SALT LAKE CITY – ReposiTrak, operating the world’s largest food supply chain network of nearly 30,000 suppliers, has begun implementation of traceability services for a 300-store Midwest retail grocery chain. Known as a thought leader in the industry and recently named to the Top 10 Supermarkets in America (2022) by both USA Today and Food & Wine, the retailer is taking a three-step approach toward compliance with the Food and Drug Administration’s new FSMA 204 rule. The first step creates end-to-end traceability for the retailer’s commissary business – completing the connection from commissary suppliers through to the retail stores. The second step brings the same structured process to distribution centers, and the third and final step connects its Direct Store Delivery (DSD) vendors at the store-level. Other retailers are expected to follow the same approach to make full, end-to-end food traceability an integral part of everyday operations.
FSMA 204 requires companies that manufacture, process, pack or hold foods on the Food Traceability List (FTL) to establish and maintain Key Data Element (KDE) records for specific Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) in a product’s journey through the supply chain. As that product changes hands or changes form, a compounding string of data must be transferred between trading partners to provide full, end-to-end traceability. For a retailer or wholesaler, that means potentially additional labor at the Distribution center, at the Commissary, and at the Retail store. The FTL currently includes the most vulnerable fresh foods categories including tomatoes, deli salads, nut butters and leafy greens and the thousands of SKUs within each category. The objective of the FDA is to eventually cover all food stuffs.
“Every food retailer in the country will need to change the way they manage every single impacted shipment and delivery record within their supply chain,” said Fields. “Although the impact on any given retailer is millions of additional records and touches, the ReposiTrak Traceability Network offers the flexibility to take on traceability one step at a time. If you’re not sure where to start, our team of experts is here to help. We have structured the plan to be extraordinarily low cost, and simple to adopt. ”
The ReposiTrak Traceability Network is the only solution that’s scalable for the total food supply chain, without the need for new hardware, software or even labeling systems. It is built upon the largest, already-connected network of more than 110,000 individual supplier facilities, making the onboarding process faster and easier for retailers. In addition, ReposiTrak’s team of experts is prepared to have a real conversation with retailers to understand each company’s unique challenges and determine the best approach. Suppliers can connect to an unlimited number of trading partners and begin sharing data for a low, flat fee and there is no cost to retailers.
Food supply chain operators interested in the ReposiTrak Traceability Network should contact Derek Hannum (DHannum@repositrak.com).
About ReposiTrak
ReposiTrak, Park City Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCYG), provides retailers, suppliers and wholesalers with a robust solution suite to help reduce risk and remain in compliance with regulatory requirements; enhance operational controls; source and discover new vendors; and increase sales with unrivaled brand protection. Consisting of four product families – food traceability, compliance and risk management, supply chain solutions and MarketPlace sourcing – ReposiTrak’s cloud-based platform’s integrated applications are mutually reinforcing and work synergistically to create value and positive impact. For more information, please visit https://repositrak.com/
