Lot code and traceability of assorted chocolates
Hello! I am trying to figure out how you would get traceabilty on the following example. We produce different chocolate confections. Me make these confections on different dates as needed. We then pack them up into an assorted box of chocolates. How do I get tracability on them? How do I deteremine which products from which lots went into those boxes incase I did need to recall an item? or how do I lot those assorted boxes? We have so many products and I am really confused on how to make this work. We currently Julian Date all of our products.
So, your recall procedure is what right now?
lots of moving parts. Easiest way would be through an ERP with work orders and traceability features, I used to do a similar setup through SAP. Low tech solution would be to track through a spreadsheet all lots of individual chocolates used against finished product for the production run. example attached.
Attached Files
Honestly don't really have one for boxed chocolates. We have a julian date that it was packed on that we could use to recall but we don't have a way to tie the bulk candy used for packing to the finished boxes. We would have to do a full recall of that item because we don't have a way to associate which packed boxes go to which customers other than by invoice and that doesn't give us the packed on date. This is why I am confused on how to set up a good recall program.
lots of moving parts. Easiest way would be through an ERP with work orders and traceability features, I used to do a similar setup through SAP. Low tech solution would be to track through a spreadsheet all lots of individual chocolates used against finished product for the production run. example attached.
How then do you tie the finished boxes to an individual customer. Do you call out your lot # on the inovices? This might seem like a stupid question, and I am sorry for that. This is just something new that we have never worked with before.
So, your recall procedure is what right now?
Honestly don't really have one for boxed chocolates. We have a julian date that it was packed on that we could use to recall but we don't have a way to tie the bulk candy used for packing to the finished boxes. We would have to do a full recall of that item because we don't have a way to associate which packed boxes go to which customers other than by invoice and that doesn't give us the packed on date. This is why I am confused on how to set up a good recall program.
Keep a packing production record.
Assign each chocolate a code that includes information on the date it was produced, and carry that code forward until its packed. Then on you finial package assign it a code related to the day it was packed.
Example
June 4, 2019
Packed product A060119(almond chocolate made June 01, 2019), B060219(Dark chocolate made June 2, 2019), C060319(Milk chocolate made June 3, 2019) =D15519(Completed box of chocolates)
Then if customer says there was a issue with D15519, you can check your records to see A060119,B060219 & C060319 were in that box.
Hope this helps.
Working with ERP, all invoices needed to have lot# entered into the system when pulled prior to shipping. If the majority of your product you're selling is direct to consumer and you needed to do a recall, your best practice at this point would contact from your invoice mailing list within a time frame that would correlate to the affected product. Confections are usually consumed quickly so the chances of product lingering post-sales more than 30 days are probably less likely. For re-sellers you should document on a pick slip which lots they received with the invoice.
lots of moving parts. Easiest way would be through an ERP with work orders and traceability features, I used to do a similar setup through SAP. Low tech solution would be to track through a spreadsheet all lots of individual chocolates used against finished product for the production run. example attached.
Thank you!!
Yes, your individual chocolate types need to be INGREDIENTS into the FINISHED good (assorted boxed chocolates) so the ERP would show what lot of each went into the assorted boxes, which are assigned their OWN lot code
Hello,
I have set up this type of traceability at a former company I worked at. I created a worksheet where each of the components and their lot codes used in the combo pack were documented. The name of the combo pack was determined and also given its own individual lot code for the day it was created, which was then tied into all of the component lot codes used. For traceability purposes, the lot code for the combo pack was used to trace the product in the event of a recall, and all associated lot codes for the individual components were then available as being part of that combo pack, and could be recalled as necessary. In addition, a spread sheet could also be created listing each combo pack that an individual component was used in, along with all associated lot codes.
Hope that helps!
Shabd