Qmach announced yesterday it would join with TraceAll, which provides software designed to trace products from "end to end". The companies hope to offer food companies an automated way to comply with new food safety requirements on traceability.
The requirements mean companies must be able to trace ingredients from source and products to the till, allowing them to pinpoint problems when a food safety incident occurs, and make recalls if necessary. Retail giants are currently rolling out traceability mandates to all their suppliers, with Wal-Mart currently working out traceability standards for all fresh products.
"Food manufacturers have no choice but to comply with traceability legislation and recent events, such as Sudan 1, have done little to appease public opinion and proves that operating out-dated paper-based systems is simply not effective," stated Mark Fuller, Qmach's business development director.
The requirements often leads to many key personnel being tied up in a paper chase, while consequential costs can spiral out of control through the inability to accurately and quickly quantify problems, the companies said.
Qmach and TraceAll claim the software system reduces the time, effort and expenditure required to manage and improve traceability. The Qmach and TraceAll solution enables companies to have global, secure, instant access to product and ingredient data.
Alan Steele, a director at TraceAll, said the company's customer base, already includes companies like Youngs Bluecrest, Dairy Crest, Greggs and the Food Standards Agency.