Breakfast Cereal Traceability

Major producer protects brand by bridging gap between production and packaging

A major food producer lacked traceability between processing and packaging.

Product from the processing lines goes into tote bins to feed the consumer packaging lines or into bulk bags for shipment to contract packers

Main Requirements

• Label bulk bags
• Check cleaning and maintenance of totes
• Track bags and totes
• Trace batches of product 

Solution

Codeway developed software to track and control batches. 

The system stores traceability data in an SQL database.

Equipment: label printers in boxes (environmental enclosures) with barcode scanners, and Dolphin hand held terminals to track all movements.

Bag labelling

Each line makes three or four products with differing vitamin treatments for customers in different countries.

An operator uses a barcode scanner to read the product and treatment codes from  a menu sheet. A printer produces the labels. 

The label shows the product code, barcoded serial number, treatment code (vitamin content), weight, attribute/quality code, date, time, user ID, and customer.

Tote and bag tracking

Operators key in their badge numbers to log on. Before moving any product they scan the barcodes on the bags or totes at the "from location". They scan them again at the “to location” after the move. 

The Dolphins time and date stamp the records automatically.

At the packaging lines the operators scan each tote before use. The Dolphins check the product and if correct the operators empty it into the hopper

Dolphins also make sure bags go to right despatch bay for each load

Tote tracking

Totes must be washed frequently and critically before use for another product. They also need periodic maintenance

Every tote has a permanent barcode. Operators with Dolphins scan them in and out of washing and maintenance areas. The system uses this data to maintain tote records.

Traceability benefits

The system supplied a missing link in the traceability chain.

It provided full traceability back from the batch code on the consumer pack through the production process to the raw ingredients.

The company achieved higher than ever levels of discipline, especially when working shifts.

There was no further need for paper records.

Next Step

Brand protection is extremely important. The consequences of a well publicised example of the wrong product in a pack, perhaps an allergic reaction, are incalculable.

To explore likely benefits in your business, please call the number below or send us this email with a short note of your needs: