When a Food Contamination Emergency Occurs: Can Your Transactional Document Processes Cope with Product Recalls?

The recent salmonella outbreak involving peanut butter and the subsequent recall is just the latest in a string of food contamination alerts that have consumers questioning exactly where their food is produced, and what measures are being taken to ensure food safety. Given this latest wave of questions, organizations associated with the food and beverage industry are under increasing pressure to provide well-defined and transparent product and shipment information.

Over the course of the last several months, my colleague Dan Gangai has examined various ways in which integrated solutions for document process automation can help Microsoft Dynamics AX users to create more efficiency and value around transactional documents. With food safety issues all over the news, what better time to take a closer look at the transactional document challenges related to the food and beverage industry?

Regulatory Guidelines Dictate Documentation

To date, most nations have established some set of food safety guidelines. Food processors and distributors follow safety regulations based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) standards or other requirements like the International Food Standard, which are enforced by entities such as the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and European Union. Through these guidelines, regulatory bodies determine the level and complexity of data recording, analysis, and monitoring required during food processing and distribution, as well as establishing control points and best practice safety requirements.

With food processing and distribution, the transactional documents most often associated with the exchange of goods (either to a customer or another manufacturer, who will in turn use the goods as ingredients in the final product), may include HACCP certificates, proof of inspection and analysis, and organic or kosher verification forms. All of these highly-specialized documents are in addition to more traditional ...