanned into the system and associated with the day’s run.
The Result
Wayne E. Bailey continues to lead the sweet potato revolution. “With the positive press sweet potatoes have been receiving (as a superfood)”, states company President George Wooten, “we see tremendous growth ahead.”