ReposiTrak the world’s largest food traceability network, and Upshop, the technology provider in store operations for food retail have formed a partnership. The partnership effectively ends the need for retailers to cobble together traceability solutions for FSMA 204. Retailers can leverage existing supply chain data from ReposiTrak and in-store technology from Upshop. This is expected to ensure a seamless, source-to-store traceability that’s fast and easy to implement.
The FDA Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA) is expected to transform food safety. It shifts the focus from responding to foodborne illness to preventing it. The Act includes FDA Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods (Food Traceability Final Rule). It establishes traceability recordkeeping requirements. The new requirements identified in the final rule will allow for faster identification and rapid removal of potentially contaminated food from the market. This is expected to result in fewer foodborne illnesses and/or deaths.
According to ReposiTrak Chairman and CEO Randy Fields, “Retailers had been addressing traceability in fragments to this point. Collecting data from various Critical Tracking Events through various systems and solutions and failing to put the pieces together.
“For years, we have been building a network of thousands of suppliers working to share supply chain traceability data. At the same time, Upshop has bee perfecting in-store technology. When leveraged together, the retailer gets a full, end-to-end traceability solution.”
Key partnership benefits
For retailers, the key benefits of the partnership are:
- Supply chain traceability data through ReposiTrak, which operates the world’s largest supply chain database.
- Integrated store-level receiving from Upshop for:
- Receipts from DSD, DC, commissary and store-to-store transfers
- In-store transformations (e.g., lettuce used in sandwiches)
- Meeting the requirements of the FDA’s FSMA 204 final rule on food traceability
- Improved order and invoice reconciliation
- Strengthened food safety and customer trust
“With less than a year until enforcement begins, retailers finally have access to a connected, proven traceability solution,” said Upshop Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer Mark Hawthorne. “Both technologies have been used throughout the industry for years. Furthermore, there is no need for retailers to keep searching for new or otherwise untested solutions. When you work with ReposiTrak and Upshop together, you get a source-to-store traceability solution.”
Enterprise Times: What this means for businesses
Today’s consumers are increasingly demanding full transparency on the components and processes that support a product’s life cycle. As a result, they want visibility on ingredients, how and where each batch of raw materials was grown or created. In addition to Information on transportation and the full production process. Full traceability includes understanding the source of all ingredients and how they were used within the product.
Finally, where the final product was sent? Was it shipped to a distributor, retailer or end-user? There is also a growing requirement to track product packaging once the consumer uses the product. Hence, the partnership between ReposiTrak and Upshop aims to eliminate gaps in traceability with an end-to-end solution. Marrying ReposiTrak’s supply chain network with Upshop’s in-store technology expertise. On paper, this should be a perfect union for players in the same industry undergoing regulatory changes in the US and EU.
